Mt. Saint Helens

This is the view from Johnson Ridge (named after a geologist who was killed in this spot during the eruption). You can see the collapsed north side of the crater. The debris from the landslide filled the valley to a depth of 600'. Nothing much grows there, so you can clearly see the canyons carved by streams off the mountain. It is possible to climb the south side of the mountain and glance into the crater from the rim. Madeline has agreed to hike it with me, even though you have to wear a helmet and carry glasses and a mask.

Trees completely covered the area before the eruption; large trees up to 8 feet in diameter. They were much larger than anything we have on the east coast.
This is Emma's lunch spot. When she is older and complains we never take her anywhere, I can pull out this photo and tell her I took her to a volcano.