Logs in a lake, toads in our hands, and a crustacean caught red-handed.

Last Monday, I had a day off work and we took the opportunity to leave town for a day. So, in our great originality, we went back up to Mt. St. Helens. This time we went to east side of the mountain to Windy Ridge. I went up there with my brother Steen just after I had come home from my mission 6 years ago, and it was a very nice time of year to come, because the weather is good and the colors are just starting to turn (and the toads are emerging).

Steen took me on a hike to Harmony Point on the shore of Spirit lake, where hundreds of trees were deposited after the lake was hit by the giant landslide in 1980 and the water rushed up the surrounding slopes, gathering the dead trees. This is a hike I have been wanting to do again and take Ruth on.

So, here is proof that we made it all the way:

I really like it down there, because it is a really nice view of the mountain, and you get to walk through a very interesting landscape.

 

Plus Ruth caught this really pretty beetle while we were down by the lake:

And here are the toads mentioned (look closely):

 

These are hundreds of baby toads who have just changed from tadpoles to adults. Around the lakes near the mountain these come out in bucket loads and they are very small. There are also still tadpoles swimming around in the water, many with various numbers of limbs.

 

These little toads have the potential to reach the size of this girl that we found on our hike:

While looking at toads, Ruth also spotted this guy in the water:

   

That was our Monday adventure. Geology and Biology on the same trip.