drove from seattle-- FR-25 and 99 arent too bad, we made it in a kia rio. the trailhead (windy ridge to truman trail) is at the opposite side of the lot as the observatory. weather was great, made it almost to loowit falls. as you get down in the pumice plains keep an eye out for your trail, its thin and easy to lose...but luckily there are many cairns to direct you....especially look out when you are crossing the mini-stream. wildflowers are amazing....this is the time to go. i imagine this hike gets really hot (no shade) later in the summer. we saw 1 deer, 2 chipmunks, a pile of elk droppings, and 2 other humans on the trail.

Mount St Helens National Monument is one of my favorite places in WA for its unique and stark beauty, but also for being relatively off the beaten path. Of course, I like hitting the trail early so I usually avoid seeing many fellow hikers until I'm on the trail back to the car. But today was awesome because I only met 3 fellow hikers on the plain the whole day! Maybe the 100+ temps in WA Sunday drove people to the beach! The hike out from Johnson Ridge Observatory is easy and always stunning at any hour, but early morning at dawn with the wild flowers now in full bloom was jaw dropping. The trail (Boundary Trail #1) is easy until Devil's Elbow, and even then, the trail is in decent shape if you just take your time and don't look down (if you're afraid of heights!). Around the corner to the north a bit you hit the intersection with Truman Trail #207 down to the pumice plain. As you descend, a small creek appears and you're surrounded by groves of alder and willows popping up from the devastation until you break out onto the plain. I saw 3 small herds of elk on the plain, many down by the water's edge at Spirit Lake. Crossing the plain was lovely with the mountain giving you spectacular views the whole way as you approach it. Everywhere prairie lupine and paintbrush carpeted the ash, cheering up the devastation. The trail crosses a few streams/seepages draining off the mountain, which are getting alder-clogged. The way isn't too hard to find through the brush in most cases (or around in a couple). Everywhere you look it's beautiful. Go now and don't miss this show of color. It will be dry and stark soon!

This hike in the Mt. St. Helen’s blast zone lets you experience otherworldly views as you descend from Windy Ridge onto the Pumice Plain. The hike begins at the Windy Ridge viewpoint with its startling views of Spirit Lake and the blown-out crater. Ghostly white downed trees still float on the surface of the lake more than 35 years after Mt. St. Helen’s 1980 eruption, and the gaping crater is a testament to the devastating force of the explosion. The first part of the hike is on an old gravel road that traverses a ridge before sloping down to a parking area for research vehicles. Along the way you can capture photos of Mt. Adams, check out some scientific equipment, and look for elk in the valley below. You can turn around at the parking area for a 4.4 mile hike, or continue on one of the several trails that start here. There are various options for hiking in the blast zone. You can do an out and back on the Truman Trail, climb up to the Plains of Abraham, loop around Windy Pass, or venture up to Loowit Falls. Our group hiked the Truman Trail where we experienced dusty ash, white pumice stones, black rocks, and grey boulders. There were a few small thickets of green alder that broke up the monochrome vista. In the summer wildflowers decorate the area near the lake, making this an exceptionally special area. This was the sixth time I’ve hiked in the blast zone, and it remains one of my favorite places. It is well worth the long winding drive to get here.

At the Windy Ridge parking lot there are several trails that begin here. This Pumice Plains trail begins at a gated (road closed) entrance, furthest from the restroom. There is a steep staircase, near the restroom, that ascends up to a lookout above Spirit Lake. This is not the Pumice Plains trail. The trail directions (WTA) state that the beginning "descends" this is incorrect. It is an ascend up an old logging road about a mile. Beautiful views of snow covered Mount Adams in the distance. At about a mile the trail then descends, the road ends at a junction for Loowitt Falls/Pumice Plains (Trueman). Take a right here for the Pumice Plains trail. Not before taking in the majestic views of Mount Saint Helens. At about 2.3 miles in there is a dry creek bed that must be crossed. After that a small stream crossing that was easily passable. Spirit lake and its surrounding mountains come into view. After about 3 miles the trail is washed out by a small stream, which is easily passable; however finding the original trail afterwards was a challenge. After crossing the stream the trail is towards Mount Saint Helens, not Spirit Lake. We hiked in about 5.5 miles. At this viewpoint you can see Johnston Ridge Observatory and Loowitt Falls from a distance. This trail does not take you to the lake shore, but you get pretty close. Amazing wildflowers in bloom. Lots of ash, pumice, lava rocks, and sand. It was a very hot hike with 85 degree temperatures, but the wind cooled us down Hence the name "Windy Ridge." We opted to apply sunscreen prior to leaving the car. Unfortunately, the sweat, ash, and sand removed most of it. Needless to say we have matching sunburns. There were no bugs on the trail, but as soon as we copped a squat on a lava rock to have lunch the ants attempted to make off with our meal. Lots of birds flying about and a deer was spotted atop a bluff while on the logging road. Observed bear scant and elk droppings on the trail, but did not see any. Even though it has been 35 years since the eruption, this trail appeared more like a dessert than a PNW trail. This was a different kind of hike than we are used to, but it was gorgeous!

Road closed at F.R. 99 for snow. Had to turn around and go home.