Stratovolcano Captured From Above

Mount St. Helens erupted on the morning of 18 May 1980. I remember it well as it happened just 13 days prior to my High School graduation in Hawaii. I was on my way to the University of Washington and had no idea what I was in for after the eruption. Hey, Seattle's about 95 miles away, but when you grow up on an island, everything stay close, brah.

You can see in the photo even after 31 years how much devastation the eruption did to the surrounding landscape in Northern Oregon. 150 miles of forest was destroyed and a massive chunk of the volcano's North face was completely blown off.

The volcano went from 9,677 feet to 8,365 feet. Still standing tall in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, Mount St. Helens still steams now and then. Mother Nature is not pau.

Mahalo for flying with Captain Bobby Mitchel