I have always been fascinated by these majestic but potentially ultra-desctructive giants that have surrounded me for 99% of my life. I don't know how broad the appeal will be, but I fell like talking about it after my trip to Crater Lake on Sunday. I will be hitting the high points (as it were), the major peaks, I can't talk about every one or I'd be typing all week.
This will be the Washington half of the Cascades, pt. 2 will be Oregon:
Mt. Baker
This is a pretty active volcano. It sends up little puffs of steam pretty often. This image was taken in 1981
It is the second most glaciated volcano of the cascades after Rainier, in fact the glaciers of Baker would add up to the glaciers of every other cascade volcano *combined* except Raimier.
Glacier Peak
A 10,000 foot peak but mostly because it sets on a high perch. It's really not that big or, despite it's name, that glaciated.
Mt. Rainier
This is the big one. This mountain is fecking HUGE and if/when this thing ever blows, it will be horribly destructive. There are 16
"Decade Volcanoes" in the world, this is one of them. Heavily populated all the way to it's base, and one of the most glaciated mountains in the world, the
lahars that this mountain could produce would cost tens of thousands in lives and billions in damage
Mt. Adams
The most remote of the major Washington peaks, sometimes referred to as Ol' Flattop. The second highest peak in Washington after Rainier
Mt. St. Helens
I was 22 years old when the big and I do mean BIG eruption happened in 1980, it's a sight I'll never forget. I even saw it erupt that summer, I was in a Portland Tri-Met bus and the driver pointed and exclaimed "There goes St. Helens!", as a huge plume of ash exploded thousands of feet into the clear blue sky
