Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Mt. St. Helens, the south face





A couple of weeks ago, we took our restored camp trailer for its maiden cruise, camping for 3 nights up in the mountains not far from our home. We took a little day-drive up to the south face of Mt. St. Helens and it was magnificent. This lower photos shows a 30 year old forest, since it was 30 years ago that the volcano erupted. All of the forestation was blown down and covered in rocks and mud where you now see pine and fir trees growing.
The middle and top pictures show a "lahar," the river of mud, rocks and trees that happens when volcanoes erupt.
Not many people visit the south side of the mountain, which has a primitive road to access the area. Even on a nice, August weekend, we were virtually alone up there.