ksgcslater

I was up there about 5 years afterwards and I couldn't believe the total devastation. Spirit Lake was still logs and mud/ash. Although there was one little area that was making a comeback. It has a few plants and tiny trees trying to make it. It's incredible to see. I'll have to look for my pics sometime.

mgstrawn Loc: Atlanta, GA

Amazing photo! Thanks for sharing your experience with us!

rufus1 Loc: Winter Haven, Florida

Like that kind of thinking!!!!

ephraim Imperio

Awesome, cool, Wow!

nehall Loc: Martinsville, VA

Beautiful shot. How far away were you from the volcano?

Pixelpixie88 Loc: Northern Minnesota

Wow!! What a story this photo tells. How lucky to be in the "right place at the right time"!

Fred Stuckmann Loc: Ohio

AMAZING SHOT!

NikonEdd Loc: Spokane Valley, WA

I live in Spokane, WA. Remember that day WELL. The best comparison for what it looked like is to envision a gray snowstorm. The entire area was covered in at least six inches of the ash fallout. Getting anyplace was practically impossible. The ash dust got into the engines of vehicles, and froze them up. The sheriff of the county closed all roads. Guess that the reason was that there was no experience as to what to do with the fallout. Question was - is it even safe to breathe? Anyone that had the little 3M face masks used them. Once the roads were opened, the stores sold thousands of the masks. That morning, I called my boss, who lived 300 miles to the west, and told him I could not work until the situation in Spokane had changed. He found it unbelivable that the roads were closed. After everything was sorted out, after much analysis, it was cleanup time. I used a long garden hose to wash the ash off of the roof of my house. That alone took more than a half day. We were informed that if we were to rake the ash and put it into lawn bags, and place them next to the curb, they would be picked up. It took me at least a couple more days, and more masks, to fill close to 85 bags. Could not fill the 30 gallon bags because the weight made it almost impossible to move them. After the ash was picked up, we had many days with a lot of rain. I actually started to get what looked like my yard back. For many years to follow, you could see ash alongside the roads in your travels.

PHFoto Loc: Idaho

I was on the last plane out of Spokane that day, and we flew around Mt. St. Helens at 30'000 feet. and The clud was another 20,000 feet above us. What a view.

photojet Loc: TX/CO

One shot in time for history. Love it.

GAClowers Loc: Tacoma, Washington

Great picture. On that day, I was driving up I5 North and was right abreast of the mountain when it blew. It was a fantastic sight, but I did not have my camera with me. I have regretted that ever since. Now, I never go anywhere without a camera with me.

On a thankful note, against orders from traffic control, I had circled right over the top of the mountain in my plane just a few days before this.

Naturenut Loc: Salisbury, NC

My wife & I drove that road in 1985. Caused my bu-t to pucker. It was amazing seeing all those trees laid out like toothpicks. I lived in Humboldt Co. Northern Calif. when it blew. Amazing.

JerrysPhotos Loc: Arkansas

That is a once in a life time shot.... talk about being in the right place at the right time........

cindy11 Loc: Honeoye Falls, NY

How little we who live in the East know about the life there after the explosion. If you've never been in a hurricane or tornado, it's hard to fathom even that. What a fantastic picture. How far away were you? What does the place look like now so many years later? Have you followed up on a year to year basis with your camera to show the progression of its rebirth?

mooseeyes Loc: Sonora, California

I am not really sure. Sauvie Island sits in the Columbia River (border between WA and OR), part of Portland, OR. As the crow flies, I would guess approximately 40 miles, less maybe?

When I do an internet search, I keep turing up driving distances to the new visitor center taking one up I-5 past the mountain. The turn off to the visitor center is north of the mountain, and then a fair drive off of I-5. These distances are greater, yet under 100 miles.