Day 6

Today was a glorious day.  Following my recovery day yesterday, I felt vastly better, not perfect perhaps but really all I any reason to expect under the circumstances.  If yesterday was a Mt. Rainier day, today was Mt. St. Helens Day.  It was 105 miles from Packwood to Cascade Locks, Oregon.  The first 20 miles or so was relatively flat until we crossed to Cowlitz River to enter the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, in which we remained for most of the rest of the day.  This begins as a spooky, primeval space with dense stands of trees covered with velveteen moss.  The road begins to rise gently and within 5 miles a long, unremitting climb takes hold for the next 15 miles.  It is not steep (5-7%) but 15 miles is 15 miles. Then a downhill for about 2 miles and then uphill for 4 more.  Then......vistas of Mt. St. Helens open before you.   It is extremely majestic.  I had forgotten that it was 32 years ago now (May, 1980) when it erupted.  Coming back from Japan in the spring of 1981 the plane close by the mountain, dark, sinister, and the surrounding landscaped largely denuded.  It is now otherwise; green and lush but without the great trees that dominate so much of the rest of the space.  It is quite beautiful.  From there it was up and down until leaving the Forest, riding along the Columbia river, and, ultimately crossing into Oregon on the petrifyingly scary Bridge of the Gods (a grated metal bridge 200 feet about the river.  Now I am sitting on the veranda overlooking the river ready to leave tomorrow for Mt. Hood where will stay in the famous forest hotel in the grand manner, The Timberline Lodge.

I apologize but in my delirium I failed to properly plug in my phone so no pics today.  I will try to do better.