what to do on the drive to mt st helens
Twoscore-1 years ago on May 18, 1980 at viii:32 a.yard., Mount St. Helens erupted. The enormous showtime eruption wasn't from the volcano's superlative, equally you'd look. Instead, in a fury, its north face up exploded, sending rock and ash sideways at over 300 miles per hour.
The solar day before, on May 17, 1980, a series of earthquakes beneath the mountain gave volcanologists and geologists a clear signal that a cataclysmic result was about to happen.
On that fateful morning of May xviii, a v.1 magnitude convulsion violently shook the top. A massive barrage began atop the northward face of Mount St. Helens. Almost simultaneously, the volcano'southward north side blasted open with an explosion then vehement that information technology sent a lateral ash cavalcade some 15 miles to the north.
As if this wasn't enough of an explosion after existence dormant for 127 years, a vertical eruption followed nearly immediately, sending ash and gas even farther. This fourth dimension the flume extended 16 miles skyward. Every bit the ash fell, Spokane – 350-miles northeast of the volcano – creeped into total darkness.
After the eruption, 57 people had died, thousands of animals were killed and trees obliterated. Before the eruption, the highest point of Mount St. Helens was 9,677-feet. Afterward, a horseshoe-shaped crater formed where at that place used to exist mountain. The elevation dropped i,300-feet to a new height of 8,366-anxiety.
Mount St. Helens by Motor Double-decker Tour
This was one of those white-knuckle motor coach tours that left me feeling weak in the knees yet oddly exhilarated at the same time. Aboard American Cruise Lines' Queen of the West, we were on a 1-way Columbia River cruise from Vancouver, Washington to Clarkston, Idaho.
It was on the second twenty-four hour period of the cruise that I jumped at the chance to accept a shore circuit tour to visit Mountain St. Helens. I really didn't have a clue what to expect.
Our first stop was at the Mountain St. Helens Visitors Center to watch a short movie nearly the volcano eruption, and of course souvenirs.
On the Road to Mount St. Helens
Back on the bus, the grandfatherly-driver informed us that due to excessive amounts of snow, nosotros wouldn't exist able to get as far equally he hoped; to the Coldwater Lake Viewpoint. Instead, nosotros would go as far as he could, and then pull off the road.
If you've ever driven into or out of Portofino, Italy, the bulldoze upward to Mount St. Helens has the aforementioned overlook: direct down. While I'yard fine if I'1000 the commuter, being on an enormous bus and rounding hairpin turns wasn't my thought of a relaxing ride.
On drives similar these, I accept photos to calm my fear. Or in this instance, I tried to accept photos despite blue tinted windows and horizontal snowflakes.
We ended upward on the side of the road, just by Elk Rock Viewpoint, or maybe we were at Elk Stone Viewpoint. The snowfall had obliterated whatever turnoff into a designated parking lot. Either manner, nosotros were at the border of a steep hill, fortunately separated by a rather broad berm of snowfall.
Once the driver pointed it out, from our angle we could clearly come across the definition of the crater.
If you look closely at the photo above, in the center you lot tin can faintly run into the road that would pb to its end at the Johnston Ridge Observatory. From there, y'all're looking almost direct into the crater.
Viewing Mount St. Helens -As Close As We Could Go
Nosotros were somewhere on State Route 504, either at or near the Elk Stone Viewpoint, the designated entrance to Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument. At an elevation of 4,355-feet, we had climbed very loftier in a actually short time, from the beach where our river ship was docked.
Time to Caput Back Downwardly the Mount Roads
The weather weather quickly began to change from bright sun and cotton-puff clouds to a potent northward wind and impending snow squalls. We were ushered dorsum on the jitney after about 20 minutes of viewing Mount St. Helens. There had been plenty of time for photos and fresh air so it was squeamish to get dorsum into my motorcoach seat and warm up.
We had to go back on the same route that brought us up so our bus driver needed to make a 3-point-turn on the highway. I was certain he had done this a 1000000 times. As the rear edge of the bus neared the drop-off, I hoped I was correct.
Wind-driven snow swept across the highway every bit nosotros made our descent. 
Parts of the distant heaven were withal blue only as we drove on, grayness skies prevailed and sleet danced across the windshield. We were at sunny sea level and dorsum on board sooner than I expected.
Learning details well-nigh history and scientific discipline of the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens was an eye-opening experience. Actually beingness there made it existent. And then many people, from scientists to hikers and residents, lost their lives to the volcano.
Mount St. Helens isn't the only volcano along this stretch of the Columbia River. As you cruise east, be on the lookout for Mt. Hood and Mt. Adams. There are eleven volcanoes in Washington and Oregon monitored by the U.s.a. Geological Survey. Eleven additional volcanoes are not monitored.
I'd like to return someday when the weather is warmer and complete the drive to the Johnston Ridge Observatory…the finish of the road. 
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I'chiliad editor and creator of CruiseMaven.com and a solo traveler exploring the world on waves and wheels. An avid cook, I collect recipes along the way from ships and places. I hope my manufactures, reviews, news and photos entertain, advise and inspire you to try solo travel and come across the world without flying. Take a breath… stop for a meal and a glass of wine along the way.
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