Mt. St. Helens, summer 2013

"Vancouver, Vancouver, this is it!"

I was four years old when David Johnston shouted those words and died. We had just moved from Portland to the home in Sheridan where my parents still live.  My memories of the eruption are minimal, but I have a hazy (ha!) recollection of ash falling and of a sonic boom that sent me racing outside, looking toward the north horizon, to see if the mountain had blown its top again.

Prior to this summer, I had only seen Mt. St. Helens from the boring south side.  Ever since we moved to within 40 miles of the mountain I've had an itch to go look into its maw, and now that itch has been scratched. 

 Eve, standing on the main observation deck of the Johnston Ridge Observatory, which was built on the spot where David Johnston was stationed to keep an eye on the volcano.

 This shot was Brian's idea.

 As was this.

Wildflowers like these were scattered all across the slopes.  It made for a beautiful contrast with the desolation of mud and ash that still dominates the landscape in the path of the explosion.