That mountain is something else. I did the drive up it in 98 when in Portland on business and had a weekend stay. The devastation in 1980 was still apparent. The stories we heard were phenomenal. The river filled up with some much hot lava the fish were trying to jump out for self preservation. Had to be dredged something like 3/4 to open the shipping lanes. The ash fell all around like a blizzard measuring in feet in some areas. The obsevatories got wasted along with observers. It is a facinating trip. The before and after pics of the back of the opening are unbelievable. Mother Nature at both her best and worst!
I've never heard those fish stories. For the most part, I think of the 1980 eruption as more of a mudslide eruption than a traditional lava eruption. The mountain used to be completely domed, and now there's the huge crater there where the top used to be. Honestly, I can't even think of any instance of pictures, etc... where lava flow was ever mentioned. All I remember is rivers of mud and ash.
You can still see traces of ash in arid parts of Eastern Washington, low spots. Day turned into night that day. Unforgettable. A visit to the observatory is mandatory. Its incredible. The drive is unbelievable, you're driving in the woods, go around a bend and..... you're on the moon. Trees blown away like matchsticks. There was a Grand Prix fenced off as a memorial, the blast took care of it better than a crusher. Ralley II wheels only thing recognizable. Steve's right, it was walls of mud that flowed downstream to the west. The initial scorching eastward blast killed many of the victims in the area instantly, however. 25 year anniversary of that eruption this May 18, should be some interesting shows about it around that time.......
I was living in Portland when it went back in 80. folks went out and rubbed the ash off their cars. ash is pretty much glass. not good for the finish ou:
I lived only a couple of hours north of it in 1980 and would see all the news reports of the ash, people wearing masks, the guy who taped himself trying to escape, etc... Yet we got nothing at our place. The winds weren't blowing our way at all.
I remember Dad bringing home a little vial of ash that made it all the way out here. Amazing how the ash made it all the way out here by just blowing in the wind.
