كوجار
كوجار
كوجار
كوجار
This year marks the thirty-fifth anniversary of the eruption of Mt. Saint Helens. As you can imagine, the place is buzzing with tourists even more so than usual. But if all you want to do is get a clear look at a mighty big chunk of it, you could do worse than to travel the back roads around Cougar and look up from time to time. This photo was taken at the Yale Reservoir, probably about 3 or 4 miles outside Cougar, Washington. There are trails and vantage points all through the area, some of them marked, some, not so much. If you don't like the view in one place, just move onto the next. And if you feel the tug too hard from the visitor centers and the souvenir shop, they're just a short drive away. But give the countryside a try first. The views are so beautiful, you may never get to those tourist centers after all.