The "other" Mount St Helens

Thirty-one years ago, one of the Cascades stratovolcanoes threw a temper tantrum.  Mount St Helens erupted, spewing ash and rock in a fan-shaped path of destruction that spread for 100 square miles to the north, east and west.  The slopes to the south were relatively untouched.

To the northwest, the Toutle River flows, to this day, clouded with ash.  To the southeast, the Lewis River runs clear, clean and cold over waterfalls.

The slopes of Mount St Helens are barren ash and rock on the north side.  The south side old growth forest shows the beauty that once existed all around the mountain.

Of course, with the high moisture levels that are present in the northwest forests, vegetation is lush and green.  Anything that sits still for long enough grows moss.

I moved along.

Even with nearly 2000 feet removed from the top of Mount St Helens, it towers above the surrounding mountains.