Northwest Volcano Tour

Well, I remembered to bring my camera on this trip; unfortunately, I don't have any legs that go into Seattle, therefore no North Cascades tours. Between yesterday and today, though, the weather was good enough to get some pictures of the major volcanic peaks from Ranier southward. The best pics are from a VFR-on-top tour we did of Mt. Hood this morning.



This is Mt. Ranier, the largest and (in my opinion) prettiest mountain in the Cascade Range. This view is from just south of Yakima, so you're looking at the south face - Paradise Lodge would be on the left side of Ranier and Sunrise on the right side. The classic climbing route goes up the left side of the mountain.



Above, steam rises from the crater of the not-so-dormant Mt. St. Helens. This is a pretty average day; lately, eruptive activity hasn't been much more exciting than this. The new lava dome inside the crater, however, continues its growth unabated.



12,276 ft. Mount Adams, with Mt. St Helens visible behind. The area around and between these two volcanoes comprises the majority of wilderness area in Southwest Washington, including Mt. Adams and Indian Heaven Wilderness Areas, and the Mt. St. Helens National Volcanic Monument.



This picture was taken this morning while VFR-on-top about 5 miles south of Mt. Hood. At 11,245 feet, Mt. Hood is shorter than its neighbors to the north (Adams, Ranier, & Baker). Its close proximity to Portland makes it a popular destination for hikers, climbers, and skiiers.



Here, the upper reaches of Mt Hood Meadows ski area can be seen at lower right, and Timberline Lodge & Ski Area is on the far left. The Palmer Snowfield - dba Palmer Glacier (left side) - enables Timberline to offer year-round skiing. Nothing like topless skiing in July!



Mt Shasta: second largest peak of the Cascades, crown jewel of Northern California, sacred ground to past native peoples, and endless source of "positive engergy" for countless Bay Area hippies and new agers. I can't count the times I've been bumping through rain clouds in Southern Oregon, when suddenly: The clouds give way, and there's Mt. Shasta, standing guard over the great bright expanse of Sunny California beyond. No wonder the Indians held it sacred: it seemingly has the power to keep the bad weather in Oregon.

Hopefully tomorrow the weather will be good enough to get some good pictures of Oregon's Southern Cascades from Mt. McLaughlin to Mt. Jefferson. Once I get back, I'll be flying to MN to join Dawn; later next week, we'll be driving the Blazer home from MN. Blogging may be light, but I'll post roadtrip pics & updates when I can.