Outdoor Adventures with Ancient Brit
PCT 2002 - September 2nd
Day 132: Monday 2nd September
Sawtooth Mountain – SW slopes Mount Adams
I left at 7am and immediately met John and his wife who were section-hiking
Washington and Northern Oregon from north to south. I got good views of Mount
Adams and Mount St. Helens from the open forest around road 24.
Mount St. Helens was a 9,680ft volcano, which had been dormant since 1857 until
there was an explosive steam eruption on 27th March 1980. Over the next couple of
months there were a number of minor eruptions while pressure from rising magma was
causing a bulge on the north face of the mountain. On May 18th an earthquake
measuring 5.1 on the Richter scale triggered a gigantic landslide on the north face. The
north slope fell away in an avalanche and was overtaken by an air-blast, which carried
ash and stone more than 12 miles from the summit. This was followed by mudflow flows
and floods that buried the river valleys up to 17 miles to the east with mud and debris.
Meanwhile a vertical eruption of superheated steam, gas and ash was being carried
hundreds of miles to the east by the wind. The 9,680ft cone was now replaced with a
horseshoe shaped crater with the rim at about 8,000ft.
I passed “Cantaloupe” at 8.30am still packing up camp. Today was “Labour Day”,
but he couldn’t explain the significance of this public holiday to me.
I met Dennis Coleman, dressed in full camouflage gear and carrying bow and
arrows, who was a local, living about 20 miles down the White Salmon River. Elk
hunting with bow and arrow is allowed from 1st – 15th September and he was the first of
many hunters I met during this period. At least hunting with bow and arrow is much
more difficult than with a rifle and gives the elk a chance. I didn’t meet any hunter who
had been successful.
I picked up the supply bag I had left hanging by Road 88, then stopped at Trout
Lake Creek for a third breakfast, where I was joined by Carey and “Cantaloupe”.
Carey had taken four days off in Cascade Locks with his wife, but was now back to his
long days.
I walked with “Cantaloupe” from the creek until Road 521. When we reached Jeep
Road 8,810, a jeep track, we detoured along it rather than follow the PCT, which made a
pointless 500ft climb up and then down the hill, while the road contoured around it,
giving better views as well.
“Cantaloupe” left me when I took a break near Road 521 before beginning the
climb up the lower slopes of Mount Adams. I eventually camped below Stagman Ridge in
an open meadow near a dried up marshy stream. There were plenty of mosquitoes
around for the first time for many days. By now it had clouded over and the
temperature was dropping.
Day 132: 21.2 miles 8.33 hours Camp: SW slopes, Mount Adams
Sawtooth Mountain – SW slopes Mount Adams
I left at 7am and immediately met John and his wife who were section-hiking
Washington and Northern Oregon from north to south. I got good views of Mount
Adams and Mount St. Helens from the open forest around road 24.
Mount St. Helens was a 9,680ft volcano, which had been dormant since 1857 until
there was an explosive steam eruption on 27th March 1980. Over the next couple of
months there were a number of minor eruptions while pressure from rising magma was
causing a bulge on the north face of the mountain. On May 18th an earthquake
measuring 5.1 on the Richter scale triggered a gigantic landslide on the north face. The
north slope fell away in an avalanche and was overtaken by an air-blast, which carried
ash and stone more than 12 miles from the summit. This was followed by mudflow flows
and floods that buried the river valleys up to 17 miles to the east with mud and debris.
Meanwhile a vertical eruption of superheated steam, gas and ash was being carried
hundreds of miles to the east by the wind. The 9,680ft cone was now replaced with a
horseshoe shaped crater with the rim at about 8,000ft.
I passed “Cantaloupe” at 8.30am still packing up camp. Today was “Labour Day”,
but he couldn’t explain the significance of this public holiday to me.
I met Dennis Coleman, dressed in full camouflage gear and carrying bow and
arrows, who was a local, living about 20 miles down the White Salmon River. Elk
hunting with bow and arrow is allowed from 1st – 15th September and he was the first of
many hunters I met during this period. At least hunting with bow and arrow is much
more difficult than with a rifle and gives the elk a chance. I didn’t meet any hunter who
had been successful.
I picked up the supply bag I had left hanging by Road 88, then stopped at Trout
Lake Creek for a third breakfast, where I was joined by Carey and “Cantaloupe”.
Carey had taken four days off in Cascade Locks with his wife, but was now back to his
long days.
I walked with “Cantaloupe” from the creek until Road 521. When we reached Jeep
Road 8,810, a jeep track, we detoured along it rather than follow the PCT, which made a
pointless 500ft climb up and then down the hill, while the road contoured around it,
giving better views as well.
“Cantaloupe” left me when I took a break near Road 521 before beginning the
climb up the lower slopes of Mount Adams. I eventually camped below Stagman Ridge in
an open meadow near a dried up marshy stream. There were plenty of mosquitoes
around for the first time for many days. By now it had clouded over and the
temperature was dropping.
Day 132: 21.2 miles 8.33 hours Camp: SW slopes, Mount Adams
Mount St. Helens
from Road 24
from Road 24
Dennis
Twin Buttes
Cantaloupe and Mount
Adams from road 8810
Adams from road 8810
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