Where were you 45 years ago today??? A look at Mt St Helens.

[JustAnotherNut]

At that time, I was living in Auburn with my future Ex-husband. A suburb of Seattle and 145 miles north of the mountain. After months of activity, including, gas plumes, that sometimes we could see on a clear day.......she finally blew her top.

That day was cloudy, though unsure if from weather or the eruption but we didn't see anything.. Though I had a friend that was in Yakima at the time and said it was as dark as midnight at noon from the ash that was so thick it was near impossible to breath or even drive a car.

If you've never seen the footage, please watch the video. Surreal.

 

[Auld Phart]

Spain

drinking Sangria

 

[1srelluc]

I saw it on the news, I never paid it much mind.

I remember the rubes buying little bottles of the ash afterwards.

 

[TroglocratsRdumb]

I was flying across the Atlantic a few days after the eruption and you could see a layer of dust in the sky.

 

[norwegen]

Sleeping in English class.

 

[1srelluc]

I liked the movie.

 

[JustAnotherNut]

I saw it on the news, I never paid it much mind.

I remember the rubes buying little bottles of the ash afterwards.

I haven't been down that way in several years, but there were shops still selling them at that time, maybe 20 years ago?

Pretty sure they made fortunes from selling the ash, since everybody wanted a keepsake and the ash was free. I was probably one of the few that didn't have a vial of ash

 

[JustAnotherNut]

I was flying across the Atlantic a few days after the eruption and you could see a layer of dust in the sky.

Yep that ash or layer of dust traveled around the globe. At one point, the news followed it's path.

 

[JustAnotherNut]

I liked the movie.

I don't think I've seen it all the way thru......just cause movies are never like real life. Always has to have a Hollywood spin

 

[1srelluc]

I haven't been down that way in several years, but there were shops still selling them at that time, maybe 20 years ago?

Pretty sure they made fortunes from selling the ash, since everybody wanted a keepsake and the ash was free. I was probably one of the few that didn't have a vial of ash

LOL....I bet 2/3rds of people east of the Mississippi had one.

 

[JustAnotherNut]

LOL....I bet 2/3rds of people east of the Mississippi had one.

That, I would not doubt. It was a 'thing' in those days.

There was even hype about it being a great garden fertilizer or soil amendment because of the natural minerals

 

[leftwinger]

At that time, I was living in Auburn with my future Ex-husband. A suburb of Seattle and 145 miles north of the mountain. After months of activity, including, gas plumes, that sometimes we could see on a clear day.......she finally blew her top.

That day was cloudy, though unsure if from weather or the eruption but we didn't see anything.. Though I had a friend that was in Yakima at the time and said it was as dark as midnight at noon from the ash that was so thick it was near impossible to breath or even drive a car.

If you've never seen the footage, please watch the video. Surreal.

Eugene ORE. Car covered in a light ash.

 

[whitehall]

Has it been 45 years? Took a trip to Seattle about six months later and the pilot deliberately flew close to Mt. St Helens to give everyone a view. What would have happened if Mt. Rainier went off the same way? Maybe Mt. St. Helens took the pressure off. Apparently the forest is growing back nicely.

 

[Moonglow]

I drove up there to see the sight, devastating man...

 

[Moonglow]

Has it been 45 years? Took a trip to Seattle about six months later and the pilot deliberately flew close to Mt. St Helens to give everyone a view. What would have happened if Mt. Rainier went off the same way? Maybe Mt. St. Helens took the pressure off. Apparently the forest is growing back nicely.

I was there last in 2000, and it looked rather regrown then.

 

[Unkotare]

I was sitting on a mountain eating really spicy tacos.

 

[Moonglow]

I lived in OKC but was in college in Miami.

 

[Moonglow]

I was sitting on a mountain eating really spicy tacos.

Naked, I bet.

 

[JustAnotherNut]

Eugene ORE. Car covered in a light ash.

Ours were too, both that day and for the months leading up to it......whenever it would let off a plume.

 

[JustAnotherNut]

Has it been 45 years? Took a trip to Seattle about six months later and the pilot deliberately flew close to Mt. St Helens to give everyone a view. What would have happened if Mt. Rainier went off the same way? Maybe Mt. St. Helens took the pressure off. Apparently the forest is growing back nicely.

Hard to believe it's been that long.


They keep talking about Rainier. Since it's a much bigger mountain, with more glaciers those lahars could wipe out much of the landscape, people and communities surrounding it. It would make St Helens pale in comparison.


I took my 2 youngest sons down there to see it, about 15 years ago. Don't remember which entrance, but from I-5. It was eerie driving along the road and seeing signs 'Entering the blast zone'.