June 25th, 2006
Mount St. Helens
Today was the day that epitomized the saying “Man proposes, God disposes”. The morning started normally enough. We fueled up ourselves and the van and started on our 5 hour drive to Mt. St. Helen’s. We were almost out of the city of Forks, when we found a car driving alongside us, honking and gesticulating wildly, asking us to pull over. We did so thinking our gas tank lid was open, but were met with the sight of a flat tire. So, this is what that exclamation sign that showed up on the dashboard the previous day meant!! The helpful couple in the car was obviously distressed to see us helpless, but given their age and the fact every auto shop in that small town was closed on Sunday, couldn’t really do much.

While I called AAA on my hit and miss cell phone signal, Joe made an attempt to figure out how to change the tire. We spent the next ½ an hour changing the tire, instead of waiting for AAA guy to show up. Wrong day to wear my brand new white linen skirt, huh? Tire changed, we started on our way, but the fact that we were driving on a doughnut with approximately 60 miles of drive before we hit civilization was weighing heavy on us. About 10 miles later, as we passed Kalalosh (which consists of a hotel with cabins and nothing else), Joe spotted a shack hosting a convenience store and a single gas unit. On a whim, Joe pulled over and walked into the convenience store. The old lady manning the store helpfully offered the services of his maintenance guy. The puncture fixed by the extremely helpful maintenance guy, Ray, we were off – this time in better spirits.

Mt. St. Helens was a sight to behold. Snow capped blunt top showed the obvious damage caused by the eruption and the mud slide. Lupines, Columbines and Foxgloves abounded, filling the landscape with shades of purple. Every now and then, Mt. St. Helens would belch out a cloud of white smoke. We spent some time hiking along the trails and watching interpretive videos at the Observation Center.

We reached Nisqually Lodge at the outskirts of Longmire entrance to Mt. Rainier National Park to find that the local transformer had burnt up and the whole town, including the lodge was in darkness. After a quick, sweaty dinner at the local Copper Creek Inn (liked the food, couldn’t stand the attitude), we found ourselves back at the lodge, sitting in the common area (the only area with power from the generator), trying to figure out if DSL modem would work.

I guess, we could have had it worse, but hope for a better day tomorrow.