Sinbad and I on the Loose
RUNNING FROM MOUNT ST. HELENS
October 2004
Early one Sunday morning I was reading about the events occurring at Mount St. Helens in Washington. The volcano was showing some activity for the first time since the mountain destroyed itself back in 1980. My wife walked in and asked what I was doing and I told her adding "I ought to go see it". She said "You should" and with that I began to prepare for the trip. I took most of the day getting things together including cat food and a litter box for Sinbad. It'd be a good test for him in the new to us 1995 Isuzu Trooper. We left at four-fifteen Monday morning making it as far as a rest stop two hours up Highway 101. Unusual for me, I was tired already so just I lay down in the back while it was still dark. An hour later with the sun rising and feeling refreshed we were on our way again moving north on Highway 101. We stopped in Crescent City, California for gas then continued on into Oregon.
Unlike entering Nevada, in Oregon you genuinely feel you're in a different state. Everything is greener and more lush. The people in Oregon appeared to be either doing well or were simply down and out. There was no in between. In Nevada everyone looks like they are on the run, hiding out from the IRS or have been relocated as part as a witness protection agreement. A lot of little stores and shops were closed up-out of business. The lagging economy was evident. Still, tourist places we had seen when the kids were along on family vacations like the Trees of Mystery with giant Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox standing out in front, the Prehistoric Gardens with the full size dinosaur replicas and Safari USA where we petted baby lion cubs all were in business and looking well cared for, not run down and in disrepair.
Midway up the coast, just before Newport we pulled into a campground at five-thirty P.M. There was no problem getting a spot even though I had been seeing many tourist RV's and campers on the road all day long. I was better prepared and set up after a trip the Bonneville, Utah salt flats a month earlier trip so things went smoother except for having Sinbad along. He's really no bother but is something I have to be aware of all the time. Early on in the drive this became evident in that he'd step on buttons rolling down windows, locking and unlocking doors, folding the mirrors in or heating up the seats. The worse one was locking doors. I realized how easily I could be locked out. So I was always aware of having the key with me at all times. One good thing out of this was I discovered what this other "lock" button was for. Pushed down it prevented any of the windows to be operated except from the driver's control, so that problem with Sinbad was eliminated.
The next morning we were on our way at nine A.M. The upper half of the state was distinctively different from the lower half. It seemed better off with more tourist businesses along the arts and crafts line and a drive-up coffee/espresso trailer every mile or so.
Reaching Tillamook, Oregon I thought best to get gas for the towns pass that point were far and few in between. I had forgotten that they pump the gas for you in Oregon. It's the law and a very strange experience. The attendant told me just Oregon and New Jersey are the only states left that do this. He even washed the windshield. I felt I should have tipped him.
Rounding the bend of the state, through Astoria where even more closed businesses were to be seen and a stop alongside the road for the other half of my submarine sandwich before we crossed the Columbia River. Once across the river it was only ten miles of Interstate 5 before the turn-off to Mount St. Helens. I was starting to get excited. Sinbad was asleep.
A sign stated that the road was closed forty-three miles in. A lot of traffic was coming out but only I and maybe one other car was going in. Why was everyone leaving? An evacuation was in effect? No, the road would be closed. Maybe there was no place to stay so I began to take note of all the possible places to pull off into for an overnight camp. Then I began to start feeling a bit silly as if I was driving to go see an accident. Was I just another gawking spectator ultimately being in the way?
Then a turn in the mountain road and the volcano came into view for the first time. I was impressed. This volcano was big, much bigger than I remembered. I don't think we came in this way from the west when we as a family came here a few years after the big eruption. A lot had been built up too. It was a nice road with view sights, tourist information and more than one visitor center. The lack of funds didn’t seem an issue when developing the area for the tourist.
Suddenly a large view site turnout appeared filled with dozens of cars and several large camera trucks with satellite dishes on the roof. This is it! We pulled in and backed in to a spot on the upper level. I was feeling very grateful for getting a spot to park and began to set things up for the long wait. I thought to myself others around here are set up for the long wait. I can too. I'll just be like everybody else. I set up the camera and spotting scope on their tripods and was ready, looking like a pro having done this sort of thing all the time.
A lady on the level below us had towed her little hotdog wagon up and was doing a brisk business selling dogs and nachos. I watched the news crews prepare for their broadcasts including an interview with the enterprising hotdog lady. I took a few pictures, looked through the scope, and walked around a bit.
I came upon a guy talking to a young couple who obviously had just arrived as I had. I overheard him say how the volcano blew that morning. My heart sank. "I have the pictures. Come over and I'll show you." They walked to the back of his van where he pulled out a large big buck digital camera with a massive two-foot long lens attached and displayed the pictures to them on the camera's LCD screen. I peered over a shoulder and saw what I had missed seven hours earlier mostly a large puff of smoke. Slowly I walked back to Sinbad and the Trooper and thought, now what?
Well the thought occurred to me that I hadn't even been to the end of the road where it had been closed off. I should at least go see that. It's not like I'm going to miss anything now. So putting everything away we moved out. A few turns later another pull over view site and Oh my god! There were close to twenty news camera trucks. This encampment was huge including support vehicles, rented RV's to live in and several tent structures to work under out of the weather. Thinking this would be the place to be I soon found the view site was restricted for MEDIA ONLY.
Further up the road we came upon more volcano chasers all having set up camp alongside the road so I figured where to stay for the night was not to be a problem. The closure of the road was at the Coldwater Ridge Visitor Center. This was a big complex with lots of parking. This would be a good spot to set up camp. Many were there set up with cameras and tripods but no news trucks. One lady, just like one at the previous turn-out was doing an oil painting of the volcano. All in all everything seemed to have a big circus-like event, football tailgating, outdoor concert atmosphere about it. I had noticed a dirt road a mile back going up a ridge and there were a dozen or so were camped along it. I felt this was more to my liking and I would go back to it for the night but first, into the visitor center. It closed at six P.M. A glance at my pocket watch showed it to be five-fifty-five. Maybe tomorrow.
Back to the dirt road I set up camp, cameras and spotting scope, ate dinner and then took down cameras and spotting scope. It was too dark to see anything. What was I thinking? I noticed one lady there in the back of her small pick-up truck with Ohio plates. I wondered and later wished I had asked her if she drove all the way out west just for this. Yes or no, I admired her spirit. Overall most were Oregon and Washington, maybe ten percent California with a couple of Colorado, Idaho and a few Canadians thrown in for a good mix.
That night it rained. In the morning I couldn't see the volcano which otherwise was so close that it filled up the entire view out the back window of the Trooper-clouds. I knew before leaving home that a weather system was moving in for the week. Also the thought occurred to me on the drive up that this thing could blow at night. So that in itself cut the chances of seeing anything in half. Now with clouds obscuring the view, and no activity expected for days, what am I doing here? I pulled up stakes and went to the visitor center for some postcards. The gates were closed not to open until eight A.M. so they run everyone out each night it seemed. Once in the parking area I discovered the center didn't open until eleven A.M. Heck that was an hour and a half away so Sinbad and I held council and we decided to head out for home.
Motoring along the thought slowly began to germinate about the feasibility of making it all the way back home in one day. Could it be done? I'd be going back via I-5 and should be able to camp somewhere along the way if need be. We pressed on going sixty-five and seventy mph most of the time. Soon after crossing back into California it grew dark and Sinbad became fascinated by the trucks and cars we passed. He had his nosed pressed to the glass for most of the time until we pulled off the interstate at Williams. Perhaps it was the lights as we never traveled during the night before.
In the end, fourteen hours later at eleven-fifteen P.M. we pulled into the driveway. Seven hundred thirty-eight miles! Something I could never have done in the Land Rover. The Trooper is such a pleasure to drive.
Sinbad traveled well enjoying each time he was able to get out be it at camp of a rest stop. I had my act together and came back with a much smaller list of alterations to make to the Trooper Still space is at a premium compared to the Land Rover 109. I jettisoned some more unneeded gear, and removing the other rear seat help even more. A few more trips should do it where it won't feel like a lot of work to set up camp. Before with the Rover it was the other way around, it was just a lot of work to drive it.
Thursday morning I checked the news and what do I see right off the start? Mount St. Helens blew. Oh well, it was a nice drive. And besides, Thursday was the one year anniversary of my first day of retirement life.