4-18-19

Mt. St. Helens in southwestern Washington state. Nearly 40 years after the eruption of May 18, 1980, there's little obvious evidence of the devastated area. You'd have seen a gray landscape from here a few years after the eruption; now it's all covered with second growth. (Not a big surprise to geologists, because eruptions like St. Helens's are common geologically--and the evidence for them is subtle!) The inset shows a telephoto of the mountain itself. The drainage in the foreground is the Toutle ("tootle") River.

Well, yes. Not many cities have a municipal elevator! It's the only one in the U.S., in fact. Oregon City now is part of the Portland metropolitan area, but actually was founded beforehand. It's just below Willamette Falls on the eponymous river, and in the early days was a something of an entrepot to the Willamette Valley because the falls were a barrier to navigation. The elevator connects the narrow floodplain along the river with the area above the bluff. The top looks like a flying saucer because of viewing galleries, and the elevator also exits to a walkway, the Promenade, along the top of the bluff. Unfortunately, the view now consists mostly of blighted industrial area, dating from when the river was an important transportation artery after construction of the locks bypassing the falls. There's also a hydropower installation that's still operating. There are apparently plans to redevelop the area along the river as high-quality public waterfront space, but that hasn't yet happened. I've put some views from above in the insets. Thanks to Don Barrett for telling me about this structure! I'd driven past on I-205 many times without knowing it was there.

Looking out from the top of the Oregon City Municipal Elevator, thru the large glass windows on the top. The bridge crosses the Willamette River. The drawings and words in the foreground are interpretive notes on the glass! The Portland area is not usually this sunny.

From the top of the Oregon City Municipal Elevator. The river is the Willamette (stress the 2nd syllable); the freeway crossing the bridge is Interstate 205. Again, the writing and sketches in the foreground are interpretive notes on the window!

From the top of the Oregon City Municipal Elevator, looking toward Willamette Falls (the mist rising from the spray in the distance). The sketches in the foreground are interpretive notes on the window!