The Unmaking of a Mountain

It is 8:30 in the morning, May 18, 1980. An earthquake measuring 5.2 on the Richter scale rocks the area. An avalanche begins a course down the mountain. At a speed of 500 mph, it gathers everything in its path. The temperature of the avalanche steams at over 500 degrees Fahrenheit. A cloud of ash and debris is thrown 70,000 feet into the air. 200 to 300 foot tidal waves are created in nearby Spirit Lake. Within the course of ten minutes, 230 square miles of lush forest are obliterated.

On May 18, 1980, the volcano called Mt. St. Helen erupted.

Fifteen years later, the massive destruction from that day is still evident. The north face of the mountain, once referred to as the Mt. Fuji of the west, has been ripped from its perch. The top 1200 feet now lie in mounds called hummocks four miles away. Below the mountain is 'ground zero', an area devoid of all life. Nearby, entire sides of mountains are covered by all that remains of the forests; rows of gray wooden pegs all lying in the same direction from the blast.

It has taken time, but now, slowly life is reclaiming the land. You must look hard. A first glance reveals little. But seeds are germinating from the drops of water caught under the pumice rocks; beavers and other aquatic animals are making homes in the enormous log jams around Spirit Lake; and new trees are sending roots into earth that once saw temperatures as high as 900 degrees. Back dropped by a collapsed mountain, which still sends strands of stream rising upward, life here is beginning again.

More Interesting Volcano Facts

1. Hot steaming mud flowed into the Columbia River at 40 mph lowering the water level from 140 feet to 40 feet.

2. Ash from Mt. St. Helen's eruption left six to eight inches covering homes in Washington and Oregon. Enough ash fell in eastern Washington to fill two and a half landfills.

3. During the eruption there was a 60 mile zone of silence around the mountain where nothing at all could be heard. Outside of that zone the explosion was heard from Oregon to Saskatewan.

4. Explosions of shooting steam continued until 1991.

Mt. St. Mustard

The effects of elevation on humans manifests itself as dizziness and nausea. But things less organic in nature can have equally as unpleasant consequences when exposed to the pressures of altitude.

Mustard, for example should not be opened quickly, nor should it be pointed at the curtains. John can now attest to this. The shampoo and sunscreen can seem like endless fountains of goo (but not as colorful as the mustard), and our anniversary champagne cork might be somewhere on the moon now.

On a less pleasant note, the Pak-a-Poti should not be opened at altitude before releasing the air pressure. We will not expound on this, but suffice it to say, this is nasty stuff.