Mt. St. Helens National Volcanic Monument

On Sunday, May 18, 1980, at 8:32am, Mt. St. Helens exploded in one of the most famous volcanic events of modern times. Within seconds, 230 square miles of forest was blown over or left standing dead. Countless animals perished, along with more than 50 people. A cloud of ash climbed thousands of feet into the sky and blew westward, plunging much of the state into darkness. And the north face of the mountain disintegrated into the largest landslides ever recorded. In minutes, a pristine spot of Pacific Northwest wilderness was turned into a total wasteland.

I first visited Mt. St. Helens in June 1986, just six years after the big eruption. At the time, visitors facilities were just being developed, and there were almost no signs of life inside the blast zone. I remember that one moment we were driving through thick forests, and then instantly, we were in a vast land of destruction. In 2001, I returned, visiting the Johnston Ridge Visitors Center, just five miles from the volcano’s crater, and witnessed the amazing signs of life returning to the blast zone. Several years after the eruption, Weyerhauser, the primary timber company in the area, was allowed to replant much of the area. Because of this, the outer reaches of the blast zone are only defined by the trees being shorter and younger than those outside the blast zone. However, as you get closer to the mountain, the US Forest Service has not allowed replanting. Here you can see the remarkable restoration that is taking place, without human intervention. In the midst of blown-down trees, still lying where they fell in 1980, new life is present. Wildflowers bloom each spring and summer, and a few short trees have managed to take hold and start the process of reforestation. Some wildlife has even returned.

On this trip, I had to make a third visit to the volcano. Visitor access to Johnston Ridge, the closest public observation point currently open, was reinstated the first week I was in Olympia after having been closed due to an eruption cycle that started last autumn. Unfortunately, on the day I made the trip to the blast zone, the weather was far too cloudy to see anything other than the base of the volcano (most of the photos are from my 2001 visit), but I could see how much more vegetation had taken root since my last trip here. Just a few days after I visited St. Helens, a number of events took place commemorating the twenty-fifth anniversary of the eruption, and the lives that were lost that day.

Visitors to Mt. St. Helens should check the monument’s website for current information. Due to ongoing volcanic activity, some areas may be closed. You should also consider bringing a disposable dust mask, as bursts of ash happen fairly often and without warning. Also be aware that there is no gas beyond Toutle, so be sure to fill up if necessary before proceeding.