Mt St Helens twice

Our first trip to Mt St Helens was more interesting then we expected.  We were staying near Hood River OR and as we crossed the Columbia River I noted I needed to get some gas in the Jeep.  No problem, the map showed several small towns on our route.  We went on our way thru the rural countryside with beautiful forest blanketing the land in every direction.  We eventually got to the small town we had seen on the map.  Its single gas station was on the main drag (nearly the only street in town) and the pumps were blocked off as they were replacing the underground tanks. 

So we proceeded on thinking we would find a gas station in one of the other little towns on our route – WRONG!  After several small towns that barely had any residents, let alone any stores we looked at how far we still had to go.  According to the "miles to empty" reading in the Jeep we probably had enough gas – but considering the desolation of the countryside we we decided it was not worth the risk!  We turned around and backtracked first to that gas station that was not selling gas while the tanks were being replaced.  I asked where their nearest competition was and they told me – it was another 10 miles and on the road running along the WA side of the Columbia River.  It turned out to be just a few miles further from where we had turned away from the river heading to Mt St Helens.  At any rate we gassed up and while looking around found a nice little restaurant on the river and had lunch.  Over lunch we decided to resurrect our plans for the day – visit Mt St Helens!  When we had to turn around we just figured it was not going to happen that day, but with a full tank and full stomachs it sounded like a good idea again!

On this trip we were visiting the "backside" of the mountain, the south side.  The major blast on 18 May 1981 was to the north where the side of the mountain collapsed in the first few seconds of the event!  But, there was still plenty of evidence of the blast on the south.  In addition to a large swath where a molten mass of materials and melted water rushed down the side of the mountain there were downed trees and debris still very evident!  There were beautiful overlooks and the forest were recovered not far from the mountain.  This was all remote sections with plenty of recreational activities such as camping and hiking and rafting.  Part of the road was still blocked by snow and was closed!  We were there first in late June and snow was still plentiful. 

The "notch" in the middle of the peak is where the river of  debris  flowed out of the crater and down the side of the mountain!

This is part of the path the debris took.  It was much wider then this  as this is where the annual snow melt runs now.

About a week after our first visit to Mt St Helens we decided we wanted to see the "front side" of the mountain.  This is where the blast was most evident and where the most destruction was focused and where the visitors center is located.  It is on the north slope of the mountain.  It was about a 70 mile trip from Stubb Stewart State Park east of Portland to the entrance to the Mt St Helens National Monument, then another 30+ miles to the Visitor Center which was squarely in front of and about 4 miles from the summit.  

They explained and demonstrated in animated videos how in the first few seconds of the eruption a massive earthquake caused the north side of the cone to collapse and slide away so instead of having a normal cone that would direct a lot of the energy up and into the sky, you had this vast opening on the north  side of the cone and as the eruption occurred a huge amount of the energy that would normally have been expended upwards was directed outwards to the north.  This lateral force was very significant and for miles it just snapped Hugh trees like toothpicks and pushed unimaginable amounts of debris out for miles.  The evidence of the force is still visible and unmistakable.  That lateral blast force seems to be a defining characteristic of this event.  Without the lateral blast this would have still been a significant event, but the physical damage would have been more localized.  The ash would have still been spread across a vast area and created havoc. 

Mt St Helens from the north approach

From the north face -you can see where the side is gone!

After the blast this was a river of mud, boulders and debris about 70 to  100 ft  deep!

This was a tree covers slope directly in front of the blast and about 6 miles away!  Still not substantial growth, all the topsoil and trees were blown off by the blast!

Always at home, no matter where we   are!