RVing Around America with Ron and Kathy: What happened in March 1980?

Tuesday, July 11, 2017

Where were you and what do you remember about this date? I was in Albuquerque and several years later my friend Michelle was here in Washington and brought me a pin made from materials from this event.

The event was the volcanic eruption of Mt. St. Helen’s here in Washington.

What a monumental event it was and today Ron and I ventured up to the mountain to learn more about what transpired on that day and what has happened since. It is a 52 mile trip from the I-5 exit north of Longview where we are staying on a well paved sometimes windy road through the pine forests and along a river in places.

What caught my attention first was what the river bed looked like only part way up. The bed was covered in gray rock with gray colored water running through it. Interesting. We have seen so much clear water recently and even when it isn’t, it usually looks sort of brown in color because the river bottom is full of dirt and rocks. Not here. The water is reflecting back the gray volcanic ash and debris even after 37 years.

The most amazing part of the scenery is where plants and shrubs and wild flowers are once again flourishing as well as wildlife. Part of this area was cleared of logs and debris and replanted and part of it is naturally returning back to the forests of yesteryear. It is a slow process but it is returning.

Trees planted after the eruption

What is really abundant are the wildflowers (lupines were the first to return) along the roadways and on the mountains sides. Absolutely spectacular.

We stopped at three different visitor centers to learn all we could about the mountain and the eruption but I believe showing you pictures is worth more than any words I can say.