As many of you know, I am fascinated by and perhaps infatuated with volcanoes. Their powerful and destructive forces have shaped the world’s most dramatic and beautiful landscapes. Needless to say, I’m grateful to be spending this time in the Pacific Northwest at the feet of the Cascade Range.

Mount St Helens erupted on May 18, 1980. A 5.1 magnitude earthquake caused a massive landslide which triggered a lateral blast that destroyed 230 square miles of forest in minutes. The lethal blast sent 540 million tons of volcanic ash 80,000 feet into the air, which was deposited in 11 states. The ash took months to remove and cost millions of dollars. There were 57 fatalities. It has been reported that there were signs of increased activity for months prior to the eruption and debate between geologists and logging companies about the size of the danger zone. There was a proposal to expand the danger zone, sitting on the governor’s desk to be signed when the eruption occurred. The eruption of Mount St Helens was the most powerful natural disaster to occur in the U.S. in modern history.  It was a wake up call to the nation and the world. The eruption prompted volcanologists to pursue improved monitoring technology, yet today, only around 100 of 1,545 active volcanoes worldwide are equipped and monitored.

Mount St Helens was our first stop of a 2 week trip into Washington. We would be picking a friend up in Seattle to camp In Olympic for a week and decided to stop at Helen’s on the way. The main agenda was to hike Norway Pass, as it promised amazing unobstructed views of the mountain over Spirit Lake and views of the blast zone. Thousands of trees from the blast float on the water of Spirit Lake to this day. We hiked “Lava Canyon” and made a short visit to the “Ape Cave” on our way to the northeast area of the park. A thunderstorm moved in that evening and left behind a dense layer of cloud and fog. We had planned to wake early and start the hike in the soft morning light, but waited to see if the clouds would break. They didn’t, but it was still a beautiful hike. The area seemed mystical draped in clouds. All around you could see the destruction caused by the eruption, and the renewal of the forest.

We plan to return to Mount Saint Helens to visit the northwest section of the park and return to hike Norway Pass again, with hopes of clear skies.