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Bumping Lake, Washington
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| Bumping lake at low water level. |
It is unseasonably warm in mid-May, so we drive south
to spend the weekend on the eastside of Mt. St. Helens.
Head south on I-5, then east on Hwy 12.
A short break
at the
DeGoede bulb farm and nursery in Mossyrock.
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Tail end of Tulip season at DeGoede Bulb Farm. |
The nursery is well worth visiting, especially in the springtime when the
fields of flowers are blooming. Lots to see: greenhouses, indoor and
outdoor gardens, patio seating with refreshments next to a koi pond.
Passing Riffe Lake, we see a sign saying "Windy Ridge closed".
What now? Instead of going back home, we decide to camp
on the
eastside of Mt. Rainier
instead. So on we drive northeast.
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Gushing waterfall along the road. |
At the entrance to the Ohanapecosh campground is another
closed gate and a sign "Campground closed".
Guess we're a bit too early for the camping season here.
Chinook Pass is open, and the vanagon is running beautifully,
so we climb up to 5430 ft. into the Cascade range.
Looking back westward we are rewarded with a panoramic
view of Mt. Rainier covered in white in the evening light.
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| Eastside of Mt. Rainier blanketed in snow. |
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| On a bluff overlooking Pleasant valley after
crossing Chinook Pass. View to the east. |
Steep climbs and hairpin turns make for exciting driving as
we cross through the Sourdough Gap.
Snow is piled high along the sides of the narrow two lane road.
After crossing the pass, Hwy 410 descends along Pleasant Valley.
We stop by a forest meadow to catch a glimpse of wild elk grazing.
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| Wild elk in Pleasant Valley. |
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| Bumping Lake campground in the alpine forest. |
Still looking for a open campground, we take a side road to
Bumping Lake. There we find many open forest service
campgrounds. We have our pick of campsites, as we are one of
only two campers at a lovely alpine campground right by the lake.
The night air is crisp
at 3,400 feet, and the eastern sky is clear.
The only sound is the gentle rustling of wind in the trees.
Depart in the
early morning light, and drive the road along the
course of the Bumping River through pretty landscapes.
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Meandering Bumping River |
Next morning it's on to Yakama Nation.
Click to continue to Yakama Nation