Coldwater Peak, 8/7/2022

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pdxalex
Posts: 60
Joined: July 26th, 2016, 4:04 pm

Coldwater Peak, 8/7/2022

Post by pdxalex » August 8th, 2022, 7:00 am

While the women folk were out white water rafting, I opted to spend one of the hottest days of the year in an area with almost no shade. I arrived at the Johnston Ridge Observatory at 0715. There were two parties who clearly had camped in the lot (one was folding a tent) and one other car arrived as I was slathering on sun screen. It didn't matter because I never saw them again. At the east end of the parking lot, there was sandwich board sign warning people of the heat and the need for water which also said "0 days since a rescue."

There trail is as described in the FG. There were a few spots of erosion and the footing can be pretty loose. I went down once in a switchback turn on the peak. It also wouldn't hurt it it were brushed out a bit.

Gaia says it is a 11.6 mile hike with 2753 feet of elevation gain. Paintbrush and lupin were abundant. There were large patches of ripe strawberries on the hillsides above the Harry's Ridge turn. They were like little packets of strawberry candy. There were were just a few huckleberries. I didn't see much wildlife, just two chipmunks and a few birds, but there was abundant sign of elk and goats. I could smell but not see elk and they clearly use the Boundary and Coldwater Peak trail like a highway. There were clumps of goat hair along the trail as you ascend the peak. Otherwise, I was serenaded by a pack of coyotes howling and yipping in the distance when I first started the hike.

It was about 66 degrees with a steady wind when I first started. By the time I got back to the car, it was at least 90 degrees with just an occasional breeze.

I saw no one on the trail until on the return leg when I met a hiker at the Coldwater trail & Boundary trail junction. He wanted to hike the peak but was about to head down the Coldwater trail, despite looking at a map, until I pointed him in the right direction. After that I passed 6 more people on the way up to the Peak and I reminded all of them to bear to the right when they reached the trail junction. After the junction to Harry's Ridge, there was a steady flow of people, many of them seemed woefully unprepared for the trail and the heat, e.g. no water, Birkenstocks.


Coldwater Peak in relationship to Mt. St. Helens, courtesy of Google Earth.
MSH to Coldwater Peak-1 - Copy.jpg
The target. Coldwater Peak is the center, the white antenna of the seismic station is faintly visible.
the target 2 - Copy.jpg
Lots of paintbrush along the trail
paintbrush - Copy.jpg
St Helens Lake
st helens lake - Copy.jpg
Log raft
log raft - Copy.jpg
Remaining obligatory photos
lake and mt adams - Copy.jpg
lakes 2 - Copy.jpg
mountain 2 - Copy.jpg
mountain - Copy.jpg

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bobcat
Posts: 2764
Joined: August 1st, 2011, 7:51 am
Location: SW Portland

Re: Coldwater Peak, 8/7/2022

Post by bobcat » August 10th, 2022, 9:13 am

Thanks for the report. It looks pretty up there right now (and will continue to be so well into the fall).

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Don Nelsen
Posts: 4377
Joined: May 28th, 2008, 10:03 pm
Location: Vancouver, WA

Re: Coldwater Peak, 8/7/2022

Post by Don Nelsen » August 10th, 2022, 12:01 pm

Thanks for the pics and TR! Good info for when I get back up there in a couple of weeks.

dn
"Everything works in the planning stage" - Kelly

"If you don't do it this year, you will be one year older when you do" - Warren Miller

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