MOUNT ST. HELENS

EVER SINCE ARRIVING IN WASHINGTON STATE, I HAVE WANTED TO SEE MOUNT ST. HELENS. IT WAS A THREE AND A HALF HOUR DRIVE FROM WESTPORT. SO, ON AUGUST 1, WE LOADED MAGGIE AND MARLEE UP AND HEADED TO SEE IT. THE VISITOR CENTER IS FIFTY SOME MILES FROM MOUNT ST. HELENS. AS SOON AS WE ARRIVED AT THE VISITOR CENTER, WE TOOK MAGGIE AND MARLEE FOR A LONG WALK.

 

THE WALKING TRAILS AROUND THE VISITOR CENTER WERE WONDERFUL!! IT WAS A CLOUDY, COOL DAY, SO WE KNEW THE GIRLS WOULD BE FINE IN THE TRUCK FOR AWHILE.

 

 

 

WE WATCHED A FILM ON THE DAY MOUNT ST. HELENS EXPLODED. I REMEMBER THAT DAY, MAY 18, 1980. THE VOLCANO HAD BEEN ACTIVE FOR A FEW WEEKS. WE HAD ASH AS FAR AWAY AS SOUTH DAKOTA. I BOUGHT A FEW POSTCARDS AND A REFRIGERATOR MAGNET FOR SOUVENIRS. THERE WAS A WEBCAM OF THE MOUNTAIN, AND YOU COULD SEE IT WAS FOGGED IN, BUT WE STILL WANTED TO GO. THE SIGN SAID........

 

 

FORTY SIX MILES TO JOHNSON RIDGE OBSERVATORY.  AND THE SIGN SAYS COLDWATER LAKE.....THIS IS A NEW LAKE THAT WAS FORMED WHEN THE VOLCANO ERUPTED.

 

 

THE SCENERY WAS BEAUTIFUL.

 

 

FROM WHAT WE LEARNED AT THE VISITOR CENTER, THE MOUNTAIN HAS RECOVERED, EVEN MORE THAN ANYONE EVER THOUGHT POSSIBLE,  OVER THE LAST THIRTY THREE YEARS.  

 

RIGHT BEFORE WE CROSSED THIS LONG BRIDGE...

 

 

WE SAW THIS SIGN.........

 

 

THE HIGHER WE WENT THE FOGGIER IT GOT....

 

 

YOU COULD SEE WHERE  THE LAVA FLOWED  BELOW....

 

 

 

WE FINALLY MADE IT TO JOHNSON OBSERVATORY..

 

 

 

AND THEN NOTICED THIS SIGN.......

 

 

WE REALIZED WE HAD OUR INTERANGENCY  PASS FROM SOUTH DAKOTA!! THIS WAS THE FIRST PLACE WE COULD USE IT SINCE LEAVING SOUTH DAKOTA.

 

 

WE WENT IN AND LISTENED TO THIS RANGER GIVE A TALK ABOUT THE EXPLOSION THAT DAY ON MAY 18, 1980.

 

 

THE MOST AMAZING FACT FOR ME WAS THAT MORE PEOPLE WEREN'T KILLED. FIFTY SEVEN DIED FROM THE BLAST.  ANOTHER FACT THAT IS HARD TO BELIEVE IS THAT PEOPLE THAT WERE WITHIN SIX MILES OF THE BLAST, AND LIVED, SAID THERE WAS NO SOUND AT ALL WHEN THE MOUNTAIN EXPLODED. IT WAS APPARENT WE WEREN'T GOING TO SEE THE MOUNTAIN THAT DAY. THE FOG HAD GOTTEN WORSE. THIS FAMILY ASKED IF THE MOUNTAIN WAS OUT THIS WINDOW, THE RANGER SAID YES AND HANDED THEM THIS PICTURE.

 

 

WE WALKED OUTSIDE TO THE RAILING ......AND THIS IS WHAT WE SAW......

 

 

 

I WAS A LITTLE DISAPPOINTED, BUT I WAS GLAD WE HAD COME.