My last post included the big trip we got coming up next week. We’re taking about 80 6th graders along with 14 high school camp counselors to Camp Cispus, about fours on bus from here.
One of the highlights of the trip, from a Science teacher perspective, is getting to take the kids to Mt Saint Helens. We’ve been studying volcanoes all week and I’ve been showing the kids pictures of the 2004 eruption and how we know that Mt Saint Helens is still active and the lava dome and seismic data, the whole works.
So today during third period as I was taking 6th graders on an exploration of the Mt Saint Helens websites and seismogram data one 6th grader comes to me and says,
“Hey look, this says that routes 25 and 99 are closed right now.”
I laughed and said, “that’s funny, that sounds like the routes we take. But it can’t be.”
Yeah, those are the exact routes we take. So we’re taking kids to camp this Tuesday and planned to SEE Mt Saint Helens on Wednesday and Thursday. Okay. WE CAN’T GET THERE.
Plan B? So I went around to the other 6th grade teachers and we came up with a plan B! I’m working on trying to book a reservation to the Johnston Ridge Observatory. What does that mean? Instead of an hour trip to the mountain, it’ll be a two hour trip. Instead of free, there will be a cost. Serious problem averted? We’ll see. I think it’s going to work out great. Positive mental attitude got me through college so I’m not stopping now.
The good news? That 6th grader saved us from embarrassment and a huge problem. I wasn’t checking the road conditions because a few years ago they fixed a road problem with a great bridge and it’s been clear after that. And we’ve been having great weather! Why the closures now? They’re adding a culvert. They started this month and won’t be done until October. Just our luck.
We better have sunny, clear skies. I think we will. 🙂
