Choose Your Own Adventure at Mount St. Helens Base Camp

By Emily Corak

On her first day of work as an environmental educator, Abi Groskopf remembers driving up Highway 504 to Mount St. Helens and thinking to herself, “This is such an amazing classroom.” Now the director of programs for the Mount St. Helens Institute, Groskopf is part of an impressive team and is still mesmerized by the Pacific Northwest’s youngest and most active volcano. “Mount St. Helens is a powerful landscape,” she says. “It inspires awe and curiosity, which is the heart of learning.”

The Institute, originally formed by a group of volunteers in 1996, is now a nonprofit committed to sharing the unique science and beauty Mount St. Helens has to offer. The volcano had lain dormant for 123 years before its famous eruption in 1980, and it was the first volcanic eruption in the continental United States in over sixty years. People from all over the world studied this immense eruption with its ash cloud reaching at least 70,000 feet. Cities throughout Washington received anywhere from one eighth to a half inch of ash, and the resulting crater measures one mile wide and two miles long.

With only a few steam plumes and low seismic activity these days, Mount St. Helens is now an ideal learning and exploration space for ecologists, scientists, hikers and nature enthusiasts. And the Institute is passionate about making it accessible to learners of all backgrounds and ages—like myself. While I have lived in Washington for 30 years, I have yet to actually visit Mount St. Helens. Now that I know the scope of programs and adventures available through the Institute, I think this is the summer to change that. Some of these programs include youth education, classroom outreach and outdoor school as well as an annual grant-funded camp called GeoGirls, for aspiring female scientists. Adult programs feature volunteer opportunities, pub lectures, guided hikes and climbs to the crater, summit, glacier overlook and blast zones. For truly enthusiastic learners, Groskopf says the Institute offers a Volcano Naturalist program which is similar to a Master Gardener course, but for volcanoes.

Groskopf has now been with the Institute for ten years, and when I asked what program or offering she was most proud of, she responded, “That’s like having to choose which child is your favorite!” The evolution of the Institute in the past several decades is remarkable, and still expanding. Plans are in the works to renovate the visitor center and add a public campground with a lodge and cabins in the near future.

While volcano enthusiasts look forward to the addition of a campground, the Institute recognized a current obstacle: past a certain point, there is nowhere to stay overnight on Mount St. Helens. This led them to create Base Camp which launched for the first time last year. Base Camp is a weekend-long program offered periodically throughout the summer and described by past participants as “summer camp for adults.” continued on page 20 continued page

“Base Camp is like a choose-your-ownadventure camping experience,” Groskopf told me. While visitors do bring their own tents and sporting equipment, many of the other logistical pieces are taken care of. “We provide all the food and a s’mores buffet, and we have experienced staff and educators who are there to help you engage with the landscape in a way you may not have thought of before,” she says. As someone who has forgotten propane on not one, but two of her last camping trips, I was immediately intrigued by not having to grocery shop or lug any outdoor cooking equipment.

Base Camp includes options for whatever level of adventure you might be seeking. Participants can choose from guided hikes, kayaking, mountain biking, fishing, trail running or simply unplugging and taking in a phenomenal view. Additionally, Groskopf says, “We provide art supplies, games, books, scavenger hunts and guest educators such as geologists, astronomers or professional photographers to give brief lectures.” To learn how to better serve participants, the Institute requested feedback after its inaugural year. Previous guests had copious compliments about their experience. Sam, a Base Camp attendee, said, “This was the best weekend for me to disconnect from electronics and connect with a truly special place in our state.” Another attendee, Kelley, added, “I’m officially obsessed with Mount St. Helens.”

The Seattle-based creators of the YouTube channel, “Traveling While Black,” Anthony and Marlie Love, filmed their experience at Base Camp last summer, and highly recommended this weekend away. As camping newbies, they were grateful for friendly and helpful staff who assisted with their camping needs and said the Institute’s team worked hard to create a feeling of community amongst the attendees. “TWB successfully completed our first tent-in-the-woods camping trip and I can see it definitely not being our last,” Anthony says in the video.

Children of all ages are welcome to attend Base Camp, but if families want something specifically geared for kids, Family Adventure Camp may be a better option. In operation since 2017, this camp offers many of the same experiences, but also incorporates games rather than guest speakers and includes a GPS-themed scavenger hunt, using coordinates to find clues related to the volcano and its eruption.

Mount St. Helens Institute

Program Dates 2023:

Family Adventure Camp: July 7-9

Base Camp: July 14, July 28, September 1

Star and Sky Party: August 12

For more information and to register for one of these fantastic experiences, go to MSHInstitute.org.

For those fascinated by astronomy, the Institute’s Sky and Star Party is a perfect adventure. Co-hosted with Friends of Galileo, Rose City Astronomers and OMSI, this program is a one-night-only experience that features constellation walks, solar viewing and a portable planetarium provided by OMSI. A night under the stars without having to cook means this is a highly popular event that sells out quickly.

My third grader, who is currently studying natural disasters, recently told me I should probably know more about volcanoes than I do. I can’t argue with her. And a chance to camp with knowledgeable people, take the guesswork out of the equation and continued on next page continued from previous page relax while food is cooked for us is just too good to pass up. For all camps, there are several portable toilets available, and the visitor center is open at all hours with flushing toilets and running water (but no showers).

Because the Institute is committed to ensuring everyone has access to nature and this level of exploration, they utilize a sliding scale pay system. There are a set number of tickets for each price point, and Groskopf says the hope is that everyone will reflect on what they are truly able to contribute. The camps are open to 75 people per weekend and are likely to sell out, so the time to plan is now!

Emily Corak has lived in the Pacific Northwest for the past three decades. A former educator with the Vancouver School District, Emily is now a freelance writer and photographer and a mom to two young kids with big personalities. She recently graduated with her MFA in creative writing, and if she could, she would spend all her spare cash on books and plane tickets.

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