Hummocks Trail, Birth of a Lake Interpretive Trail — Sunday, Aug. 9, 2009

South Cascades > Mount St. Helens

We were hoping for better weather and some mountain views when we returned to Mt. St. Helens to close out our camping weekend. And we weren't disappointed! After a nice picnic lunch near the parking lot at Coldwater Lake, we "hiked" the .5-mile Birth of a Lake Trail at the southwestern tip of the lake. A curious green violet sparrow perched and posed for us. Next was the 2.5 mile Hummocks Trail -- great views of Mt. St. Helens and the Toutle River Valley, and good examples of different post-eruption ecosystems. For the best views of the mountain, hike it counter-clockwise by starting at the western edge of the trailhead parking lot, not from the trailhead sign. Next we drove up to the Johnston Ridge Observatory to give our first-time visitors the full experience. The rangers said this was the first view of the mountain they'd had in four days, and they were relieved to have happy visitors again!