Mount St. Helens

Introduction

Mount St. Helens came to the forefront of the world's attention in May of 1980 when it suddenly awakened from it's 100 year sleep. This volcanic mountain had undergone a number of eruptions and is one of the most regular and frequent volcanoes in North America with an average 100 year span between eruptions. Since the previous eruption it had gradually begun to rebuild it's dome and was often referred to as America's Mount Fuji due to it's cone shaped snow covered dome. This area was part of the Gifford-Pinchot National Forest and as such was administered by the US Forest Service and jointly shared between logging interests and recreational opportunities.

All this changed on May 18, 1980 at 8:32 AM when the mountain forever changed the landscape around it and the life of those living in the immediate area. The eruption was unique in that it coupled a lateral blast as well as a vertical blast. In the weeks prior to the eruption it was evident that something was stirring and scientists and volcanologists where present studying the changes in the mountain. Most notable were the earthquake tremors that were steadily occurring, coupled by a huge bulge on the north side of the mountain. When the mountain erupted on May 18, 1980 it was a lateral blast on the north face of the mountain that occurred first. The lateral blast was felt as far away as Canada and hurled rocks the size of vehicles at supersonic speeds to the north, destroying the forest like a huge shotgun blast. As this blast occurred the snow on the mountain instantly melted and mixed with the soil, sending superheated mud along with the rocks. A soon as the side of the mountain opened up, the top of the mountain then fell into it's open gap. All of this superheated mud, known as Lahars, flowed down the Touttle River valley, carrying away thousands of trees in the process. These Lahars descended into Spirit Lake, depositing hundreds of feet of mountain over the top of Harry Truman's lodge and creating a tidal wave in the lake that climbed the far shore, stripping trees from it's slopes, only to return them to cover the surface of the lake. AS these mud flows descended down the Touttle River valley roads and bridges were wiped from the landscape and the terrain was forever changed. The mud flows eventually reached the Columbia River, where it was necessary to dredge in order to restore navigability to the shipping lanes. Within seconds of the lateral blast, as the top of the mountain slide down the north face, the vertical blast occurred. Hot gasses and ash rose to over 60,000' in the air. This hot ash blotted out the sun and returned to earth, scorching everything in it's path. The winds carried the high altitude ash, distributing it over a large area and many cities in the area were forced to deal with what amounted to an ash storm that choked off vehicles and became a hazard to the health of the local population. The ash haze from the eruption could be seen over one month later as far south as Arizona's Grand Canyon.

In it's wake, the entire region was transformed. Weyerhaeuser, the holder of logging rights in the area began a 10 year project to restore trees to the valley. Over 1 million trees were hand planted over the next 10 years. As the trees grew wildlife returned to the valley and where once barren mud flats were, there are now herds of elk grazing in the river's valley. To describe this area is virtually impossible. You really have to be there to appreciate what it was, what happened, and what it now is. To stand in the middle of a blast zone and see the immense area that was destroyed is something that can only be experienced. You can spend days exploring the wastelands to the north or the dense old growth forests on the south. Climbing to the rim of the crater is now allows on the south face and the area is now a national monument and excellent visitor centers are established that do a great job of interpreting the events of 1980. It's possible to explore lava tubes from a previous eruption as well as canyons and waterfalls. The area is also rampant with the legend of Bigfoot.

The following photos will give you an idea of what Mount St. Helens is today. Two dimensional pictures can't really communicate the awesomeness of this area. You'll need to actually be there to totally appreciate it. Hopefully these images may spark some desire to fully appreciate this and plan your own trip. If you want to see larger images, simply click on any image to view a larger 1024x768 XGA size image.

Enjoy the journey!

Mark Quasius - "Cruzer"

Index