Programs
Education
“The Pumice Plain to Plain the Plains of Abraham: Life Returns to Mount St. Helens” with Ray Yurkewycz
Instructor: Ray Yurkewycz
July 20 (evening campout)- July 21 (hiking day)
This seminar will begin Friday night at our remote science field camp*. Participants will dine with views of Mount Adams, Mount Rainier and Mount St. Helens. Then, around a campfire (weather permitting), participants will hear stories of the amazing research that has taken place since the 1980 eruption. The next morning, Ray Yurkewycz will help us explore how life has reestablished and evolved over the last 30 years in this highly disturbed portion of the blast zone. This exciting 13 mile hike will take us across the Pumice Plain, past Loowit Falls, over Windy Pass to the Plains of Abraham and back to our vehicles via Windy Peak. Enjoy the spectacular wildflower displays and learn what factors determine who lives and dies in one of the Pacific Northwest’s most extreme natural environments.
*Participants are not required to camp overnight. They may meet the group at 7:00 am Saturday for the hike.
Make-or-break Date: July 6
Meeting Time: July 20 at 6 pm*
Meeting Place: Cascade Peaks
Level: Difficult
Requirements: This is a 13 mile hike involving an 800-foot ascent to Loowit Falls and another few hundred feet over Windy Pass. Participants should be in excellent shape and able to hike many miles over rough terrain.
Gear: To see the list of required gear for our field seminars, click here.
Fee: $75 Fee: $75 (of which $25 is a tax-deductible contribution to the Mount St. Helens Institute).
Limit: 12
Details will be e-mailed to participants on the “make-or-break” date.
