MT. ST. HELENS, WA.  Today we drove Spirit Lake Highway (Hwy 504) to Johnston Ridge Observatory in the Mt St Helens National Volcanic Monument.  In 1980 the volcano erupted, blowing off a large part of one side of its peak, leaving destruction for miles and taking several lives in its wake.  Any tree with a trunk of diameter less than 4 feet was snapped off and blown away.  Nearby lakes were filled in and new ones were created.  The explosion was heard several hundred miles away, and dust filled the sky over the Northwest USA.

Betty Works to Capture the Scope of the Area

In the subsequent 40 years, new life has sprung up everywhere.

More Wild Flowers

What Remains of a Tree Pre-1980 

New Small Lake in Lower Right Above
All Trees Are Less Than 40 Years Old

Scarred Landscape Below Volcano

Many Overlooks to View What Remains of Mt St Helens

 There is a nice visitors center at the observatory, with book store and theater.  At the end of the movie, the screen lifts to reveal Mt St Helens behind the center (see below).

Window Facing Volcano