How's about some more from the UMinn Don Lawrence collection? Summer 1941. Truman's land at the outlet of Spirit Lake hasn't been cleared yet. Somewhere among those trees is his then-new lodge—built in 1939 after the previous structure burnt down two years earlier.

#MSH45 | 1920-40 I realized I jumped ahead in my timeline, so for the next day, we'll stick in the 20s and 30s. This film, from around 1939, depicts early ski mountaineering on Mount St. Helens. Ralph Eskenazi, Sigurd Hall, and John James ascend and ski down the mountain. #PNW #Volcano #Washington

"Go hike a volcano" is: 1. A nice variation on "get lost, jerk," AND 2. Sound recreational advice

If you know what you're looking at, these become three of the most insane, unbelievable photos you'll ever see. The luck that put three people in this spot, to capture the largest landslide in recorded history from this vantage point. Oh, and capturing the lateral blast's start, too, in the last.

It begins. You know a quake's bad when it's enough to shake off THAT much debris. The real action was happening out of frame, bottom right. That's where the bulge was, reaching the end of its tortured life. Dorothy Stoffel said it looked like "ripples" were running through its face as it failed.

Let's talk about those Stoffel photos tonight. First one: Literally seconds before the M5.1 quake that set everything in motion. This crater went through a lot of changes in ~50 days, but check out how deep Shoestring Glacier was in the middle left. 75% of it would disappear on May 18.

#MSH45 | Aug. 22, 1965 Harry Truman’s Mount St. Helens Lodge resort at Spirit Lake. The 60s restaurant stands to the left, while visitors gather on a dock at the lake's outlet. “Those boats are our meat and potatoes,” Truman liked to say, and on Sundays, he’d take in about $1,500 just on the boats.

#MSH45 | May 28, 1980 Nine days after the eruption, NBC News’s Robert Bazell reported that scientists had expected warning signs — but none came. USGS geologist Tim Hait admits: “Nobody, nobody had in any way predicted that the blast would have the character that it did.”

#MSH45 | May 28, 1980 Nine days after the eruption, NBC News’s Robert Bazell reported that scientists had expected warning signs — but none came. USGS geologist Tim Hait admits: “Nobody, nobody had in any way predicted that the blast would have the character that it did.”

#MSH45 | May 18, 1980 — 8:32 a.m. Geologists Dorothy and Keith Stoffel, with pilot Bruce Judson, make a final pass over Mount St. Helens. A M5.1 quake strikes. Ice and rock collapse into the crater. Below them, the north face heaves—then gives way. The largest landslide in recorded history begins.

It was all good that morning when my dad and I did our morning hunt Finished early to get home, cows needed fed. Met about 200 WSP near toutle bridge. Asked them what was going on? Turn around, they said. Holy. Shit. Didn’t hear or see anything west slope that close until out from the trees.

After having a great geo call with @earthjay.bsky.social yesterday, I am inspired to give this platform a go again! So here is my latest writing. Over the last few years I have been doing the classic newspaper column writing scicomm style. www.teawamutunews.nz/2025/09/pani...

#MSH45 | May 18, 1980 — 8:32 a.m. Geologists Dorothy and Keith Stoffel, with pilot Bruce Judson, make a final pass over Mount St. Helens. A M5.1 quake strikes. Ice and rock collapse into the crater. Below them, the north face heaves—then gives way. The largest landslide in recorded history begins.

Of this you can be sure: if I send out a newsletter saying Kīlauea is likely to erupt soon, it does. www.youtube.com/watch?v=fiyt...

Work and life have been busy the last few days. Thinking tomorrow for the next installment of the Stoffels' story. For now, enjoy this great chat between Nick Zentner and USGS legend and icon Don Swanson about his study of the Cascades from the 60s through the 80s. www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Gyh...

Mount St. Helens was not getting attention for 5 minutes so she had to go dig up 45 year old dirt on everyone

Mount St. Helens as seen by Sentinel-2 on Sept. 16, 2025. 45 years old volcanic ash was kicked up by wind. h/t @wisc-satellite.bsky.social @wed-explorer.bsky.social @sangasso.bsky.social 😊👍

Work and life have been busy the last few days. Thinking tomorrow for the next installment of the Stoffels' story. For now, enjoy this great chat between Nick Zentner and USGS legend and icon Don Swanson about his study of the Cascades from the 60s through the 80s. www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Gyh...

Modern spectrograms are awesome but there is just something so cool about older ones like this.... Liu (1985) the signal from the May 18, 1980 eruption of Mt St Helens in China!

Strong E-SE winds in the vicinity of #MountStHelens were resuspending loose surface volcanic ash that remained from the 1980 eruptions, and transporting it to the W-NW -- as seen in NOAA #GOES18/#GOESWest True Color RGB images: geosphere.ssec.wisc.edu#playing:true...; #WAwx

No, Mount St. Helens is not erupting. After a long, hot, and dry summer, strong southeast winds are stirring up loose ash from the 1980 eruption! Here's the view from a DNR Pano cam. Not something you see every day... #wawx

#SIGMET VASH: Mt St Helens FL000-070. Ash resuspended by strong winds, within 15nm of summit. Moving WNW 20kt. Valid til 23Z. Be careful when flying between Seattle and Portland today!

Salem Towne, a pilot from Poulsbo in Washington State, finally released photos he took of the Mt. St. Helens eruption in 1980. He heard of the explosion while flying in Olympia, and went to check it out. He flew his Cessna 150 into an opening between volcanic ash bands to snap the photos.

Loowit, if the vacuum’s broken, maybe don’t keep running it.

USGS has issued a statement noting that Mount St. Helens has strong easterly–southeasterly winds in the vicinity of Mount St. Helens, which have picked up loose volcanic ash deposited during the 1980 eruptions. You can view the live web cam here: www.usgs.gov/media/webcam...

#MSH45 | Aug. 22, 1965 Harry Truman’s Mount St. Helens Lodge resort at Spirit Lake. The 60s restaurant stands to the left, while visitors gather on a dock at the lake's outlet. “Those boats are our meat and potatoes,” Truman liked to say, and on Sundays, he’d take in about $1,500 just on the boats.

Our beloved mountain is fine. Just stirred up ash deposits. Happy Tuesday.

How about another photo? Let’s revisit one of the earliest photos of Mount St. Helens and Spirit Lake, taken in 1903. See the tree trunks standing in the water? Centuries earlier, eruptions in the 1500s dammed the lake’s outlet, raising its level and drowning a forest along its shore.

How about another photo? Let’s revisit one of the earliest photos of Mount St. Helens and Spirit Lake, taken in 1903. See the tree trunks standing in the water? Centuries earlier, eruptions in the 1500s dammed the lake’s outlet, raising its level and drowning a forest along its shore.

Forty-five years ago (+ a few weeks), this is what that same area looked like after the eruption.

I’ve always thought of Johnston as an old guy (because he hit my radar when I was about half his age and everyone seems old), but he was _30_. The first time I went to MSH, I was 31.

Speaking of "oh wow" moments, there was also finding these color slides from the late 1930s and early 1940s housed in the University of Minnesota's online collection. Botany professor Don Lawrence studied Mount St. Helens's vegetation and geological features extensively before 1980.

Spent some time over the weekend exploring the digital archives of a few PNW institutions and came across a photo I'd never seen before of USGS volcanologist Dave Johnston at Timberline on March 27, 1980. One of those moments where I said "oh wow" out loud.

#MSH45 | The Stoffels I Sunday, May 18, 1980. Keith Stoffel gives his wife, Dorothy, an early birthday gift—a short flight from Yakima to Mount St. Helens. Both geologists have their chance to see the peak firsthand. They find the mountain quiet. Dorothy snaps her camera; Keith takes in the scene.

Forty-five years ago (+ a few weeks), this is what that same area looked like after the eruption.

Shared on behalf of the USGS: YVO Yellowstone Caldera Chronicles for September 15, 2025 #volcano #earthscience #geology #science "How to Take a Volcano’s Temperature" www.usgs.gov/observatorie...

Spent some time over the weekend exploring the digital archives of a few PNW institutions and came across a photo I'd never seen before of USGS volcanologist Dave Johnston at Timberline on March 27, 1980. One of those moments where I said "oh wow" out loud.

#MSH45 | The Stoffels I Sunday, May 18, 1980. Keith Stoffel gives his wife, Dorothy, an early birthday gift—a short flight from Yakima to Mount St. Helens. Both geologists have their chance to see the peak firsthand. They find the mountain quiet. Dorothy snaps her camera; Keith takes in the scene.

Yes please.

The north side in happier times. Before, you know, "the problem."

...but first, how's about another preview photo. All the photos you'll see from Keith and Dorothy Stoffel were taken between 7:50 and 8:33 a.m., so these are the last photos ever taken of some of these places. Case in point—lower left-hand corner. The timberline lot is not long for this world.

#MSH45 | May 18, 1980 High above Mount St. Helens, a Cessna 182 carries two geologists on an early birthday trip. The north face glistens as if the mountain were sweating. Spirit Lake is still. It'd all disappear in minutes. Tomorrow, we’ll meet Keith and Dorothy Stoffel and pilot Bruce Judson.

#MSH45 | May 18, 1980 High above Mount St. Helens, a Cessna 182 carries two geologists on an early birthday trip. The north face glistens as if the mountain were sweating. Spirit Lake is still. It'd all disappear in minutes. Tomorrow, we’ll meet Keith and Dorothy Stoffel and pilot Bruce Judson.

#MSH45 | Sept. 1980 The Army Corps of Engineers races against time on the Toutle and Cowlitz Rivers. In five months, they try to move what would normally take ten years—dredging volcanic debris before the winter rains set in, threatening downstream residents yet again.

Tree farmer Jim Rutherford’s fields, buried in mud and ash downstream of Mount St. Helens, became a testbed for the Soil Conservation Service that summer. Could grass seed grow in volcanic deposits? The early signs said yes. Before long, helicopters were scattering seed across the debris avalanche.

#MSH45 | Sept. 12, 1980 After Mount St. Helens erupted, Washington’s migrant and seasonal farm workers bore the brunt of the ash. $25.9 million in lost wages and costs. 25,000 workers affected. Illness, lost jobs, rising bills. A 1980 survey warned: protect workers or agribusiness will suffer.

So, my 38th birthday was on Wednesday (it's a boring birthday year, so stifle yourselves). If I look back at the last year and everything that took place, man, I'm so proud of this project. Nearly 50K followers across my platforms. So many meaningful conversations had, connections made. On y va!

#MSH45 | Sept. 1980 The Army Corps of Engineers races against time on the Toutle and Cowlitz Rivers. In five months, they try to move what would normally take ten years—dredging volcanic debris before the winter rains set in, threatening downstream residents yet again.

BREAKING: I understand from our sources that Mount St. Helens is not, repeat, NOT, erupting right now.

Nah.