Day Three started with an overview of the valleys leading up to Windy Ridge. Here the broad, U_shaped valley is evident, along with trees in the standing kill…
Our first view of St Helens from the NW.
Standing dead zone with new growth since the 1980 eruption. The rocks below are older pumice and ash from previous eruptions.
Pumice hill with Stacy and Todd seeking-out classroom specimens.
This car was tossed across the road some 40 yards by the blast and the occupants who had sought out shelter did not survive.
Another view of the blasted car.
This shot gives a sense of direction for the blast by theh direction that all the tree stumps are lying.
One last view.
The damage was crazy!
View from Windy Ridge parking lot towards Spirit Lake and the Toutle River Valley.
The ascent to Windy Ridge.
Going Up.
There are over 400 stairs to the top of Windy Ridge.
Trail sign to somehwere. Spirit Lake in the background.
Spirit Lake and one of the logs that got snapped as the pyroclastic flow blasted over the ridge we were on.
All the white in the water is tree debris from the initial blast. The original Spirit Lake got sloshed up its feeder river valley in a huge tsunami-like wave. …
Toutle fog, Johnston Ridge Observatory (see if you can find it) and Spirit Lake.
Mt Rainier from Windy Ridge.
Blast & snap.
