Mount St Helens Volcano and Wildflowers
I took a drive to the Mount St Helens National Volcanic Monument over the weekend and was pleased to find the native wildflowers in full bloom. The above photo was taken at the Loowit viewpoint, just before the Johnston Ridge Observatory. The two predominant species are the orange Paintbrush and the purple Penstemon. The Penstemon does well in the rocky, subalpine environment.
Indian Paintbrush
These little critters love to munch on the wildflowers!
Ground Squirrel
It’s a great time to visit the volcanic area when the colorful wildflowers are in bloom. Make sure it’s a relatively cloud-free day if you visit, or at least when the clouds are very high so that you can observe the volcano’s crater. You can get some idea of the conditions in the area if you check the volcano webcam.
I really like it when the sky is full of wispy, cirrus clouds. They make for some rather interesting photos.
View of volcano from Johnston Ridge
All photos property of Peggy A Thompson
Peggy Thompson
Absolutely wondrous!
Were you following me this weekend, Peggy? 😉 We were at Johnston Ridge, too. On Saturday.
Yes! I was there on Saturday, as well. It was so crowded at the Observatory!
Nice to see you paid a visit to St Helens. It is my favorite to visit, since Johnston Ridge is only 50 miles from home near Toledo. So many beautiful sights along the way. Too bad there wasn’t a bit more snow on the mountain for you.
I always take the shortcut through Toledo to visit the Mt St Helens area coming from the Puget Sound area. It is a nice drive. But I have always wondered why the little town of Todedo doesn’t have a nice restaurant or a good sit-down place to eat, since so many tourists drive through there. It would be a real boon for them. But then again, maybe the town doesn’t want the attention.
Magnificent shots- I’d love to see the mountain myself someday!
Thanks, William! Hopefully you will get to travel west someday.
Stunning images, Peggy. What a cute squirrel. 🙂
Thank you! Yes, the Ground Squirrels are cute and are abundant. They come right up to you. But if you want a photo, you have to be quick about it!
Beautiful images. Such a great combination of wildflowers and the volcano.
Thank you, Gunta! Springtime is the best time to visit there.