Never the same after '82.

 

It was 1980. The eruption.  I was able on a trip from Seattle to Portland in 1982 to take a drive along the allowed perimeter some miles out from the mountain.  Was able to overlook Spirit Lake from a distance and it was still fully coated with fallen trees.  As we navigated the eastern perimeter that was allowed we were able to see the first emerging plant life and some resurgence of animal life. It was quite some experience for my two young daughters, then 8 and 6 years old.

My Dad was flamed out that we drove his Peugeot Turbo 505 through an area of pumice dust.  I had to change his oil and his air and oil filters the next day.

My trip to Seattle was to meet with fledgling Microsoft and pick up a pre-release reviewers copy of the original Microsoft Word.  I was a contributing writer to Autumn Revolution, a monthly publication put out by the Tulsa, Oklahoma, IBM User's Group.  I later also was able to review Microsoft's original spreadsheet program, Multiplan.  Microsoft at that time occupied two floors of a relatively small office building.  I did not meet any of the founders. 

Ten years later, in 1992, I was in a party of three from SunAir Virtual Airlines on the pre-internet Prodigy online service that visited Stu Moment at his facility at KCMI to encourage further development of his subLogic's Flight Assignment: ATP.

No additional fame since then, LOL!

Edited June 10, 20205 yr by fppilot

15 hours ago, fppilot said:

It was 1980. The eruption.  I was able on a trip from Seattle to Portland in 1982 to take a drive along the allowed perimeter some miles out from the mountain.  Was able to overlook Spirit Lake from a distance and it was still fully coated with fallen trees.  As we navigated the eastern perimeter that was allowed we were able to see the first emerging plant life and some resurgence of animal life. It was quite some experience for my two young daughters, then 8 and 6 years old.

My Dad was flamed out that we drove his Peugeot Turbo 505 through an area of pumice dust.  I had to change his oil and his air and oil filters the next day.

My trip to Seattle was to meet with fledgling Microsoft and pick up a pre-release reviewers copy of the original Microsoft Word.  I was a contributing writer to Autumn Revolution, a monthly publication put out by the Tulsa, Oklahoma, IBM User's Group.  I later also was able to review Microsoft's original spreadsheet program, Multiplan.  Microsoft at that time occupied two floors of a relatively small office building.  I did not meet any of the founders. 

Ten years later, in 1992, I was in a party of three from SunAir Virtual Airlines on the pre-internet Prodigy online service that visited Stu Moment at his facility at KCMI to encourage further development of his subLogic's Flight Assignment: ATP.

No additional fame since then, LOL!

At least I had the correct decade.  Lived in Anchorage at the time so it was all TV and other media,

**Awesome Shot**

So if you are wondering why I am familiar with Mt St Helens and it's story, other than the trip I profiled in my previous message, I found this photo online and it adds some to my story.  My Dad was an executive for John Deere Farm Equipment (Deere & Company) in the Portland, Oregon, office. At the time of my trip in 1982 I also worked for Deere & Company out of their Kansas City, Missouri, office.  I had visited my parents in Portland about once a year from when they arrived there in 1972, and loved the views from Portland of Mt. Hood in Oregon and Mt. St. Helens in Washington.  Both clear and viewable on a clear day from Portland in their snow capped majesty.  My wife and I also loved the views of both mountains as our commercial flights flew into Portland along the Columbia River Gorge.  It felt like you could reach out and touch them.  Mt Hood on the left, and St Helens farther off to the right. 

By the way, If you have not taken a low level GA flight along the Columbia River from Portland to the Tri-Cities area of Washington you have missed out.  In my early days as a member here at Avsim in the late 1990's I posted a topic titled "Pro Pilot, Look Again", because Sierra's Pro Pilot was the first sim to apply terrain mesh mapped coding accurate I believe to 30 feet of accuracy.  One of the flights that I profiled in that topic was just such a flight down in the Columbia River Gorge.  If I recall the other flight profiled was from Big Bear in California to KSNA, which was at the time spectacular for a sim as you broke from over the Sierra mountains  to see the San Bernidino floor below.  And by all means take a low level flight around the Cascade Mountains.  Great with Megascenery, but way great with Orbx.

About four years before the eruption, my Dad and Mother made a trip to Mt St Helens to stay at the lodge.  Helens Lodge, which overlooked Spirit Lake at the foot of the mountain's north slope.  The proprietor was one Harry Truman (not the former U.S. President).  My Dad gave Harry a John Deere cap, coveted by many, including Harry.  Word has it that Harry wore it often.

Harry refused to leave the beloved mountain as warnings of an eruption escalated.  As you may know, the eruption blew out the north wall of the mountain.  Harry's remains were never recovered, fittingly buried under the new shape of the mountain he so much loved.

Edited June 10, 20205 yr by fppilot

Great story - I see you're a former USAF AWS guy - me too, went through Chanute in '57.

Edited June 10, 20205 yr by olderndirt

Nice pic....twas before my time but only slightly.

The year was 1985, early June I think. I registered for a guided climb up Mt Rainier and was successful, although I was toast upon our return to base lodge two days later. After resting up, I drove down to the MSH overlook site they had setup. The drive through the thousands upon thousands of laid over trees was head-shaking humbling. Happily I was alone and therefore no conversations to disrupt the holy silence. The force required to create that other-worldly scene simply was unfathomable. Of course there was life already happening amid the destruction: tiny trees growing and an abundance of plant life had erupted...but that view, looking into the gaping hole that had been a side of Mt St Helen was unforgettable. I think that day I spent around St. Helens might have impacted me more than summitting Mt Rainier!

Greg G

 

2 hours ago, olderndirt said:

Great story - I see you're a former USAF AWS guy - me too, went through Chanute in '57.

1970 for me.  Sad.  10 years ago on our retirement relocation trip from California to Maryland, my wife and I visited all the places we had lived in between.  So we stopped in Rantoul and visited the now-closed base.  There is a museum there commemorating Chanute and the training that occurred there.  Aircraft mechanics, aviation, etc.  There was no mention of the weather service.  I was word not allowed.