Submitted by Jane-Ellen on Wed, 11/26/2008 - 19:10.
I grew up spending summers at a Y Camp on Spirit Lake at the base of Mount St. Helen's in Washington. Even as a teenager I knew it was a special and magical place. I spent 10 days hiking the Mt Margaret backcountry - a whole beautiful string of alpine lakes the summer before my junior year in college. And then a few years later the mountain blew. I flew over the area within a year of the eruption but it took 18 years to go back on the ground. Since then it is part of an annual pilgrimage. The power of nature is evident everywhere not only in terms of the kind of destruction she can create but also the power to rebuild and regenerate. It is place with a capital P. This summer the road to my favorite views, hikes and that Mt. Margaret backcountry was covered in snow late into the season and then in need of much work. My fear myself, my children, others is that there will not be money to fix that road. But then maybe it is best left to recover without any interference from us. It will only keep the magical and spirit of the place in tact. That seems to be a rare thing these days. When I die I want my ashes scattered there. Because I know God dwells there too.
Heaven on Earth - Mt St Helen's National Monument
I grew up spending summers at a Y Camp on Spirit Lake at the base of Mount St. Helen's in Washington. Even as a teenager I knew it was a special and magical place. I spent 10 days hiking the Mt Margaret backcountry - a whole beautiful string of alpine lakes the summer before my junior year in college. And then a few years later the mountain blew. I flew over the area within a year of the eruption but it took 18 years to go back on the ground. Since then it is part of an annual pilgrimage. The power of nature is evident everywhere not only in terms of the kind of destruction she can create but also the power to rebuild and regenerate. It is place with a capital P. This summer the road to my favorite views, hikes and that Mt. Margaret backcountry was covered in snow late into the season and then in need of much work. My fear myself, my children, others is that there will not be money to fix that road. But then maybe it is best left to recover without any interference from us. It will only keep the magical and spirit of the place in tact. That seems to be a rare thing these days. When I die I want my ashes scattered there. Because I know God dwells there too.