From GPNF:

This year’s celebration of National Public Lands Day at Mount St. Helens will include the long awaited reopening of the Lava Canyon Trail on the south side of Mount St. Helens. Repair of the trail, which was closed by extensive flood damage, has involved the replacement of a washed out bridge, construction of new steps and walkway, and replacement of damaged railings. Completion of the repair marks the end of a two-year effort financed by an $185,000 grant in 2008 for bridge replacement and a $54,000 grant in 2009 to complete the walkways, railings and bridge approaches. Funding was received from federal payments to counties allocated through the citizens’ Resource Advisory Committee for the South Gifford Pinchot National Forest.

National Public Lands Day volunteers and Forest Service officials will gather at Lava Canyon Trailhead at 2:30 p.m. to celebrate the reopening. For details concerning National Public Lands Day volunteer projects at Mount St. Helens and how you can get involved, download our National Public Lands day event flyer at:
http://www.fs.fed.us/gpnf/volunteering/documents/2009NationalPublicLandsDayFlyer_000.pdf

or contact the friendly folks at the Mount St. Helens Institute at (360) 449-7887.

Nordic skiers, snow machine drivers, sledders and others will see the price for a day pass at Sno-Parks double this winter if Washington State Parks has its way.

At its Oct. 1 meeting, State park officials will vote on a proposal for various fee increases including raising the $10 per vehicle day rate to $20, parks spokeswoman Linda Burnett said.

“The reason for the increase is to encourage people to buy an annual pass,” Burnett said.

The proposal calls for increasing the price for a season pass from $30 to $35. Special grooming permits (required at some Nordic ski parks) would also increase from $30 to $35.

A new $35 fee for out-of-state snow machines would be added under the proposal, Burnett said. Washington snow machine users already pay the Sno-Park fee when they register their vehicles, Burnett said.

Sno-Park passes go on sale Nov. 1.

Jeff and I teamed up to write a story about our favorite food stops after a day in the outdoors.

No fine dining here. Just fine burgers, fries, shakes and cherry pie a la mode (Twede's famous pie pictured to the right).

Check it out and see if your favorite was included. If not let us know about your favorite. We'd love to check it out.

(Picture by Drew Perine)

Forest Road 99, which provides access to the popular Windy
Ridge and Spirit Lake viewpoints on the east side of the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, will open in time for the July 4th holiday weekend.

Monument staff just sent out the release. Here is the rest:

=> Read more!

From Mount St. Helens National Monument:

Forest Road 81-830 to Climber’s Bivouac has reopened for
the season. Visitors are cautioned to slow down and watch for narrow
spots and/or debris on the roadway. Extra caution is advised because
annual road maintenance has not been completed and there are narrow
spots due to snow along the roadway.

Climbers should be aware that there is still patchy snow at Climber’s
Bivouac. “It’s a great season to climb but climbers need to come
prepared for climbing and descending safely on snow,” said Tom Mulder,
Monument Manager. “Probably our greatest safety concern is the
stability of the overhanging snow cornices that form much of the crater
rim at this time of year. Climbers need to stay a safe distance back
from the rim because the cornices are unstable and are actively
collapsing into the crater,” Mulder added.

Visitors to any of the national forests around the South Sound will be able to visit day-use fee sites for free on Saturday.

Saturday is National Trails Day, and the U.S. Forest Service is waiving fees at such sites across its Pacific Northwest region.

The sites normally require a $5 fee per vehicle or a recreation pass, such as the Northwest Forest Pass, Interagency Annual Pass, Interagency Senior Pass, Interagency Access Pass, Golden Age or Golden Access Passport.

Fees to enter Johnston Ridge Observatory at Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument will NOT be waived on Saturday.

Saturday is the 17th annual celebration of National Trails Day. South Sound residents can join the celebration by taking a hike or by participating in a planned volunteer event.

For more information and to find an event near you.

Work on a temporary bridge over Benham Creek on Forest Road 25, south of Randle means the road is closed just south of Iron Creek during the construction. Gifford Pinchot National Forest visitors should be prepared to encounter dump truck traffic on Forest Roads 76, 28 and 23.

Here is the rest of the news release:

The temporary bridge should be in place and open to traffic by late-June. This will allow for access to the east side of the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument and the popular Windy Ridge view point.

“While the flooding in the fall of 2008 wasn’t as widespread as the
previous two years, Forest Road 25 and Forest Road 54 took the brunt of the damage,” said Ron Freeman, Public Services Staff Officer for the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. “We truly appreciate the work Federal Highways Administration is doing to help us reopen Forest Road 25 and other key Forest roads.”

Visitors to the Cispus Learning Center should be alert to heavy truck traffic that will be hauling material in the vicinity of the Center. Hauling will occur Monday thru Thursday during daylight hours.

Material is being hauled from the Benham Creek slide to a disposal site to an area located on Forest Road 2300100.

The Forest has started work with Federal Highways on design and replacement of the bridge over Benham Creek. Completion of the permanent bridge is scheduled for 2010.

During the past winter several Forest roads, including roads 21, 25 and 54, experienced landslides and storm damage.

Click here for updates on weather and road conditions.

For current Forest road information, please contact Gifford Pinchot
National Forest offices. The Forest Headquarters in Vancouver can be
reached at 360-891-5000; Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument
Headquarters in Amboy can be reached at 360-449-7800, and Mount Adams Ranger District in Trout Lake can be reached at 509-395-3400.

With a view a sweeping view of Mount Rainier, Mount Adams, Mount Hood and a massive lava dome, there are few place scenic plays than the crater rim of Mount St. Helens to take mom on her special day.

In fact, climbing to the 8,365-foot high rim has become a Mother’s Day tradition in the local skiing community.
The tradition is for the climbers to wear dresses – even the guys – and then ski down all in honor of their moms.

“We’ve received a lot of calls,” said Jeanne Bennett, executive director of the Mount St. Helens Institute. “But so far (as of April 28) only 35 people have signed up.”

Bennett says the small sign-up is likely because the most direct climbing route (10 miles and 5,000 vertical feet round trip) can’t be reached by car because of snow.

Climbers will use the winter route from Marblemount Snow Park adding making the hike about 13 miles and 6,000 vertical feet.

“I’ve never done it,” Bennett said, “but it sounds like a lot of fun.”

The event is not organized so you’re climbing party will be responsible for itself. National forest officials remind climbers not to get too close to the crater rim because of the massive cornice that could easily give way.

Bennett says don’t worry if you can’t find a dress for the climb.

“Dressing in drag is up to the individual,” Bennett said. “You don’t have to do it if you don’t want.”

A climbing permit costs $22 and can be ordered online at mshinstitute.org.

If you liked that, try . . .

Rock climbing: So you think your mom’s too old to learn new tricks. Not true. Tacoma’s Edgeworks Climbing is open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday and is will to teach anybody who’s willing to try. One employee said they’ve had climbers in their 80s scaling the walls.
Routes range from easy to tough enough to challenge even the fittest moms. No Mother’s Day discounts. A day pass is $15. An extra $8 will cover the gear rental (shoes, harness, belay device and chalk bag). Edgeworks-climbing.com

Canoe Spanaway Lake: If your mom like to fish or just relaxing on the water, the Spanaway Park Boat House offers several options. You can explore Spanaway Lake by paddle boat or canoe for $6 per hour or by row boat for $4.25 per hour. All rentals require a $10 refundable deposit. 253-531-0555

Foothills Trail: The Foothills Trail runs 15 miles from Puyallup to South Prairie offering a slight uphill grade going toward South Prairie. The trail is flat enough for mom’s of all ages to enjoy a nice stroll or a casual bike ride. For hardcore mom’s you can easily tack on some hilly riding on the roads (particularly Tubbs Road) south of South Prairie.
For the most scenic section of the trail park in Orting follow the trail southeast. Piercecountytrails.org

(PHOTO BY PETER HALEY, The News Tribune)

From Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument:

The Johnston Ridge Observatory will reopen for the season on Sunday, May 17. The visitor center will be open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. through October. Admission to Johnston Ridge and Coldwater Lake is $8 per person, kids 15 and under are free.

The reopening of State Route 504 and Johnston Ridge will restore access to a monument that has been largely inaccessible due to roads blocked by snow.
Visitors will be able to gaze into the crater and view North America’s youngest glacier and learn how the landscape was reshaped by the 1980 eruption. The visitor center offers live seismographs, geologic exhibits, 16-minute eruption movie, ranger-talks, and bookstore.

=> Read more!

The Mount St. Helens Institute has announced that Bill Nye, the Science Guy, will be on hand May 16 to help celebrate the season opening of the Johnston Ridge Observatory at Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument.

Nye’s appearance is part of “It’s a Blast: Volcano Science in Your Backyard!” Acitivities will be held throughout the day. Nye is scheduled to give a presenation from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. There also will be guided walks, presentations by monument scientists and a silent auction.

Tickets are $10 per person, children 8 and under are free, or $35 per person for admission that includes the Nye presentation. Proceeds will support the new “Feel the Pulse of an Active Volcano” exhibit which is in development and will be introduced in May 2010.

Click here for tickets.

Sunday we are going to take a look at Movie's filmed in Washington's outdoors. While Washington's outdoor makes a glorious set for Hollywood flicks. We'll look at 12 places you can recreate where movies were filmed on Sunday.

Until then here are 15 other movies that are at least partially filmed in Washington.

Registration for spring and summer Mount St. Helens climbing permits starts Feb. 2 at 9 a.m.

Climbing permits are $22 per person and can only be purchased via the Mount St. Helens Institute’s website, mshinstitute.org

“This year climbers will be able to gaze into the crater at the massive new lava dome that was erupted between 2004 and 2008 and see the glacier that was pushed aside by the eruption,” Monument manager Tom Mulder said in a prepared statement. “Interest in climbing Mount St. Helens continues to be high. Even though our weekend climbing dates tend to sell out relatively quickly, the online permit system allows folks to locate and purchase available week day permits up to 24-hours in advance of their climb.”

The institute also offers guided climbs.

Permits are required above 4,800 feet on the 8,365-foot volcano between April 1 and Oct. 31. Only 100 permits are sold per day between May 15 and Oct. 31.