Mt. St. Helens, Johnston Ridge Observatory

After we left Mt. Rainier we set out for Eugene, OR to visit very dear friends who relocated from the Midwest to the Pacific NW four years ago. We were eager to arrive for dinner (plus a few days in a comfortable house with showers, a kitchen, and an internet connection). The kids were excited because there was going to be two other kids to play with, Greta and Parker. Grace and Julia play well together, but the idea of having two new kids in the mix was all they could think about.

The drive wasn't too long from Rainier to Eugene, but we had one significant diversion before we left western Washington. Based upon the recommendation of fellow travelers and friends, we knew that we should make the drive to view Mt. St. Helens from the Johnston Ridge Observatory, named for the volcanologist, Dave Johnston, who died when St. Helen's erupted on May 18, 1980. We were just small children—close to Julia and Grace's age—when the eruption occurred,  and our memories of it are largely influenced by the images published in National Geographic after the eruption. Needless to say, the three hour diversion from our drive was entirely worth it.



Right after we arrived we had the good fortune to participate in a ranger led program at the interpretive center.  Ranger Laura led listeners and participants through the significant moments immediately before and after the eruption. Simply put, the program was fantastic. Ranger Laura conveyed the real sense of drama that unfolded as a Dave Johnston and others lost their lives to this natural disaster. It was emotionally powerful, and and we came away with a new appreciation of how this event altered the face of the Pacific NW.

 

Changes at Mt. St. Helens also give us a chance to work our math skills.  Previous to the 1980 eruption, the mountain was 9,677 feet and covered with snow and glaciers, much like Mt. Rainier. Following the eruption it shrank to 8,328 feet. Using these numbers, let's do a little fourth grade math:

1. Round the elevations to the nearest hundreds place to estimate the difference between elevations before and after the eruption?
2. How much did the mountain shrink ? The answer to this question gives you an idea of how much of the mountain was removed as a giant landslide crashed down St. Helen's slopes. Following this initial landslide, the heart of the mountain exploded upwards and outwards blanketing the region in ash and darkness.

If you ever visit southwestern Washington, we highly recommend that you visit the Johnston Ridge Observatory.  This stop was one of the highlights of our trip.  As we've learned in previous visits to National Parks, ranger led programs are a fantastic resource, and we applaud the work that rangers like Laura do to inform and inspire visitors.

Go here for other pictures of our visit.