At the Top of Mount St. Helens

Written & Photographed by Mitch Maxson

What’s it like at the top of Mount Saint Helens this time of year? Mitch Maxson and his family found out with a late June hike to the summit.  Mitch is the Director of Marketing for The Nature Conservancy in Oregon but as these pictures show, he might have a serious case of Washington-envy.

If you want to take in the amazing sights around Mount Saint Helens but are not up for the rigors of a 5000 foot, five mile climb, visit the north side of the mountain where you can drive to various visitor centers and experience the power of this volcano.

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Healing in the Land: August Photo of the Month

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Written & Photographed by Kamini Fonseca, BSc. 

Loowit Falls chunders downward with thousands of gallons of glacial melt per hour at the foot of the blast zone on Mount St. Helens.

Starting early in the day, I begin a 27 mile round trip Adventure into the blast zone with a sunset return in mind. The wildflowers are plethorus! Purple Lupine, Yellow False Daisies, Yellow and Black Arnica, and Giant Red Paint Brush all add to the surreal environment.

I find it very powerful and confirming to return to Mount Saint Helens after 26 years to see the incredible regrowth as I begin a new, myself, after a massive Traumatic Brain Injury.

My camera provides me with an integral aspect of healing as it offers an intense mental detail when my physical body requires rest. I'm classically trained as an Exercise Scientist and Wilderness Responder with FEMA credentials, so I'm well-versed at community health and how nature can support healthy minds and bodies.

I lead lots of educational adventures in and outside of Seattle when I'm not making house calls during the week. I specialize in High Performance Training, Functional Neurology and Chronic Pain Management with sports medicine and Natural Science.

My current Community Wellness goal for my photos is to implement them as tools for reducing stress in healthcare settings patient waiting rooms and hospitals. 

E-mail her: Kamini@alpineactivities.org or follow her on instagram: @yidography 

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Under the Milky Way: May Photo of the Month

Written & Photographed by Aaron Frank, Northwest Photographer

Spring was in the air, the Milky Way season had started and our search for stars after the grey season was at an all time high. It was a 70 degree day so we loaded up the car and were flowing with excitement for our starry adventure. We arrived to an empty parking lot, loaded up our camera gear and got on our sun filled trail with stars on the brain. 

After fourteen miles of traversing hills, chasing sunsets and star gazing with amazing friends the darkness fully set in. This is when our hike truly began. I had never been on this side of Mount St. Helens before so we took full advantage of the scenery. Scoping out various locations for astrophotography and Milky Way angles we happened to stumble upon a location I fell in love with. I took out my phone and searched for the moon rise location knowing I had struck my form of gold. 

The anxiousness of pushing a button, have life stop for 30 seconds and get goosebumps as the display lights up was endless. I had found the spot I have been searching years for and wanted to practice my new love of time lapses out. I popped a new battery in, set up my tripod up, set my camera to endless photos and watched the night pass us by. 

Nature keeps me in a state of happiness and gives me an appreciation of how blessed I am to experience it. It has inspired my work by allowing me to show how powerful a sunset, purifying a waterfall and raw a Milky Way filled night can feel. At the end of the day my true passion is to inspire others to start an adventure and fall in love with nature like myself. 

Home grown in beautiful Washington State. Aaron Frank is an aspiring landscape and astrophotographer with nonstop adventure in his blood. Follow along his Instagram: @PNW_WAnderer_

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