Today the NWOL lost one car, and gained another. Rick and Chris Kuschel decided to leave us early because their Series 1 OTS had developed a misfire which was getting progressively worse. They decided to set off for home in Missoula, MT with the hope of getting there before the problem got any worse. We missed them today on the trip to Mount St Helens, and wish them a safe drive home. Norman Black joined us last night from Duvall, WA with his beautiful '67 maroon FHC. So, it was still 6 cars that left the hotel in Clatskanie, Oregon on the way to Mount St Helens. In contrast to previous days, the weather was overcast, with fog/mist in the air. This persisted with us into Washington state, and continued as we headed up WA-504 which eventually ends at the Johnson Ridge Observatory, about 6 miles from the summit of Mount St Helens. About 40 miles or so from the Observatory, we stopped off at the Mount St Helens Visitor Center, which provided us with a lot of fascinating background information on the 1980 eruption Shortly after leaving the visitor center, while we drove up towards the observatory, the weather cleared and the sun broke through. For those driving convertibles, this wasn't a moment too soon. About 20 miles out, we got our first sighting of the mountain.
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| Mount St Helens in the background. Toutle River valley in the foreground, that was filled with debris from the eruption |
The drive up to the observatory was pleasant, though certainly less enjoyable than the route originally planned to Windy Ridge (which we had to cancel due to road closure). As usual, when we arrived the E-types attracted a lot of attention from fellow visitors.
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| Today's lineup includes Norman Blacks '67 FHC |
We walked to the Johnson Ridge Observatory, which overlooks the north side of Mount St Helens. It is named in honor of U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) volcanologist David A. Johnson who was on duty at the USGA Coldwater II observation post during the May 18th, 1980 eruption.David Johnson was one of 57 people who lost their lives in the eruption.
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| Mount St Helens from the Johnson Ridge Observatory |
When you see how much of the mountain was blown away by the eruption it is awe-inspiring. The devastation on the surrounding area is amazing...
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| A final shot of the mountain on our way down WA-504 |
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| An enjoyable run down WA-504 |
We had an enjoyable lunch at Patty's Place on the way down WA-504 overlooking the river. Having crossed back into Oregon, the final leg of Day 3 was from Clatskanie to McMinnville. Chuck had selected a "special" driving road for this section on OR-47. It proved to be a blast of a drive. Jerry and Greg left the rest of us for dirt, so I don't have any pictures... Jerry's car developed a couple of problems during the day, so we may have a little "fettling" to do before we set out tomorrow, when we visit the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum.
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