Spirit Lake Highway Drive July 2014
Thread Starter
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 2,354
Likes: 2
From: Mukilteo, WA
Spirit Lake Highway Drive July 2014
Where/When: Yesterday July 13th2014 to Johnston Ridge, Mount St. Helens.
***Drive Already Happened*** Check for on page 3 of this post.
The drive already happened, check the postings towards the end for pictures.
Revised Forecast for Sunday, July 13th: <s>Partly Cloudy/Mostly Sunny, ~90 Degrees F. Valley (mid-late afternoon), ~80 Degrees F. at the Observatory/Mountain, Slight (10-20%) Chance of Showers/Possible Lightning After 3pm </s> **Actual high 07/13** ~75 F and Mostly Cloudy/Muggy, Rain Showers in the Afternoon/Evening (1 rumble of thunder at the top?) Blowing dust/windy and cloudy at observatory, muggy and ~65-70 F.
Portland was 74 with Thundershowers (felt much warmer due to humidity), Seattle hit 85-86 while Partly-Mostly Cloudy
http://www.weather.c...eekend/USWA0455
http://www.komonews.com/weather/
Fees:$5 parking fee or Northwest forest service pass.
If hiking beyond observatory: $8 per person enforced by Rangers standing outside observatory
Thanks to everyone who went!! We nearly had 20 cars and more than 20 people, excellent turnout!!
What a way to celebrate my 30th birthday, I will never forget this day.
I have the original post saved, and I would love to do this drive again next summer!
Group Picture: Most, but not all of us were in the photo.
Thanks to the *other* Eric for the picture, not sure of his s2ki screen name.
Higher Quality Version:
https://fbcdn-sphoto...08d24e098f76e7a
***Drive Already Happened*** Check for on page 3 of this post.
The drive already happened, check the postings towards the end for pictures.
Revised Forecast for Sunday, July 13th: <s>Partly Cloudy/Mostly Sunny, ~90 Degrees F. Valley (mid-late afternoon), ~80 Degrees F. at the Observatory/Mountain, Slight (10-20%) Chance of Showers/Possible Lightning After 3pm </s> **Actual high 07/13** ~75 F and Mostly Cloudy/Muggy, Rain Showers in the Afternoon/Evening (1 rumble of thunder at the top?) Blowing dust/windy and cloudy at observatory, muggy and ~65-70 F.
Portland was 74 with Thundershowers (felt much warmer due to humidity), Seattle hit 85-86 while Partly-Mostly Cloudy
http://www.weather.c...eekend/USWA0455
http://www.komonews.com/weather/
Fees:
If hiking beyond observatory: $8 per person enforced by Rangers standing outside observatory
Thanks to everyone who went!! We nearly had 20 cars and more than 20 people, excellent turnout!!
What a way to celebrate my 30th birthday, I will never forget this day.
I have the original post saved, and I would love to do this drive again next summer!
Group Picture: Most, but not all of us were in the photo.
Thanks to the *other* Eric for the picture, not sure of his s2ki screen name.
Higher Quality Version:
https://fbcdn-sphoto...08d24e098f76e7a
Registered User
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 522
Likes: 0
From: PACNW Seattle
Where/When:
I've been wanting to organize a scenic/ambitious drive on my 30th birthday which falls on Sunday July 13th, and after thinking it over and talking to a few members Mount St. Helens sounds like a great destination.
Fees: $5 parking fee or Northwest forest service pass.
If hiking beyond observatory: $8 per person
What exact time will we meet up?
Exact time is to be determined.
I'm willing to listen to hear what others say, but a meeting time of 9am in Toledo, WA sounds ideal. Perhaps we could all set off by 9:30 am to make it up to the observatory by noon.
Meeting Point(s):
I am not yet decided on the main meeting point and will seek advice, but I figure since it is down south it would make sense to meet somewhere between Tacoma or further south toward Toledo right off I-5 in case anyone is coming from the south or west. Perhaps a breakfast location would be a good meeting place, so those who want to get something to eat have the opportunity to show up a little earlier.
Route:
The route I'm planning on is fairly straightforward, take I-5 to the final meeting point in Toledo, and follow the Spirit Lake Highway all the way to the Johnston Ridge Observatory. http://mountsthelens.com/visitorcenters.html
Since this is a fairly long drive, there will most certainly be stops in between for stretching, picture taking, etc., and from what I remember there are plenty of opportunities along the route.
Estimated elapsed time:
(Non stop) from Seattle, WA takes ~3 hours each way, so considering the time spent for breaks, walking around near the observatory trail (I believe ~1/2 mile to 1 mile from the parking lot to observatory), I would plan on this taking the vast majority of the day (say 9-10 hours from the time you leave the house to getting back). Perhaps more for those who wish to stay longer and have no need to wake up early on Monday
I may decide to stay longer myself and hike the trail a bit towards Spirit Lake, but there is an $8 fee for that per person.
Is this more of a morning or evening place (for photographers) : I believe the lighting is best at Johnston Ridge later in the day/evening, so staying for a sunset would be better than waking up super early for a sunrise. However, this is more for the drive/socializing anyways.
I took this photo at the end of sunset in fall (October), hence the freshly fallen snow at the top.
Going:
1. EricJT7 +1 (Brother will be driving his Miata).
2. Neimanb87
3.
4.
5.
I've been wanting to organize a scenic/ambitious drive on my 30th birthday which falls on Sunday July 13th, and after thinking it over and talking to a few members Mount St. Helens sounds like a great destination.
Fees: $5 parking fee or Northwest forest service pass.
If hiking beyond observatory: $8 per person
What exact time will we meet up?
Exact time is to be determined.
I'm willing to listen to hear what others say, but a meeting time of 9am in Toledo, WA sounds ideal. Perhaps we could all set off by 9:30 am to make it up to the observatory by noon.
Meeting Point(s):
I am not yet decided on the main meeting point and will seek advice, but I figure since it is down south it would make sense to meet somewhere between Tacoma or further south toward Toledo right off I-5 in case anyone is coming from the south or west. Perhaps a breakfast location would be a good meeting place, so those who want to get something to eat have the opportunity to show up a little earlier.
Route:
The route I'm planning on is fairly straightforward, take I-5 to the final meeting point in Toledo, and follow the Spirit Lake Highway all the way to the Johnston Ridge Observatory. http://mountsthelens.com/visitorcenters.html
Since this is a fairly long drive, there will most certainly be stops in between for stretching, picture taking, etc., and from what I remember there are plenty of opportunities along the route.
Estimated elapsed time:
(Non stop) from Seattle, WA takes ~3 hours each way, so considering the time spent for breaks, walking around near the observatory trail (I believe ~1/2 mile to 1 mile from the parking lot to observatory), I would plan on this taking the vast majority of the day (say 9-10 hours from the time you leave the house to getting back). Perhaps more for those who wish to stay longer and have no need to wake up early on Monday
I may decide to stay longer myself and hike the trail a bit towards Spirit Lake, but there is an $8 fee for that per person.
Is this more of a morning or evening place (for photographers) : I believe the lighting is best at Johnston Ridge later in the day/evening, so staying for a sunset would be better than waking up super early for a sunrise. However, this is more for the drive/socializing anyways.
I took this photo at the end of sunset in fall (October), hence the freshly fallen snow at the top.
Going:
1. EricJT7 +1 (Brother will be driving his Miata).
2. Neimanb87
3.
4.
5.
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Thread Starter
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 2,354
Likes: 2
From: Mukilteo, WA
Updated with main meeting point and specific time.
We are going to meet/stop at Gee Cee's Truck Stop in Toledo, which is nearly 20 miles south of Chehalis.
This should hopefully allow us enough parking, with the option of eating and I believe gassing up as well assuming they have 92.
Meeting time will be 9:00 am, and plan on departing promptly at 10:00 am.
If anyone thinks there is a better meeting point for all of us to meet at feel free to let me know, but there aren't many spots in Toledo I could find and this one serves breakfast, and hopefully has enough spots for all of us to park, I may give them a call and check.
Link: http://www.geeceestr....com/index.html
Also, this is now posted in the Oregon Owner's forum as well.
We are going to meet/stop at Gee Cee's Truck Stop in Toledo, which is nearly 20 miles south of Chehalis.
This should hopefully allow us enough parking, with the option of eating and I believe gassing up as well assuming they have 92.
Meeting time will be 9:00 am, and plan on departing promptly at 10:00 am.
If anyone thinks there is a better meeting point for all of us to meet at feel free to let me know, but there aren't many spots in Toledo I could find and this one serves breakfast, and hopefully has enough spots for all of us to park, I may give them a call and check.
Link: http://www.geeceestr....com/index.html
Also, this is now posted in the Oregon Owner's forum as well.
