Mount St. Helens has always been a fascination to me having been in Portland, Or. during the catyclismic May 18, 1980 eruption. Mount St. Helens remains the most active volcano in North America. Most of these pictures were taken near the Coldwater Ridge Visitor Center -- approximately 7 miles from the crater -- on October 17, 2004.

For some details about Mount St. Helens, please see my summary.

The first eight images are not my images but came from US Geological Survey and NASA. I have included these images to give some context to the photographs I took last year and a little visual history of the volcano and surrounding area.
USGS Image of Mount St. Helens on May 17, 1980 from Johnston Ridge - the day before the catyclismic eruption. Image © USGS. USGS Image of Mount St. Helens on September, 1980 from Johnston Ridge Image © USGS. USGS Image of steam and ash eruption 10/6/2004. Image Copyright © USGS. USGS Image of crater from the International Space Station in 2001. Image Copyright © NASA Geologist David A. Johnston who was killed during the 1980 eruption. Image Copyright © USGS
Picture of new lava dome with rock fall from a partial collapse sending ash above the crater rim. Picture of new lavadome with inset of FLIR image showing heat on the dome Picture of new lavadome at night showing hot rocks. Volcanic crater shrouded in clouds. This all used to be lush cedar and fir forest prior to May 18, 1980. Logs of trees literally blown over by the blast of the 1980 eruption
Newly formed riverbed and remains of pyroclastic flows from 1980 Crater above newly formed riverbed and remains of pyroclastic flows from 1980 Logs of trees literally blown over by the blast of the 1980 eruption Visitor center at Coldwater Ridge. This is as close to the crater as one could get in Oct 2004 Wireframe model of the mountain as it sits now.
Crater shrouded in clouds Crater shrouded in clouds Crater shrouded in clouds with steam and ash explosion in red box Crater shrouded in clouds, steam and ash explosion Crater shrouded in clouds, steam and ash explosion
Crater shrouded in clouds, steam and ash explosion Crater shrouded in clouds, steam and ash explosion Crater shrouded in clouds, steam and ash explosion Crater shrouded in clouds, steam and ash explosion Crater shrouded in clouds, steam and ash explosion
Crater shrouded in clouds, steam and ash explosion Crater shrouded in clouds, steam and ash explosion Crater shrouded in clouds, steam and ash explosion, Spirit Lake. This lake was reformed by the 1980 eruption and pyroclastic flows. The surrounding forest is 25 years old. Crater shrouded in clouds, steam and ash explosion Crater shrouded in clouds, steam and ash explosion, Spirit Lake
People 'camped' on the road waiting to get a glimpse of a big eruption More blown down forest from the 1980 eruption A somewhat better view of the ash/steam plume A somewhat better view of the ash/steam plume A somewhat better view of the ash/steam plume
A somewhat better view of the crater The media camp The media camp with crater behind
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