July 25, 2009

Mount St. Helens, Washington

Big drama befitting of the earth changing eruption on the morning of May 18, 1980. Prior to the eruption the mountain was 9,677 ft. It lost 1,314 ft. that day resulting in the largest landslide in recorded history sweeping down the mountain at speeds of 70 - 150 mph. Some areas were covered by debris 600 ft. deep!

We hiked on the Johnson Ridge Trail where we could see evidence of that day (30 years ago!) laid out before us. It looked like a nuclear explosion had occurred... Trees, like matchsticks littered the mountains for miles around.