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FALL 2017 ISSUE 02 / VOL. 02
The air got cooler as we neared the 3,050-foot Old Man Pass and, after 13 miles, spun northwest onto Curly Creek Road. Reaching McClellan Overlook, we found a postcard view of Mount St. Helens’ southern face. Continuing west on Curly Creek Road and later Forest Road 90, thick fog and birch trees crowded the road, giving it a dreamlike haze as we negotiated 25-45-mph turns with inconsistent traction. A forest of spindly trees created an optical illusion of narrowness.
The eruption of Mount St. Helens in 1980 reduced the mountain’ s peak by 1,312 feet. This view of the northern face shows the new pinnacle that’ s forming inside the caldera.