SILVER
LAKE, WASHINGTON—
Where were
you on May 18, 1980? If you happened to be within 500 miles of Mount Saint
Helens, Washington, you probably remember it well. That was the day the
volcano, which had been threatening to erupt for weeks, pulled out all
her stops and exploded in a cataclysm ultimately felt around the world.
When the gigantic pillar of smoke and ash subsided, Mt. St. Helens was
1,300 feet shorter and had a new crater 2,000 feet deep on her north side.
The glaciers that had cloaked her summit were entirely gone. So were the
forests, resorts, cabins, and even a lake that had attracted visitors
for over a hundred years. What remained was a bleak moonscape.
Now, sixteen
years later, Mt. St. Helens still looks desolated at first glance. It
will take many more decades for trees to reforest the mountain's slopes.
Even so, new life is popping up everywhere, as hikers and climbers will
attest.
The Visitors
Center operated by the U.S. Forest Service at Silver Lake, Washington,
is an excellent way to "visit" Mt. St. Helens if you don't have
the time or inclination for a close-up look. A movie and a slide show
allow you to experience the cataclysmic day back in 1980, and exhibits
explain volcanic action, plate tectonics, and the science of seismology.
The people who died in the eruption are remembered too, including Harry
Truman, the likeable octegenarian who stalwartly refused to leave his
mountain and his cats.
As you leave
the Center, you'll find yourself agreeing with the quote from the writings
of Heraclitus on the sign over the door: "There is nothing permanent
except change." A visit to Mt. St. Helens is a vivid reminder that
even mountains don't last forever.
Mount Saint
Helens Visitor Center
Silver Lake, Washington
Telephone: (360)274-2100
"Nothing Permanent Except Change"
