Mt. St. Helens, Vancouver, and Portland

September 1999

Cessna pilot and Mom in the front seats watching our approach to the south side of Mt. St. Helens. It was a clear day for views all the way out to the Olympics north, the Pacific coast west, Mt. Baker south, and various Cascades east. The crater rim ahead is the same ridge that JP and I climbed up the month before.

 

View from the airplane as we descended into the Mt. St. Helens crater below the surrounding rim walls. That large mound in the middle is actually the mountain slowly rebuilding itself by upward pressures from below. It has a long way to go!

 

Mom and I above the steep gorge leading to Loowit Falls after a good hike through the barren north blast zone side of Mt. St. Helens. The water's source is snowmelt coming from the mountain's crater above. The waterfall didn't even exist until the mountain blew away and changed the landscape forever.

 

Mom, Karen, and I enjoying an evening meal at Salty's on the Columbia River, courtesy of G&G. Good vittles, and a nice view, too.

 

Historic Pittock Mansion on the hills overlooking Portland. The mansion and its grounds were owned by a local wealthy business family in the early 1900s, but the estate eventually went unused and sunk into disrepair until it was taken over and reinvigorated as a historical site open for the public.

 

Me and Mom demonstrating the custom trays that Dad handmade specifically to fit my deck's Adirondack chairs. We're also showing off some tasties: my beloved Goetze caramel creams and Mom's newly discovered local blackberry shake from Burgerville.

 

 

Me at Mom's favorite house along historic Officer's Row in Vancouver: Grant House. Extra points for the cupola. Officer's Row is now a renovated, protected row of neat old homes on a tree lined street that once housed Army officers before being abandoned. They were all almost razed until they were saved by Vancouver and put to many public uses now.

 

Me at Fort Vancouver National Historic Site in Vancouver. The ex-British trading fort is gradually being reconstructed from old drawings and descriptions. The main fort's perimeter and some key buildings have already been built, plus a garden and orchard. In-character people sometimes staff the store, doctor's office, and working blacksmith shop.