The view from my front porch

[trbig]

Wow, that event was 32 years ago?

Yup... May 8th, 1980. I remember climbing a hill by a freeway overpass in Tacoma, and watching it erupt in the distance. We didn't get a lot of the ash in the Spanaway/Graham area, just a dusting on the cars every morning. My grandma lived in Yelm, and they got hammered with it.

Several months later, I can't remember where we went, but we went camping up in the mountains a lot. We went to some lake in the forrest that had been in the path of the ash, and there was about a foot of the softest, finest, grey "sand" I've ever set foot on. The water was so clear, you could see crawdads on the bottom at 30 feet. Apparently everything growing liked that ash and was a beautiful green. I sure wish I had a camara then. It was like a tropical beach in the forrest.

[ddragon63]

Yup... May 8th, 1980. I remember climbing a hill by a freeway overpass in Tacoma, and watching it erupt in the distance. We didn't get a lot of the ash in the Spanaway/Graham area, just a dusting on the cars every morning. My grandma lived in Yelm, and they got hammered with it.

Several months later, I can't remember where we went, but we went camping up in the mountains a lot. We went to some lake in the forrest that had been in the path of the ash, and there was about a foot of the softest, finest, grey "sand" I've ever set foot on. The water was so clear, you could see crawdads on the bottom at 30 feet. Apparently everything growing liked that ash and was a beautiful green. I sure wish I had a camara then. It was like a tropical beach in the forrest.

They Built a golf course in Kelso on top of the ash they dredged out of the Toutle river.... its the driest golf course in the area during the winter... makes for killer drainage

[trbig]

Yeah, I remember all of that like it was last year. The Toutle river was basically nothing but a mud/tree avalanche, taking every bridge with it along it's way. I remember the stories of Harry Truman and Spirit Lake. I also remember the pics of millions of trees laying down like toothpicks, laying down perfectly aligned with the direction of the blast. Warehauser bid and got the contract for all that lumber, thinking the trees.. already de-limbed... would be an easy buck. They couldn't get more than a cut or two with their saws before the ash dulled the blades. They say that ash was TERRIBLE on motors. Hard to imagine the power that could pulverize solid rock into something that fine.

[ddragon63]

Ya anyone ever visits this part of the state a drive up the spurt lake hwy to Johnston ridge observatory to look into the crater is a day worth spending. Drive right thru the blast zone is an awesome sight.

[Yahman]

Some where I have the photos that I took of all that damage. Just 4 months after it erupted, I won a flight around the mountain in a contest. I shot some great photos that day. I also went up into the Toutle river area as soon as was possible, and took a bunch of photos there. The damage was amazing! I'll try to find them so I can post a few. I haven't looked at them in many years.

Larry

[crazy steve]

...They say that ash was TERRIBLE on motors. Hard to imagine the power that could pulverize solid rock into something that fine.

It was... the WSP used up about 40 patrol cars before they discovered that a standard paper air filter wouldn't catch the really fine stuff. Initially they jury-rigged some ducting to draw air from inside the car....
http://www.corbisimages.com/stock-ph...n-state-patrol
... but later they started fitting the cruisers with some monster 'auxillary' filters as big as a footlocker hung between the push bars on the front bumpers. Even those didn't fully get it all, but at least the cars would run for more than about 200 miles...

The linked pic was taken in Moses Lake Washington, about 150 miles northeast of Helens...

[DeanR]

Looking forward to your pictures Larry.

[trbig]

Hmmm.. Looks like May 18th? I could have sworn it was the 8th. Sorry.

[Yahman]

OK here they are, some of the photos that I shot in the summer of 1980. Some are from the plane trip and some from my trip up around the Toutle River area. The link is to a slide show the photos. Enjoy!

http://s412.photobucket.com/albums/p...view=slideshow



















Larry

[Yahman]

More photos!









Notice the high water line on the tree trunk on the right.










Larry

[Yahman]

The rest of the photos.















Thanks for looking,

Larry

[XS1100 Newbie]

It is also a good ride around to the other side at Windy Ridge. I usually make the ride at least twice during the summer. I think now we may need that darned Discovery pass to do it.

[ddragon63]

good pics Larry

not much has changed most of the blast are is still pretty much a barren wasteland. Very cool to see what mother nature is capable of

[ddragon63]

It is also a good ride around to the other side at Windy Ridge. I usually make the ride at least twice during the summer. I think now we may need that darned Discovery pass to do it.

I love to ride from Battleground to Carson via Cougar and Eagle Cliff.... very cool area we will have to get together this summer and take a ride over the mountain. You'll have to put up with me every so often stopping so the wife can take pictures thou....