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Mount Saint Helens June 8-16, 2016
Marina in Crescent City California about 20 miles south of the Oregon border
I had been trying to get to Mt St Helen's for a month. I broke out the back window on my Jeep which took weeks to repair. I then started an ill fated vacation with Scot & Shawna where their RV broke down near Lee Vining. I finally got on the road the 8th of June. When I finally reached the Columbia River after five days on the road it started raining. By the time I reached Mt St Helen's you couldn't see anything of the mountain. With rain in the forecast for days and the local roads still closed I moved on south after only one night in the rain soaked area.  Eight days and 2600 miles latter I have to go back to see Mt St Helens.
Interesting sunset cloud formations near Fort Independence on the first night out
I  went over Tioga Pass into Yosemite only to find Tuolumne Meadows Campground, Yosemite Creek Campground, White Wolf and Crane Flats Campgrounds closed. Too many people on the Tioga Road so I pressed on to Vallejo for Thursday night. I was able to visit some old friends, Barry and Gary. I also go to go to Napoli's for pizza which is always a treat. I even managed to run into Steve the owner of the Relay Bar which had been my corner neighborhood bar for 10 years. He has owned it for well over 20 years now.
Tenaya Lake from Olmstead Point
Lukens Lake  I hadn't been to Lukens Lake for over 40 years. Only a .8 mile hike off of Hwy120. Some friends and I along with my future first wife Patty hiked in twice I believe around 1975. One time we were waiting on Larry Dishong and instead of showing up from the west he came driving his Baracuda? with it's distinctive curved rear window from the east. He had inadvertently gone to Lake Tahoe and then down US395. Everyone was supposed to skinny dip but I was the only one who did, Patty went topless. Once we got caught without a permit and a couple of people hiked to White Wolf to get one. The other time we didn't have a permit either. One time we found what we thought was a sleeping bag left on someone's car hood. We appropriated it because we were short a bag but it turned out to be a ground pad. When we got back to where I had parked the van someone had taken my spare full 5 gallon Jerry can of gas. Instant Karma. I was able to hike to the lake this time because I didn't have my dog Mya with me on the trip.
Rio Vista
Highway 12 bridge over the Sacramento River at Rio Vista     (I love polarizing filters)
I hadn't been to Foster's for over 30 years, it was still there so I had a beer. Didn't find where he had shot a Yeti or Sasquash
US 101 in the California Redwoods	Near Mt St Helens    (They grow bigger farther north)
I
Redwoods
It is impossible to truly capture the majesty of the redwoods in pictures    (Even the second generation growth makes a serene forest)
Lots of big wood carvings (This one at a closed establishment near Phillipsville on the Avenue of the Giants)	Didn't know they played instruments (Welcome to the emerald triangle)
I managed to get a campsite for Friday night at Burlington Campground which is the Redwood State Park headquarters on the Avenue of the Giants. There were only a few sites still available and after a $2 senior discount cost me $33 for the night. (plus $8 for a little bundle of wood). I always take the Avenue of the Giants rather than 101 when in the area, much slower and more scenic.
Oregon Coast
I didn't realize much of the Oregon coast above Coos Bay was sand dunes	If you ever wondered what a Yurt is, they have them at Fort Stevens  (Point Blanco State Park had cabins)
I stayed at Cape Blanco State Park and Fort Stevens State Park while traveling up US101 through Oregon. Cape Blanco was $22 and Fort Stevens was $29 for the night and included electrical hook up, water at the site and free use of the showers. None of which is included in California at their higher rate. I slept under the stars at Cape Blanco but put a tent up at Fort Stevens because of the mosquitoes. Good thing I did  because it started raining in the evening.
Ships go out but the don't always come in.
Some Oregon wild flowers
St Helens/Rainier
The road to Cougar, Windy Ridge and Spirit Lake was still closed so I settled for a campground in a rain forest  (It rained the whole time I was there, imagine that)
There has already been forest fires down in southern California. this season. I don't think a thermo-nuclear device could set this forest afire, but I bet Mt St Helens could. Since the forecast was for continued rain for days and their was no visibility to speak of I didn't bother going to nearby Mt Rainier National Park which I have been to three times. The last time was 1992 on the way to Alaska. Before that I failed a summit attempt from Paradise and made the summit from White River. I remember seeing Mt Adams from Rainier's summit but not Mt St Helens. That was about 6 years after St Helens blew. When I went through White Pass at 4500' on the way to Yakima it was snowing with the temperature dropping.
Mount Lassen
Little bump on the flank of Mt Lassen	Shasta Lake in the distance
Approaching a Cascade mountain I could actually see for a change  (Southern most Cascade Volcano)	Road over the shoulder of Lassen was open    (Roads to the summit attempts weren't)
As well as being the southernmost cascade which I have climbed it was the shortest climb and by far the easiest. (Short day hike) The roads which brings you closer to the summits were closed but with the dedication of a younger man the summit was still a possibility  (Maybe an overnighter with snow shoes, ice axe and crampons?)  At 10,457' the summit of Mt Lassen is almost 4000' lower than Mount Rainier and Mount Shasta which were my other two Cascade summits.
Brokeoff Peak on the flank of Mt Lassen	Lassen isn't extinct. Last major eruption was in the early 1900s
When I bought the Jeep Grand Cherokee they told me I could have two free oil changes if I had them within a year of the purchase. I added 2,600 miles on this trip to bring it up to 4,600 miles since the last oil change. The onboard computer bases oil changes on 10,000 miles but the dealer recommends 7,500 miles. Have until July 2 to get down to Lancaster to the dealer for the service. Five days after I left my Iron Creek campsite in Washington it stopped raining. I had been home for days and the roads I wanted to taken wouldn't have been open yet.
	2600 miles in 8 days, a lot of driving but not much hiking. I usually don't put up a tent for one night but did 3 times on this trip. Twice in the rain. The last night I got sprinkled on while sleeping on the cot so bailed to the Jeep. I could have stayed under the sky as it didn't rain anymore. The first night I slept in the Jeep to be convenient. I did get one hike to Lukens Lake in Yosemite I wouldn't have been able to do it the dog had been along.
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