The last day of the trip finds the group over packing the van and breaking camp at 6:10 am. The sole destination for the day is Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument to get a first-hand view of the volcano. We left Camp Rilea and traveled along Oregon state highway 30 which follows the Columbia River. We crossed the Columbia near Rainier and joined up with I-5. Then we took highway 504 east into Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument.

We arrived in the park at about 8:00 am and drove through the park stopping at several viewpoints and observatories. The first stop we made was at the edge of the blast zone. After entering the blast zone we drove to Coldwater Ridge Visitor Center. At the visitor center we walked along the Winds of Change Interpretive Trail to see the effects of the stone-filled wind that slammed into Coldwater Ridge during the eruption and the transformation that has taken place since. The trail offers you the chance to learn how the gentle winds of time, helped plants and animals return. The final destination within the park was Johnston Ridge Observatory, located only 4 miles from Mount St. Helens! After spending about 3 hours touring the park, we left and headed for SeaTac International Airport to catch our flight back to Eau Claire, Wisconsin.