Standing here 37 years ago you would have been fried as Mt St Helens exploded with the force of a 24 megaton nuclear explosion. The eruption took off the top of the volcano and collapsed the north side of the crater - the side the photo is looking at - with a huge avalanche and vast deluge of mud and rock flows rushing down the valleys and destroying everything in its path. This was the biggest volcanic event in US history! On the map we are on the red dotted line where the circle 1 is located just at the northern tip of the pyroclast flow - the location was the site of an unfortunate USGS geologist monitoring the volcano. The learning centers and museums do a great job of recounting the build up to and eruption saga and the reconstructive aftermath! Spent three days in the area with beautiful forests, flowers and perfect weather!
