Johnston Ridge Observatory opens Saturday

Johnston Ridge Observatory at the end of state Highway 504 north of Mount St. Helens opens for the season on Saturday.

A science and fundraising event entitled “It’s a Blast’’ is scheduled at Johnston Ridge plus at the nearby Science and Learning Center at Coldwater Ridge.

At the observatory, there will be films and exhibits at about the 1980 eruption. At Coldwater, youth activities, storytelling and guided hikes are planned.

Admission is $8 and benefits the Mount St. Helens Institute’s education and volunteer programs. The event is free for children age 15 and younger and for federal recreation pass holders. Both facilities will be open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

On Wednesday, two special presentations are planned to commemorate the 36th anniversary of the big eruption.

At 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., Ken Creager of the University of Washington will give presentations on the preliminary results of imaging for magma beneath Mount St. Helens.

At 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., Nathan Reynolds, ecologist for the Cowlitz Indian Tribe, will discuss mountain goats and the traditional culture of the Cowlitz tribe.

The peak has an expanding population of more than 100 goats.

From exit 49 on Interstate 5, the Science and Learning Center is 43 miles east on Highway 504. Johnston Ridge Observatory is 54 miles east.