Harry’s Ridge Trail: Solitude and Wildflowers at Mount St. Helens
I recently had an extra day off during the week and decided to put it to good use with a mini solo adventure to a new (to me) place. As I’m still recovering from a mysterious yet persistent knee injury, I couldn’t do massive miles out on the trails….so I chose to visit Mount St. Helens and hike Harry’s Ridge Trail. It’s an out-and-back trail with minimal elevation gain, and just seven-ish miles roundtrip. Even though I’ve lived in Seattle for nearly eight years, I hadn’t yet visited this remarkable and moving national monument.
It was the right choice. I had a fantastic day!
Mount St. Helens is roughly a three hour drive from Seattle, but that gave me ample time for serious car karaoke complete with shoulder dancing. There was a thick cloud layer and drizzle when I left the city, but the weather promised to improve, so I held out hope for some sunshine. I got my wish!
On the way to Johnston Ridge Observatory I caught glimpses of the volcano, as well as the summit of Mount Adams, which was a pleasant surprise. I also noticed the forest changed subtly the closer I got to St. Helens. It became more uniform, and clearly younger looking than the forest further west.
Once I arrived at the observatory, I checked in with a ranger about the status of Harry’s Ridge Trail (all good), grabbed a map, and headed out! I began by going up a paved path called the Eruption Trail. There are educational signs along the trail, and absolutely stellar views of the volcano and the area below to the right. After about a half mile, the trail turns to dirt and I walked steadily along a ridge on the Boundary Trail. It’s an easy trail with, again, some amazing views to the right. The destruction of the land below the volcano is quickly apparent, and frankly, hard to comprehend because the scale is so large.
Among this dry and dusty landscape (with little vegetation), I was delighted to find some wildflowers at their peak! The Indian Paintbrush was in full bloom, and honestly, I’ve never seen so much of it in one place. There was also lots of purple Cardwell’s Penstemon that was a nice contrast to the bright orange of the Paintbrush.
As it is with most parks, the further you are from the trailhead, the fewer people you encounter, and this trail was no different. I found myself alone for a fair amount of time, and it was exactly what I needed. Since my injury, I haven’t had my typical opportunities for solo time on the trails, or any time on the trails, period. It’s become apparent how important it is for me to have that time to recharge, especially in light of recent work and life stress. Solitude, plus mountain grandeur and beautiful wildflowers? Yes, please. I was soaking it up like a sponge and grinning like a Cheshire Cat. (This is remarkable because if you know me, I have RBF…Resting Bitch Face.) 🙂
While I was cheerfully traipsing along, I realized that because I was hiking instead of running, I noticed a lot more around me…and paused to take photographs without feeling guilty for stopping during a workout. This was definitely a silver lining of being forced to walk instead of run.
Eventually the trail turns off to the left of the ridge and you are suddenly in a brushier, greener area. Quite the contrast to the drier, bare side facing St. Helens. (That’s what happens when you’re walloped by an explosive eruption.) The wildflowers thinned out, but were replaced with huckleberry bushes and other greenery.
Then I reached a T-intersection where the Boundary Trail continues onward (someday I’ll come back for it!), and Harry’s Ridge turned upwards towards the top of the ridge. It’s the only real elevation gain on the trail, and about 350 feet in 0.6 miles.
After a few minutes of uphill work, I reached a little viewpoint that stopped me in my tracks. Remember how I mentioned before I could see the top of Mount Adams? Now here it was, smack in my face, just posing majestically above Spirit Lake. I took a few minutes to take in the view. Spirit Lake is still full of logs from the day of the eruption. It’s a bit startling to see, but when I learned later how it happened (the trees were picked up by a wave of displaced lake water 600 feet up the hillside.) Just a small reminder of the power beneath our feet.
I turned up the ridge, and wondered if the view could possibly get any better. Spoiler alert: it did.
Mount St. Helens loomed large directly in front of me, demanding my attention. Sitting unobtrusively on her shoulder was Mount Hood. I continued to turn left, and again, saw Mount Adams, magnificent in the distance. It was glorious. I stood there in awe, just absorbing the view of these three volcanoes before realizing I should take some photos, video, anything in an attempt to capture the magic.
After a snack and reapplication of sunscreen, I was ready to head back down. Well, in all honesty, I felt no inclination to leave, but I still wanted to check out the Observatory and get back to Seattle before it got too late. (And my lunch was in the car.)
On my return trip, I listened to the birds singing in the small trees, looked closer at some baby lupine on the trail, and continued to steal looks at St. Helens. Would I ever get sick of looking at this vista? (No.) I cannot state enough how happy I was, just being out on the trail on a beautiful day. My heart was happy.
Before long, I was back at the Observatory, spirits light and camera full of photos. I decided to round out my visit by checking out the exhibit. I hadn’t known much about the Mount St. Helens eruption, not growing up in the area (or, um, being alive yet), so it was all very interesting and sobering.
Harry’s Ridge Trail is just over seven miles. It may be a little or a lot, depending on your fitness level, but the elevation gain was minimal, and the trail was very well-maintained. It would be great for a hike or trail run. The views were, simply put, spectacular. I will definitely be back to do this trail again, and hope to see more of this unique and desolate landscape on some of the other trails.
What else did I gain from the day?
- The ravaged landscape startlingly illustrates the power of a volcano, even 38 years later. While the Cascades are full of volcanoes (five active in Washington alone), we rarely think of them in that way. They just look like mountains (of the non-exploding variety.) Spending any length of time at Mount St. Helens puts that in perspective VERY quickly.
- Visiting National Parks on a weekday really IS the way to go. I’m sure Johnston Observatory is an absolute zoo on the weekends, but on a random Tuesday (with nice weather), the parking lot was only a third full.
- I am hugely appreciative, yet again, of the beauty of the Pacific Northwest. I’m so lucky to live here and be just a few hours away from such dramatic landscapes. No need to travel for days to find stunning scenery – we’ve got it here in spades. It was a reminder that I still have lots of beautiful places to explore right here in the PNW. <3
