Q4675

城市概覽

History On March 20, 1980, 1 Mount St. Helens awakened from over 100 years of dormancy with a magnitude 4.1 earthquake which began a series of events leading to eruption. Steam and ash started erupting on March 27, and over the next two months the north side of the mountain started bulging at the rate of 5–6 ft (1.5–1.8 m) a day. On May 18, 1980, at 8:32AM, a magnitude 5.1 earthquake caused the bulging north face to collapse in one of the largest landslides in recorded history. The highly pressurized magma burst forth in an explosive eruption, sending super-heated volcanic gas and ash across a large portion of the United States, destroying hundreds of square miles of forest, and killing 57 people. This was a VEI-5 event, one of the largest eruptions of the 20th century and the most destructive in United States history. Life quickly started to return to the barren landscape surrounding the mountain. However, as the steam eruptions starting in October 2004 illustrated, the danger of another catastrophic eruption is ever present. Visiting Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument is to simultaneously witness the result of catastrophic destruction and see the result of rebirth.

Landscape Mount St. Helens is a typical stratovolcano, the volcanic form most familiar from photographs of their typically conical profiles. The great 1980 eruption destroyed most of the volcanic cone, leaving a huge amphitheater on the north side that is best seen from the Johnston Ridge observatory and visitor center. Volcanic activity in 2004-05 built a new lava dome within this amphitheater, visible from the "VolcanoCam" at the observatory but not yet large enough to replace the destroyed cone.

St. Helens is still glaciated to some extent, despite its reduced altitude. One unexpected and remarkable feature is Loowit Falls, a waterfall that emerges directly from the amphitheater bearing meltwater from a glacier within the crater. This falls can be seen (use binoculars) from the

如何抵達

By car Mount St. Helens can be visited as a longish day trip from Seattle or Portland, or more conveniently as a side-trip while traveling between the two cities. The West Side, including each visitor center and views of the crater, is accessed from State Route 504 (WA-504). This is the most popular way into the park.

From Interstate 5, take Exit 49 at Castle Rock, about 2 hr 15 min north of Portland and two hours south of Seattle. From Interstate 5, take Exit 63 to Toledo. This is a slightly shorter drive from Seattle, but is not recommended for the initial trip up the mountain, as it bypasses the main visitor center near Castle Rock. & The South Side, including Ape Cave, is accessed from Forest Road 90 (FR-90).

From Interstate 5, take Exit 21 at Woodland for State Route 503 (WA-503). SR-503 becomes Forest Road 90 (FR-90) past Cougar and goes along the south side of Mount St. Helens, and connects to Forest Road 25 (FR-25). From I-84 and the Columbia River, take Exit 64 for Hood River/White Salmon, and cross over the Hood River/White Salmon Bridge to State Route 14 (WA-14). In Carson, go west 18 mi (29 km) to Wind River Rd, which becomes FR-30/Meadow Creek Rd in Gifford Pinchot NF. 29.5 mi (47.5 km) north of Carson, turn left to Curly Creek Rd (FR-90). & The East Side, including Windy Ridge and Spirit Lake, is accessed from Forest Road 25 (FR-25). During the winter FR-25 is closed to due to standing snow accumulation (no plowing through there) in high altitudes. Each route takes roughly the same amount of time from Spokane, though the quality of the roads are best on the US-12 route.

From US-12, west from Yakima, turn south on WA-131 in Randle, halfway between Yakima and I-5. WA-131 becomes Forest Road 25 (FR-25) a few miles south of from US-12. From I-84 and the Columbia River, take Exit 64 for Hood River/White Salmon, and cross over the Hood River/White Salmon Bridge to State Route 14 (WA-14). In Carson, go west 18 mi (29 km) to Wind River Rd, which beco

必看景點

There are four visitor centers along WA-504. Oddly, they are operated by different agencies. The centers include video presentations, exhibits, and information desks. From west to east:

1 Mount St. Helens Visitor Center at Silver Lake, 3029 Spirit Lake Hwy, Castle Rock (about 5 miles east of Castle Rock, across the highway from Seaquest State Park), ☏ +1 360 274-0962. Open daily, 9AM-4PM, closed New Years, Thanksgiving, and Christmas days. This visitor center provides visitors with an introduction to the history of the area. Operated by Washington State Parks. 2 Forest Learning Center, 17000 Spirit Lake Highway, Toutle (at milepost 33). May-Sep: daily 10AM-4PM. Tells the story of the recovery of forests, fish and wildlife following the eruption. Operated by Weyerhauser Company. Free. (updated Nov 2024) 3 Science and Learning Center at Coldwater (Coldwater Ridge Visitor Center) (at milepost 43). May-Oct: daily 10AM-4PM; winter: Sa Su 10AM-4PM. Get information about exploring the monument, learn about education programs offered, or shop at the bookstore. Operated by USFS. $5/vehicle. (updated Nov 2024) 4 Johnston Ridge Observatory (52 miles east of Castle Rock). Mid-May — Oct: daily. This observatory provides good views of the north face of the volcano. Well within the blast zone, this is as close to the mountain as you can get by car, only 5 mi (8.0 km) from the summit. There's also a large indoor visitor center with an auditorium and gift shop. Interpretive talks available. Do not walk onto the observation deck without first going inside the center and obtaining a wrist band, or you will be cited. (Admission includes both the visitor center and its outside deck.) $8. Interagency recreation passes accepted. Along the way, there are numerous viewpoints and turnoffs for taking photos along the highway.

體驗活動

Hiking 1 Ape Cave (from FR 90, turn onto FR 83 for 3 miles, then turn left onto FR 8303; drive 1.5 miles to Apes' Headquarters on the left.). The third longest lava tube in North America, at 2.5 mi (4.0 km) long, formed 2000 years ago as a flow of lava cooled from the outside and drained from the center. A paved accessible trail leads 3/4 miles into the cave. For the more adventurous, the 1.5-mile upper cave route leads to a climb up an eight foot rock wall and scramble over rock piles, then an exit and a 1.5-mile above-ground hike back to the parking lot. Bring two sources of light per person, sturdy shoes, and warm clothing, cave temperature is 42 °F (6 °C) year-round. In summer, a small information station offers lantern rentals and sales items to ticket holders. Reservation required. (updated Nov 2024) 2 Loowit Falls Hike (From FR 25, turn onto FR 99, and drive 17 miles to Windy Ridge viewpoint.). 9.2 miles, 1200 feet gain. A hike to the waterfall that emerges directly from the volcanic amphitheater. This falls, visible from the observatory, seems to emerge as though from the surface of the moon. The trail is closed during volcanic activity.