Hard Times in Washington: Mount St. Helens eruption
Photo courtesy of Washington State Archives Those who witnessed this once-beautiful mountain’s eruption on May 18, 1980, will never forget the incredible destruction and the ash cloud that seemed to rise endlessly into the sky. In the late 1990s, the Johnston Ridge Observatory and Visitor Center was opened to the public, offering a breathtaking view of St. Helens and its massive crater. If you want to visit Johnston Ridge before winter returns, do it soon. At the end of the…