Head south on I-5 in Washington State from Seattle and you’ll eventually catch the sight of Mount Saint Helen rise from the emerald greenery of the Pacific Northwest’s verdant forests. The volcano, and it’s crater appear as if God’s hand had come from the heavens and pressed his fingerprint into the landscape, like soft sand. That legendary eruption on May 18th, 1980, that devastated the landscape still leaves an indelible mark on the psyche, still echoes like it the explosion that sculpted the region, leaving an unforgettable imprint on the land, and captivating the hearts and minds of generations to come.
Having moved to Seattle in 2013, I was still new to exploring all that the Pacific Northwest had to offer, and visiting Mount Saint Helens was definitely high up on the list of places to check out. Working for Line Skis at the time required me to make a few trips each spring and summer down to Mount Hood to test prototype skis. Each time, I would pass the sleeping giant of Mount Saint Helens en route to the spring snowfields. It was only in 2015 that, on a whim, I decided to take a detour on the return trip to Seattle with our junior graphic designer, Charlie Cultrara. We meandered through the backroads of the Gifford Pinchot National Forest to visit this iconic location.
Here are a few photos from that trip…
