Today we are on the road early because this is a driving day of approximately 500 miles as we head to Jerome, Idaho. Also, we will be losing an hour as we head eastward.
Leaving our campground.
On our way from the campground the road took us through the Klamath Marsh National Wildlife Refuge, which consists of 40,000 acres of wet meadows and open water wetlands. In the background is the Cascade Mountain Range.
It was a long stretch of road where we didn’t see many vehicles in either direction.
Driving along without traffic!
The following montage of photos are sites along our drive.
Malheur River
Along Christmas Valley Road
Sagebrush along the road
South Beede Reservoir
Snake River
On our way to Jerome, Idaho
It was a long day of riding in the RV. We were glad to get checked in around dinnertime and just relaxing at our campsite.
This morning we are traveling to Salem, Oregon. We crossed into state number 11, Oregon, on a bridge over the Columbia River!
Entering Oregon.
On our way to Salem we drove through Portland and the traffic was heavy as we crossed the Willamette River but we had great views of the downtown area.
Portland
Portland, Oregon
We were set up at our next campground by 11:00 and hopped in the car to visit Cannon Beach. As we left the campground we could see Mt. Jefferson, elevation 10,502 ft., that is part of the Cascade Range, in the distance.
Mt. Jefferson
When we arrived at Cannon Beach we had some lunch at a wonderful restaurant and masks were to be worn except when you were eating. Even though we are fully vaccinated we follow the businesses requests. The town was very busy because it was a nice day and all the restaurants and stores were busy!
Driftwood Restaurant
Cannon Beach is a long sandy beach and is known for Haystack Rock which stands 235 ft. out of the water. As we walked up and down the beach, it was windy and the temperature on the beach was about 60˚! When we walked in the small town of Cannon Beach it was much warmer.
During low tide you can walk out to Haystack. We checked the tide schedule and we arrived a little after low tide. When it is low tide a lot of various marine life can be seen. This area is a protected marine garden so the Oregon department of Fish & Wildlife are there to block off the area and keep individuals from stepping on the marine life during low tide! It is known for many sea stars, urchins, sea anemones, and shellfish. From outside the restricted area we could see some sea anemones and urchins but we didn’t observe any sea stars or shellfish.
Cannon Beach
Cannon Beach
Haystack Rock
As close as we could walk to the tidepools.
Cannon Beach
About a mile offshore we could see Tillamook Lighthouse. It was built in 1881 and deactivated in 1957.
Tillamook Lighthouse
This evening was doing laundry, nothing exciting at all! Tomorrow will be another adventure!
We were on our way to Mt. St. Helens National Volcanic Monument by 7:00 AM. As we left the campground and got on the highway below is the view we saw of the sky!
Morning sky!
On our way to Mt. St. Helens
On our way, we stopped at Coldwater Lake. The lake was created from the eruption of Mt. St. Helens in 1980. It is located in the heart of the blast zone in Gifford Pinchot National Forest. We parked and walked the Birth of a Lake Interpretive Trail. The path has interpretive signs that explain how the eruption of Mt. St. Helens debris avalanche dammed the Coldwater Creek that created the lake! The lake was very clear and we noticed beautiful flora!
Birth of a Lake Trail
Indian Paintbrush
Max Chrysanthemum
Cutleaf Beardtongue
Big Lupine
Coldwater Lake- very clear
Clearwater Lake- south end
Clearwater Lake
Clearwater Lake with Mt. St. Helens in the background.
Clearwater Lake
Mt. St. Helens Viewpoint
We arrived at the Johnston Ridge Observatory but it was closed so we walked around the area and the trails nearby. It was an eerie feeling when you know that it is still active. If the Visitor center had been opened we would have been able to see the functioning seismograph and the live feed of current activity of Mt. St. Helens.
Below is a picture of what was left of an ancient forest that was filled with 150 foot tall trees. The blast was so powerful and filled with debris that it struck this hillside traveling at 500 mph and stripped the trees of their limbs, bark and snapped the trunks so only these stumps were left!
What’s left of the 150 ft. tall ancient trees after the blast!
Close up of the crater
Locations from Mt. St. Helens
The Mt. St. Helens Eruption Memorial is made of granite and lists the names of those killed on May 18, 1980 by the eruption of Mt. St. Helens.
Mt. St. Helens Eruption Memorial
After our visit to Mt. St. Helens, we headed to Mt. Rainier National Park. On our way we stopped at the overlook for Riffe Lake. The lake is a reservoir that was formed by Mossyrock Dam in 1968. The towns of Riffe and Kosmos no longer exist and their residents were relocated because the towns would be submerged by the lake.
We spent the afternoon and early evening at Mt. Rainier National Park!
Entering the park
Mt. Rainier
Mt. Rainier is the tallest volcano in the Cascade Mountain Range and rises 14,410 feet and 25 glaciers extend down the mountainside. A lot of snow was still present.
Snow covered Mt. Rainier
Mt. Rainier with a cloud floating in front.
There was still a lot of snow along the road and some trails. The snow was about 8 feet along the side of some roads.
A lot of snow.
The Kautz Creek Trail gave us more views of Mt. Rainier and the surrounding area.
A waterfall we passed in the park was Christine Falls. It was on the Van Trump Creek and was 69 feet tall. The higher tier had a 32 feet drop and the lower tier dropped 37 feet.
Christine Falls
The Nisqually Glacier was located on the southwestern face of Mt. Rainier and because it was one of the larger glaciers it can easily be seen! With climate change, the glaciers are shrinking dramatically. One study stated that from 1971 to 2006 the Mt. Rainier lost 14% of its glacier cover. We have to wonder what the percentage of loss is today, fifteen years later.
Nisqually Glacier
Narada Falls has two tiers and its total height is 188 feet and its width is 50 feet. The trail down to the falls has a steep 200-foot descent. The path was narrow due to the snow and ice and it was extremely slippery. We needed our hiking poles which we didn’t have with us for traction! Of course the best viewing is from the bottom. It was too dangerous for us to make it all the way down so our pictures are from the top. We read online that later in the summer the snow and ice will be gone.
Narada Falls
Our next stop was the Paradise Inn and Visitor Center. It was busy at this stop. The Park Rangers were stationed outside the Visitor Center which was closed due to Covid-19 but the restrooms were available. It was fun to watch people throwing snowballs in shorts and t-shirts, we saw people sledding down small hills while using their jackets as sleds, and hikers carrying their skis and snowboards to hike and ski!
Paradise Visitor Center
The Reflection Lakes were still snow and ice covered. We could see a little of the water as we walked around the area. It is a popular area for photographers because of Mt. Rainier’s reflection in the water. There wasn’t any reflection happening when we were there! LOL
Reflection Lakes
There was snow drifts that had trees bent over and buried and you could see how the wind and snow stripped trees and bent them so that the trees are at a slant.
Tree stuck in the snow
Bent trees
Snow!
We drove the Stevens Canyon Road which is 19 miles long and it is only open seasonally. It was a beautiful drive and we saw more waterfalls in the canyon.
Stevens Ridge
Along Stevens Canyon Road there is Box Canyon. There is a short trail that we did. Box Canyon is a 180-foot deep, 13-foot wide chasm in the rock that the Cowlitz River flows.
Box Canyon
Cowlitz River
180 feet down
Falls Creek Falls was also along the Stevens Canyon Road.
Falls Creek Falls
It was a long day with visiting Mt. St. Helens National Monument and Mt. Rainier National Park but we enjoyed every minute!
