Hummocks

Since leaving Portland a few days ago I've been gradually making my way south, this time inland, heading towards Yosemite National Park. In doing so I've been impressed time and again, driving round bends in the road or over hills, by the dramatic and changing landscape, and the almost constant presence of snow covered peaks.

My final venture prior to leaving Portland was a drive an hour and a half north to Mt St Helens in Washington State. Having downgraded to the Northwest Hostel I found that my level of attractiveness to other backpackers increased significantly with possession of a vehicle. The cost of a tour to Mt St Helens is around $80, Rob’s Northwest Adventure’s slashed that to a once only offer of $10 for fuel.

So with two 19 year old Germans, Felix and Jan, and Melissa from the UK, who would accompany me south for the next few days, we set off. I was headed to Mt St Helens as one of the soccer Moms I’d been sat next to at the Portland Timbers FC game was a biologist and indicated it was an interesting day trip, i.e. I didn’t know anything about it before I went.

Mt St Helens with rainbow cloud

As I was to learn however it’s famous for erupting in 1980, having been triggered by an earthquake.  There had been signs in the previous weeks that an eruption was imminent and as such teams of scientists and observers were watching when it exploded.  Unfortunately 57 died as a result of the eruption, including some of the observers.

Today it still remains very much a lunar landscape.  The motley crew assembled for the day selected 'The Hummocks' as our hike, a word I had to explain to my German friends, and a word I think in general is not used often enough. The hike wends its way through a series of hummocks and then up the side of an adjacent mountain to the Johnston Ridge Observatory, and saved us all $8 as we effectively walked around the payment point.  

In a scene reminiscent of the Lord of the Rings the assembled group hiked up and up, around bends, over former molten rock, surrounded by the stumps of flattened trees and patches of vegetation still trying to establish a foothold 32 years after the explosion, and me thinking all the while, this is indeed hummocky and aptly named. 

The synergies to LoR were even more so with my German companions. Now I love the Germans as much as any, even more some might say, but Felix and Jan displayed an amazing degree of impassivity through the day we spent together, silently and relentlessly covering ground, never breaking stride to smile or bother with emotion. A fine representation of the teutonic stereotype. Melissa on the other hand liked to chat away, which I was very grateful for, what the Germans thought was anyone's guess.

Leaving Portland with Melissa we headed back through Bend, and then onto Mt Shasta. On the drive to Mt Shasta we stopped off at Crater Lake, the deepest lake in the US set inside the remnants of a former volcano. The colour of the water is the deepest blue and looks stunning with the surrounding snow.

Crater Lake

A sensible car and Mt Shasta

I was driving to Mt Shasta as Tul Khoo way back in Mendocino had said the town had a special aura, with the giant snow covered mountain, the largest in California at approximately 14,000 feet, providing an impressive backdrop. I think the town did possess a special aura, but it certainly didn’t exist at the Alpine Lodge on the hot afternoon we rolled in.  The other guests were the type of freaky yokels I wanted to spot, but not necessarily share the same accommodation with. The wifi was only available adjacent to the main office and as I sat on a balcony outside someone’s room skyping an angry and drunk service guy mumbled something to me each time he shuffled back and forth.  If only Tony had stepped in, but he was otherwise occupied.

 

Saying adieu to Melissa at the Weed bus stop I headed to my final destination before Yosemite, Lake Tahoe…a place with a special aura and a lovely hostel right by the banks of the Lake where I would spend the next two nights.