UNDER THE SPELL OF VOLCANOES : Peak to peak by car, exploring seven geologic wonders in the Cascade Range

Since college, volcanoes have drawn me like the proverbial moth to flame. Why? Perhaps because they are such primeval, incalculable forces, prone to unexpected revivals. They represent, perhaps even more clearly than earthquakes, the awesome power of nature.

About 75% of all the world’s volcanoes lie along the so-called Ring of Fire around the Pacific, and a vital link of that ring is formed by the explosive volcanoes of the mighty Cascade Range, extending from Mt. Garibaldi in British Columbia to Lassen Peak in Northern California.

I have climbed a number of peaks, or explored their slopes, from Vesuvius and Etna in Italy to the great volcanoes of Hawaii: Kilauea, Mauna Loa and Haleakala. But the Cascades of the Pacific Northwest is one of the most geologically dynamic regions in North America, the site of periodic great natural events ranging from tremendous lava and mudflows to devastating blasts and ash falls that pose a potent, if infrequent, threat to urban centers of the Northwest. Scientists say that almost all of these peaks, with the exception of the small cinder cones, will one day erupt again.

For a volcano lover, the area is simply fascinating. But even if you aren’t particularly interested in geology, the 673-mile drive detailed here, which passes by seven volcanoes and within sight of many others, is an easy trip through one of the most beautiful sections of the United States.

I’ve taken the trip several times over the years. My first visit was 15 years ago with my son David, then almost 6 years old, and we have kept repeating parts of it. It’s an odyssey that just gets better as the government and private parties build new roads and open new museums and visitor centers. Each year there are more vistas, more hiking trails and more good places to stay and things to do.

Our most recent visit was in late May. With the snow still deep around Paulina Lake in central Oregon’s relatively little-known Newberry Crater, David, now 20, clambered up the side of a mile-long obsidian flow of natural black glass, one of the purest forms of the rock to be found in North America. It was the highlight of yet another return to one leg of our 1980 trip.

Only two volcanoes have erupted in the 20th Century in what Alaskans like to call the Lower 48: Lassen Peak in 1914-’17 and Mt. St. Helens in 1980--and this drive begins at one and ends at the other, passing five other volcanoes along the way. The trip presents a tremendous diversity of geologic wonders: There are devastated zones (areas that remain barren of vegetation as the result of great explosions), superheated steam vents, lava caves, cinder cones, a 150-foot-high obsidian mountain, a 1,900-foot deep lake and a 14,000-foot snow-capped peak.

Four of the mountains can easily be climbed. A ranger told us that even children as young as 6 can, and often do, make it without undue strain to the top of 10,457-foot Lassen Peak, where the distinct smell of sulfur is still continually emitted.

Each leg of this trip is less than 200 miles, and at six of the sites there are decent--and some excellent--lodgings. Two of the volcanoes are in national parks, three in national monuments and even those not protected by the federal government are located in pristine areas. Another plus: Along the way are two cities, Portland and Bend, Ore., that offer their own great attractions.

Back in 1980, the year of the great Mt. St. Helens eruption, it seemed the perfect opportunity to take my young son to see a relatively rare geologic event, a mountain that had literally blown its top, and only 1,000 miles from Los Angeles (the volcano, in southern Washington, by car lies about 80 miles north of the Oregon border).

The only way to get up close to Mt. St. Helens that summer was to fly around it. The mudflows the day of the great eruption of May 18 had destroyed the key highway up the Toutle River Valley. Even our pilot seemed leery of getting really close.

David was a little scared; he looked away. But I couldn’t help but stare, trying to imagine the fatal moment when the powerful explosion had so radically altered the Northwest landscape, killing 57 people who had no expectation they stood on dangerous ground. Here was nature exhibiting a hint of the energy that lies just below the Earth’s peaceful crust.

Today, access by road to Mt. St. Helens is excellent. Roads have been completed from two sides, leading to easy views of the crater. Engineered with cliffhanging expertise, the roads have many turnouts that yield spectacular vistas.

At the ends of the roads, there are fine hiking trails for even closer views of the barren landscape. Mt. St. Helens vies in appearance with such great desert parks as the Grand Canyon or Zion. But this is no desert environment. Before the 1980 eruption, it was the site of a great rain forest, filled with bear, deer, elk and other wildlife. Even now, a glacier is forming in the shaded crater as snow collects year after year.

At the northernmost point of the devastated area, within the boundaries of the national monument, is the federally operated Coldwater Ridge Visitors Center. Located 43 miles from Interstate 5, it has a fine view of the crater and part of the lava dome. There are good indoor exhibits of what happened in the May 18 blast, a lovely outdoor terrace and a better-than-average, if simple, cafeteria.

Far below the center, a road leads to Coldwater Lake, created after the eruption by a dam of debris. By next year, that road will be extended so that visitors can drive even closer to the crater, and to the Johnston Ridge Observatory, named after David Johnston, the U.S. Geological Survey scientist killed on that spot at the time of the eruption.

That morning, the north face of the mountain exploded in a cloud of hot ash, gases heated to hundreds of degrees and pieces of rock that moved down the valley at speeds up to 120 m.p.h., mowing down every tree and killing every animal present. The 19-mile-long devastated zone left in the explosion’s wake is not expected to return to its pre-eruption appearance for 200-500 years.

At the lava dome that began forming soon in the crater after the great eruption, there have been no eruptions since 1986. And there have been no phreatic, or steam, explosions (which result from water hitting hot rocks beneath the surface) since 1991. Nevertheless, Mt. St. Helens is continually monitored. Park supervisors say that in case of signs of renewed activity, they would order the vicinity evacuated without hesitation.

Ten miles from Coldwater Ridge is a new visitor center and exhibit opened this spring by the Weyerhaeuser lumber company. On private property outside the national monument, and perched high above a Toutle River flood plain that is frequented by herds of elk, the center shows how the explosion affected thousands of acres of timberland. It has exhibits of how millions of board feet of toppled trees were salvaged after the blast, and how the company began vast reseeding operations. Already, some trees are one or two feet tall.

The nearest places to stay--other than camping facilities, they are mostly inexpensive motels--are close to, or on, I-5, near the Washington communities of Silverlake, Castle Rock or Kelso.

It is 167 miles from the Mt. St. Helens visitor center, through Portland, to Mt. Hood, where the last eruption was in 1865. A major rock formation, volcanically extruded around 1800, is within hiking distance of historic Timberline Lodge. David and I have stayed in the past at the celebrated wood lodge, with its heated swimming pool, well-decorated rooms and proximity to year-round skiing on a nearby glacier.

Since winter conditions can prevail on Mt. Hood at any time of year, visitors should be extremely careful about trying the difficult hike to the top of the 11,235-foot peak. Easier hikes, however, abound.

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The next leg of the trip is to Lava Butte and Newberry Crater, near the fast-growing and attractive city of Bend, Ore., pushing 40,000 residents. I highly recommend the Bend area as a volcano-lover’s delight. Half a dozen volcanoes can be seen from downtown.

When David and I revisited Bend recently, we stayed at the Shilo Inn, which has handsome rooms that overlook the Deschutes River. At night, we had a delicious barbecue rib dinner at Bubba’s Bar-b-que Restaurant, and the next day found many bargains at the factory outlets on the south side of town.

The scenic Cascade Lakes Highway southwest of the city has great views of the Three Sisters peaks and several other volcanic cones, but it was still closed by snow in late May. Still, other worthwhile sites were open.

A few miles south of town is the excellent High Desert Museum, where live snakes, owls and otters are on display, as well as Western exhibits (admission: $6.25). Close by is the Lava Lands Visitor’s Center at Lava Butte, a 6,200-year-old cinder cone with a highway to the top that provides vantage points for viewing the entire area, including a lava flow emanating from the cone that appears still fresh but is actually thousands of years old.

At nearby Lava River Cave we had fun walking through a mile-long lava tube caused by an underground flow; the tube’s end, however, was so shallow we had to slither through on our bellies. Dan Sisson, a former Long Beach resident, operates the cave, renting out lanterns that visitors need in order to explore the lava tube.

It is only 29 miles from Lava Butte to Newberry Crater, a five-mile-wide caldera that represents one of the greatest stratovolcanoes of the Western Hemisphere. (A stratovolcano is made up of many composite layers, which demonstrate various phases of volcanic activity.) It’s also a place where some experts believe an eruption is likely comparatively soon.

The crater contains two lakes, Paulina and East, that provide some of the finest freshwater fishing in Oregon. About 60,000 anglers a year visit here to catch brown trout weighing as much as 35 pounds.

There is also a highway (open summer only) leading to the top of the crater rim at 7,985-foot-high Paulina Peak. The best part of the Newberry Volcano National Monument is what may be the most easily accessible obsidian flow in the country. Here, 1,300 years ago, a high-silica lava flow deposited the equivalent of 17 stories of glass over 1.1 square miles. It begins only 50 feet off the main road.

Obsidian is so sharp it makes a superior surgical instrument; it was once traded as valuable arrowheads and knives by Native Americans of the region. Larry Chitwood, the monument’s geologist, told us a chief concern today is that many visitors take home samples of the rock as souvenirs; removing obsidian is illegal, he stressed.

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From Newberry Crater it is an even 100 miles to Crater Lake National Park (see companion story on Page L1), where one of the great eruptions of history blew the top off Mt. Mazama 7,000 years ago and formed Crater Lake, one of the world’s deepest lakes.

Only 144 miles later we are in California at Mt. Shasta, 14,162 feet high, which last erupted in 1786.

A 15-mile paved road from I-5 reaches the 8,000-foot level on Shasta. There are campgrounds off the upper reaches of the road, or visitors can choose from several motels in Mount Shasta City and Weed, at the mountain’s foot.

Lassen Peak in Lassen National Park lies 106 miles farther south, but unlike Shasta, accommodations other than campgrounds are limited in the immediate vicinity. One exception is Drakesbad, a century-old guest ranch within the park on a little-traveled road that is not connected to the main highway around the mountain.

I visited Drakesbad last summer and discovered it has no electricity but is excellently lighted by oil lanterns. Its rustic but comfortable cabins are located on a hill overlooking a stream and verdant meadow. There are many easy walks and the atmosphere is highly relaxing. It has great hearty ranch-style food and horseback riding to the upper reaches of the park. It felt as close to paradise as any place in California to me (apparently I am not alone, since reservations are sometimes hard to come by).

Driving the highway around Lassen Peak, right beside the road one sees impressive fumaroles, which are vents where steam rises from hot subterranean regions.

But the high point of this volcano is unquestionably the hike to the top of it, a moderately difficult but safe trek. When David and I visited here on our first volcano journey in 1980, climbing Lassen Peak was even better than seeing the blasted out Mt. St. Helens.

The climb from the topmost point of the highway around Lassen is only 2.5 miles long, with about a 1,900-foot elevation gain.

From the top of the highway closest to Lassen Peak, it is about 60 miles to Redding, which has good air connections back to L.A.

Or it is one (long) day’s drive home to Southern California, away from these majestic volcanoes, interesting geology and gorgeous scenery, and back to a site famous for another sort of fascinating natural phenomena: earthquakes.

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GUIDEBOOK

On the Trail of the Northwest Rim of Fire

Getting there: For those wishing to make the volcano trip by rented car, the Portland, Ore., and Redding, Calif., airports are nearest the northermost and southernmost parts of the drive. At press time Wednesday, United, Alaska and Delta were offering 21-day advance-purchase fares to Portland for $118, round trip. United is the only carrier serving Redding; restricted fares begin at $158.

Car rental agency prices and policies differ, and depend on the itinerary you choose, so shop around. One example: To rent a car in Portland and drop it off 10 days later in Redding, Hertz quotes a price of $549.50, with unlimited mileage. Avis, on the other hand, does not permit such drop-offs. Budget does not allow a Redding drop-off, but will allow drop-offs in Sacramento; the rate is $269 a week, plus $39 for each additional day.

Where to stay: In Kelso, Wash., near Mt. St. Helens, there is an attractive Red Lion Inn (510 Kelso Drive; telephone 800-547-8010 or 360-636-4400), with undiscounted rates for two starting at $84. The nearby Best Western Aladdin Motor Inn (310 Long Ave.; tel. 800-764-7378 or 360-425-9660) has doubles for $72. Many small motels in the vicinity are less.

Portland has many choices. I have stayed in the past at the upscale Benson Hotel (309 SW Broadway; tel. 503-228-2000); doubles are about $140. At Mt. Hood, the place to stay is the venerable Timberline Lodge (tel. 800-547-1406 or 503-272-3311), right on the mountain. Doubles start at $110. Reservations well in advance are advised.

Bend, Ore., has many inexpensive motels, but we preferred the Shilo Inn (3105 O B Riley Road; tel. 503-389-9600), with rooms overlooking the Deschutes River, an excellent indoor pool and sauna, and brochure rates of $95 for two (although they lowered our rate to $85 with minimum haggling). In Mount Shasta, I have stayed in the perfectly decent Best Western Tree House Motel Interstate 5 and Lake St.; tel. 916-926-3101); doubles start at $76. Inside Lassen Park, besides campgrounds the only option is the Drakesbad Guest Ranch (Warner Valley Road, Chester, CA 96020) with rustic accommodations for $87.50 to $97.50 per person, including all meals. (The ranch is often booked, and the only way to call during summer is by going through a long-distance operator; ask for “Drakesbad toll station No. 2” or go through an operator at Susanville in the 916 area code. From Oct. 15-June 1, a reservations service handles bookings; call (916) 529-1512. No-frills motels can be found outside the park at Mineral and Old Station.

Where to eat: On the way to Mt. Hood, on the Washington side of the Columbia River in Vancouver, Wash., Who Song and Larry’s (111 E. Columbia River Way, local tel. 695-1198) is a cheerful Mexican restaurant; $8-$12 entrees and very good drinks. In Portland, the Benson Hotel has both the London Grill (tel. 295-4110), famous for its salmon (dinner for two about $65 without wine) and Trader Vic’s (tel. 295-4130), with Polynesian specialties and slighly higher prices.

At Mt. Hood, the Timberline Lodge features Northwest cuisine (local tel. 231-5400); entrees $17-$24. Bend, Ore., has numerous good restaurants and the local chamber of commerce (tel. 503-382-3221) will send a brochure listing most of them. We enjoyed Bubba’s Bar-B-Que (212 NE Revere St., tel. 383-0003), where dinners run about $25 for two.

For more information: Washington State Tourism Division, P.O. Box 42500, Olympia, WA 98504-2500, tel. (800) 544-1800; Oregon Tourism Division, 775 Summer St. N.E., Salem, OR 97310, (800) 547-7842; California Office of Tourism, 801 K St., Suite 1600, Sacramento, CA 95814; (800) 862-2543 or (916) 322-2881.