Mount St. Helens rumbling again...

Hmmmm did I hear someone say "ROADTRIP"??

 

I was in Port Townsend, WA when it erupted in 1980. I swear I heard the little bomb sound as I was hanging around w/ friends. Fortunately we didn't get hit by ashes or some major damage. Watching what happened to all forests around St.Helen was a sad view.

Cannot believe it is almost 25 years ago since its eruption...

 

Yep, its gonna pop. Get the camera's ready!

My next statement, will no doubt get a rolleyes from the audience, but if you live in California, you will understand

When it blows, this would be a great op for the enviromentalists wackos to protest nude, stage a die-in and promote strict volcano emissions testing as millions of cubic feet of ash and toxic gasses begin harming the delicate ozone layer.

 

I literally watched Mount St. Helens blow in 1980 from my fleabag apartment in NW Portland. My folks lived in Yakima (Selah) and my old '57 Buick was never quite the same after that - they got about 4" of ashfall there.

A few days later the wind changed and another eruption and we got "ashed" in Portland as well.

Been up there a few times from both approaches - the first time in like '83 or '84 and it was like the moon.

This is fun stuff - mother nature just farkin' with us...

Cheers
Kevin

 

Eruptions have been going on since the beginning of time on this planet, darkening the skies for days on end, especially Krakatoa.....................and they worry about a little stray R12 escaping into the atmosphere...............PUUULLLEEEEZZZZEEE!

 

I was in Bellevue, WA. and I DID HEAR the explosion. It sounded like someone blowing stumps with dynamite out behind my house.

The ash was so heavy in eastern Washington that the streetlights came on.

Anybody that drove their cars that day in eastern Washington was looking at an engine rebuild down the road.

The airfilters on the State Patrol cars had to be changed every few hours because they were plugging up..

 

Serves as a good reminder of who's really in charge.

 

Don't you know it! The forces of nature are astounding in scale as I am sure the folks in the southeast know it.

I am always in awe when the infrequent storm rolls through here.

 

I hired Dante's Peak on DVD a few days before this news appeared. First time I had seen the film in years.

Creepy...

 

"Thanks Rob, I'm standing here live less than a mile from the summit of Mt. St. Hellens, where some people say increased siesmic activity indicates a possible event may be in store. I spoke with scientists this morning who told me:'RUN!!! DEAR GOD, GET THE **** OUT OF THERE! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES, ALL OF YOU!!! JESUS, IT'S A ****ING ACTIVE ****ING VOLCAINO THAT IS GOING TO ****ING EXPLODE, FLEE FATASS FLEE!!!!' Back to you in the studio, Rob.

 

ROTFLMFAO!!!!!!

 

I dont think this topic is funny in the least bit. The last time it erupted, it killed and destroyed alot of people, families, and nature. I hope to GOD that it does not erupt again! Does tragedy make you feel good or something? WTF?

 

Problem is..ther is nothing we as humans can do about it. You can move people away,,but the people who stay behined do it by choice. So if they want to take their cahnges,and they die...who's fault is it? So really all you can do if laugh about it becuase there is nothing you me or NASA can do to keep an eruption from happening...just goes to show how small we humans really are...

 

It killed alot of people because they did not heed the constant warnings to stay out of the area. Who's fault would that be?

It destroyed nature, yes, the same cycle that has been repeating itself on this planet for millions of years. It grows back. It HAS GROWN BACK.

No it doesn't make me feel good. It makes me feel very small in the big scheme of things. We are NOTHING but germs on this big ball in space.

Still, it's all very impressive and something to learn from.

 

Man Hurricanes that keep doing U turns to kick Florida in the arss again and again, and now the tops going to pop again. Sheesh, like we've done something wrong.

 

We are copping it at the moment in Australia too. One minute its so dry that all our dams have dried up and we are all on water restrictions, and right now outside its pissing down! All the rain washes all the topsoil (good soil) away and destroys our farms. And then it goes dry again.....
Don't worry my fellow US buddies! Mother Natures pissed off at us Aussies too!
*Bad news about Mnt Snt Helens. I have been singing that song by the "Presidents of the United State of America"...Volcano since hearing the news.
Its gonna blow...whoa whoa whoooaa VOLCANO!!!
Hope all is safe and deaths be kept to a minimum or none at all!

 

Hmm, you must've read my mind. If only my fuel pump would arrive on time.

 

Hey I did say roadtrip... I'll pop on over to Cali to pick you up!!


Oh and Doug... I did realize after posting that my comment to be misconstrued as making light of the past tragedy. I am simply speaking of the current situation, and that I'd love to be able to tell my kids I saw an enormous event like this occur on our own soil. No offense intended.

Paul

 

My girlfriend's dad has a cabin at Swift Resevoir on the edge of the red zone. A little close for me! I think he got it for a heck of a deal in 1981! I remember driving in 2 inch ash, what a trip kinda like a gravel road, very little traction and cool contrails. My 63 impala threw a rod about a month later, go figure! We had to add extra air filters on all of our tractors, what a pain.

 

So what is the latest? First I heard it was just going to blow a few rocks a few hundred feet. Now I hear everything from Portland is going to get ash to possible closure of I-5. My mom ( moving from Seattle to Bend) actually was taking I-90 around the mt. today for fear of getting caught in a traffic jam due to road closure. I thought that was a little extreme!

 

This is closer to the truth than you know. There actually was a guy filming when it blew. Can't remember all the details but I think he, the cameraman and the tape made it out alive. I just remember seeing it and hearing him try to find his cameraman who was inches away. Neither one could see a thing!

I was riding down the road in Tacoma and was the first in the car to see the plume. We barely got enough ash to notice though.

Went on a trip with my grandparents that summer through Eastern WA. Kind of strange to see very large mounds of ash plowed up on the roadside three months later.

Below pics before and after...
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I'll never forget sitting in the stands at the 1980 Indianapolis 500 (2000 miles away from the eruption) with ash flakes coming down from the sky and landing on everyone. Kinda strange...

 

We were on Fishing from the Banks of the Walla Walla
River when it erupted. Dad knew right away what happened.
About a half hour later I noticed a small cloud appear out
of the West. A little later, I noticed the cloud again, this
time massive in width and no end?. I mentioned to Dad that
it looked like it was going to Rain. He stood up, looked at
the Massive Cloud and said; Son of a B****, let's get
the hell out of here.

We drove Hwy 12 to the Junction of I-395 (Pasco), where
National Guard was blocking the Road and were directing
motorists to go to designated shelters. No Way! Dad said:
We're going home!

We drove over 100 miles, 90% of that in Blackout conditions.
Stopped 3-4 Times to clean the air filter, and off again.
When we came out of the main ash flow just west of Quincy
(Hwy 28), it was instantly daylight again. Looking North/South
it was a giant wall as far as the eye could see. Incredible sight.

And yes, Dana, my Brother had to rebuild the Motor in his Truck
the next week. He's built a lot of motors over the years, but given
the cause, he said he'd Buy a new motor rather than rebuild.
The ash screwed up so much stuff, everything had to be replaced.

Chuck