Mount St. Helens

(*I apologize in advance... this was a fascinating trip and I wanted you to feel like you experienced it with us!  Also, don't be surprised if I decide to become a volcanologist in the near future.)

One of the things that we have enjoyed most about living in Washington is the scenery... from the lush, green foliage (it better be green with all the rain we get), to the snow capped mountains lining the landscape, we can't seem to get enough of it.  One of my personal favorites (Brian will probably agree) are the mountains... and not just the plain ol' mountains that do nothing... but the mountains with molten rock bubbling beneath the surface:  Volcanoes!  Pardon the dramatics... we happen to be studying volcanoes in kindergarten right now.

We live within driving distance of all Washington's major volcanoes. 

 

 We have visited Mount Baker (top), Mount Rainier (middle), and most recently, Mount St. Helens (bottom).

I have been anxiously awaiting our trip to Mount St. Helens, especially since its eruption anniversary date came and went last spring.  The biggest difference between all of the mountains is the presence of life around them.  Baker and Rainier's last significant eruptions were in the 18th and 19th centuries, respectively.  Therefore trees, grass and foliage have recovered and now paint the landscape.

Mount St. Helen's base is desolate due to its most recent eruption on May 18th, 1980.  A magnitude 5.1 earthquake triggered the collapse of the northern side of the mountain creating the largest debris avalanche in history.  Soon after, the pressure build-up of magma produced a catastrophic, explosive pyroclastic flow (super hot gas and rock moving at 300 miles per hour) that destroyed almost everything in its path for 230 square miles.  This collapse of the mountain, mixed with the ice and snow created a lahars (volcanic mudflow), devastating homes, bridges and roads, and killed 57 people.

Now, Mount St. Helens is a national volcanic monument for the purpose of research and recreation.  We were 5 miles away at Johnson Ridge Obsevatory.

 This tree stump is a result of the pyroclastic flow produced when the mountain erupted.

 This photo was taken before Mount St. Helens eruption,

 during...

 

and after.