Update, Paradise

     Yesterday we took a drive to Mt. Saint Helen's.  At Johnston Ridge Observatory we enjoyed a talk given by one of the ranger.  Mount St. Helens is most notorious for its major 1980 eruption, the deadliest and most economically destructive volcanic event in the history of the United States.^[2] Fifty-seven people were killed; 250 homes, 47 bridges, 15 miles (24 km) of railways, and 185 miles (298 km) of highway were destroyed. A massive debris avalanche triggered by an earthquake measuring 5.1 on the Richter scale caused an eruption^[3] that reduced the elevation of the mountain's summit from 9,677 ft (2,950 m) to 8,363 ft (2,549 m), leaving a 1 mile (1.6 km) wide horseshoe-shaped crater.^[4] The debris avalanche was up to 0.7 cubic miles (2.9 km³) in volume. The Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument was created to preserve the volcano and allow for its aftermath to be scientifically studied.   While checking out the observatory we also viewed a short movie about Mount St. Helen's, and a lot of history on what happened.  They have a seismograph machine set up for a demo and there is a mat to jump on and register the impact.  There was also an out of order sign on it, can't tell you how many were jumping on the mat and trying to make it register.  So easy to be entertained while Len was walking to the top of a viewing area.

     Then it was a stop to check out big foot.  Big foot is made of some ash from the eruption of Mt. St. Helen's.  There is also an A frame that survived the mud flow from the eruption. 

     Decided to check out the visitor center while we were out doing the tourist thing.  Another short film about Mt. Saint Helen and a nice display of  the information on the eruption.

     Today Len rode the motorcycle to check out a couple of nearby fish hatcheries, one was a salmon hatchery.

Salmon coming in to spawn

     Weather has been nice, and the smoke has cleared.  Did get a little bit of rain one day, but back to the 80's now.

     Will ad more as things happen.