[pct-l] distressing info about section d

[Nathan Miller]

Also consider Mt. StHelens.  The growing season there is much longer than in Yellowstone and the vegetation is re-growing, particularly with alders along the riparian zones, small conifers along the edges of the blast zone, and colonizing herbacious plants.  However, the area immediately on and around the mountain still looks a lot like a moonscape.  I sometimes hear people talk about fragile alpine ecosystems--I had someone mention that on Mt. Hood a few years ago.  I have to chuckle a little when I look up toward its summit and realize that said pile of rock is a volcano -- an ACTIVE volcano -- that will do more damage to those mats of lupine and eriogonum in seconds than a flock of through-hikers could do with their boots over an entire hiking season.

-Nathan Miller
Newberg, OR