MAY 2019 MOTORCYCLE MOJO 31NPKZLQGV7KHORZSURÀOH
FRQFUHWHEXLOGLQJSDUWLDOO\HPEHGGHG
LQWKHKLOOVLGHIDFLQJWKHQRUWKÁDQN
of the mountain, has myriad displays,
DVZHOODVYDULRXVWUDLOVWRDEVRUEWKH
GHVWUXFWLYHPDJQLWXGHRIWKHHUXSWLRQ
7RWKHHDVW6SLULW/DNHLVYLVLEOHD
ZDWHUERG\IRUHYHUFKDQJHGE\RQHRI
WKHZRUOG·VODUJHVWNQRZQODQGVOLGHV
ZKLFKFRQVXPHGQRWRQO\WKHOXVK
IRUHVWVXUURXQGLQJWKHODNHEXWDOVR
DPHQLWLHVDQGDFKDUPLQJROGFDUHWDNHU
WKHHDUO\PRUQLQJ-DNHEUDNHVIURPD
QHDUE\ORJJLQJURDGQHVWOHGFDUHIXOO\
EHORZWKHFDPSJURXQGVHUHQDGHGXVDW
VL[LQWKHPRUQLQJ%HVWWRFKHFNRXWWKH
(FR3DUN5HVRUWXQIRUWXQDWHO\FORVHG
WKLVSDUWLFXODUZHHNZKLFKLVDERXW
PLQXWHVZHVWRI.LG9DOOH\UHSOHWHZLWK
FR]\FDELQVDQGSULYDWHWHQWVLWHVLQDQ
́RIIWKHJULGμVHWWLQJ
There is an equally scenic, albeit
PRUHPRXQWDLQRXVDSSURDFKWR0RXQW
6W+HOHQVDQGWKDWLV)RUHVW5RDG
ZKLFKWUDYHOVWKURXJKWKH*LIIRUG
3LQFKRW1DWLRQDO)RUHVWWRWKH:LQG\
5LGJH9LHZSRLQW:HKDGDWWHPSWHG
WKLVDSSURDFKÀUVWEHIRUHKHDGLQJRQ
WKH6SLULW/DNH+LJKZD\EXWWKLVSDYHG
ubiquitously potholed route seems
SODJXHGE\VSULQJZDVKRXWVDQGRQJR
LQJUHSDLUVDQGWKHYLVLWWRWKH5DQJHU
6WDWLRQRXWVLGHRI3DFNZRRGFRQÀUPHG
WKDWDFFHVVZDVRQFHDJDLQFORVHGGXHWR
DEULGJHUHFRQVWUXFWLRQ$QRWKHUERQXV
DERXWWKLVOHVVWUDYHOOHGURXWHLVYLHZLQJ
0RXQW$GDPVDQRWKHUSRWHQWLDOO\
DFWLYHYROFDQRZKLFKULVHVRXWRIWKH
ZHVWDQGEHFNRQVIXUWKHUH[SORUDWLRQ
DOEHLWLQDPRUHZLOGHUQHVVVHWWLQJ
Columbia Plateau – A Rider’s Dream
7KHOHHZDUGVLGHRIWKH&DVFDGH
0RXQWDLQVSUHVHQWVDYDULHW\RIRSWLRQV
for north and south travel to and from
the volcanic destinations described
here. I must admit, this farther-inland
URXWHKDVDJUHDWPDQ\EHQHÀWV1RW
RQO\LVWUDIÀFOLJKWHUDQGPRUHVSRUDGLF
but the landscape here is primordial,
DVPRVWRILWUHVLGHVRQWKH&ROXPELD
Plateau, or scablands, as the laymen
JHRORJLVWVFDOOLW6KDSHGE\SUHKLVWRULF
JODFLDOPRYHPHQWVDQGPHJDÁRRGV
it’s a rider’s dream both visually
DQGWHFKQLFDOO\9LFDQG,WRRNLQWKH
<DNLPD5LYHU&DQ\RQYLD6WDWH5RXWH
ZKLFKLVDEOLVVIXODOWHUQDWLYH
WR,QWHUVWDWHDV\RXKHDGQRUWKWR
(OOHQVEXUJ
$QRWKHUPXVWULGHZKLFK,FRQ-
YLQFHG9LFWRH[SHULHQFHLVWKHVKRUW
VHFWLRQRI2OG%OHZHWW3DVV7KLVYHU\
WZLVW\DQGQDUURZSDYHGVHFRQGDU\
WKDWRIWKH0RXQW6W+HOHQV·/RGJH
KRPHRI+HQU\57UXPDQ7UXPDQ
DORQJZLWKRWKHUVRXOVZDVORVWLQ
the aftermath of the eruption.
&DPSLQJQHDUWKHYROFDQRLV
QRWUHDOO\DQRSWLRQDVRYHUQLJKW
accommodations are offered only on the
periphery of the national monument.
9LFDQG,WULHGRXUOXFNDWWKH.LG
5LYHU&DPSJURXQGMXVWRII5RXWH
$OWKRXJKWKHIRUHVWHGVLWHKDGWKHEDVLF
Where trees once stood, there isnow only charred vestiges- a starkreminder of the forces of naturethat transformed the surroundingsof Mount St. Helens.A road closure at the top of Old Blewett Passdidn’t discourage our curiosity from exploringthe other side, and we lived to tell the tale.