beautyintheuniverse's video: Ape Cave draws First Blood

Ape Cave is one of the longest in tact lava tubes in the world. Its located just South of Mnt St Helens and is well worth a visit. If you are feeling bold I would recommend going North (uphill). It's quite exciting at times, although, watch your head! Sunday 10th Aug 2009 Up early and onto Portland. The original plan was to get sunrise over the Columbia, but as it was completely overcast, I slept in and later too a leasurly drive to Portland, then decided to cut up the back of Mnt St Helens. Stopped in visitors center populated by old women who had some interesting tales of before the eruption, and they also had maps to go with it! Headed up to ape caves which had been mentioned more than once on the channel (in the visitors center I had picked up some details about a magnificent lava tube). Got there about midday (gps was having issues with all the tall trees).. road was very windy in the trees. Went on a short tour but it was largely facile. You get two choices down hill and return (easy) or uphill, which was meant to be more entertaining and it was. The cave is MUCH bigger in places than lava river cave. You also have to do some significant boulder scrambling. In the complete dark with the modest light thrown out by half a dozen LEDs thats quite exciting. There is also some modest technical climbing to get up a 8ft lava fall. There was also some giant boulder which had got jammed in a narrows. Shortly after climbing over this I cracked my head pretty hard. Hmm pause for thought there! An interesting and varied lava tube. MANY more boulder fields that lava river cave, quite a lot of uphill too. Certainly an 18 version of lava river cave. Took a couple of hours in the cave. Rolled up the windy road to Windy Ridge overlook on mnt St Helens. Well named it was too. Set the camera up on a timelapse. The mountain had its head in the torn clouds a which never fully cleared. Was heading out shortly before sunset (the clouds had precluded a pretty end to the timelapse). The road up to Randal was a complete nightmare. Phenomenally uncared for with great uneven stretches, combined with exceptional windiness and the fact that the road marking were all but invisible. I needed gas to make it out of Mnt Rainier, but the gas station in Randal was closed. Headed along towards Packwood. The guy in front of me hit an elk. It jumped out straight in front of him, nothing he could have done. Scared the shit out of me, dunno what it did to them, but they seemed okay (the pulled over but started again shortly after) I dont know if the elk later died, but it didnt really even lose its footing (it was on its feet by the time it left the road, but I heard the car hit it). I decided that was an omen to stop!! Picked up gas in packwood and headed north a mile or so to find a quiet NF sideroad and kipped down for the night.