I too saw the mtn. up close & personal by plane that day.
Anne & I were sleeping in that Sunday morning, when the warning went off on my little NOAA weather radio, around 1100, well after the 0830 eruption. I'd never even *heard* the siren before, so it seriously grabbed my attention by the short & curlies. I listened to the follow-up announcement and promptly called my dad, who then had a Cessna (182 Skylane) at Tacoma Industrial. He, my mom, Anne & I immediately headed for a rendezvous at the plane. I remember craning my neck to look that direction as we crossed the bridge, and I could see that glowering black mass to the south. We met up at the plane, took off and headed south.
We more or less followed I-5 south. The prevailing winds were pushing the mass of ash eastward, so we didn't have to deal with any airborne ash.
As we neared the mountain the overall impression was massive energy, on an immense, incomprehensible scale. The eruption formed a huge wall of black, churning, fast-rising ash that went straight up to disappear into a flattened layer of lighter dust, thousands of feet above us. From the mountain it extended to the ENE as far as I could see -- just this immense, sky-high, dynamic black wall. Above the mountain it was almost constantly flicked with lightning. Although we never got closer than about 35 mi., I remember my only real safety concern as we approached that closest point was, "My God if it explodes it'll rip the wings off the plane." It was simply the most awe-inspiring demonstration of sheer power I've ever seen.
We watched trees coming down the Toutle, ramming into the I-5 bridge.
(P.S. -- I just now figured the "35 mi." with the Google Earth ruler from about the summit to our closest point, which was about where I-5 crosses the Toutle. Until now I thought we were about 20 mi. from the mtn., it looked so close.)
-------------------- Mike
The spiral light of Venus,
Rising first and shining best . . .
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Re: Pacific NW Mt St Helens EternaThread Pt 3
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