Mount St. Helens Comes Alive -- With Plants

Inspiring article. It shows in no uncertain terms that life will find a way.

The eruption itself was widely televised and it was both fascinating and shocking to see the event unfold in real time.

It is rather awe inspiring. I recall going to Mt. St. Helens with my wife in the latter half of the eighties and it was pretty bleak, but plant and animal life seemed "determined" to return. We returned as a family in the summer of 2004 and it was quite amazing the change over 16 years.

Similarly, on that same trip in 2004 we visited Yellowstone, and noted the recovery after the particularly savage fires of 1988.

Mother Nature wastes little time in reclaiming what was 'hers' whether it was a man-made or natural 'disaster'.

I have climbed Mt St Helens both before and about five years after the eruption. Even then the return of life was remarkable, and all the more so in these new pictures.

I'm sure there must be a worse way of showing the re-colonization of plants, but I can't think of it.
That flashing image is pathetic. Two stills of the relevant area whould be far more informative.
I think anyone who has neglected their garden for a few months will know that plants grow.
Del

A few months, pffff. A week or so and the bully weeds merrily overrun all my wimpy little veggies.

I have the same problem, only i'm sure it's days, not weeks. I swear that two or three weeds are popping up as I'm pulling one out.

I recall hearing about the event when I was a senior in High School. Years later (1997 to be exact) I attended a conference in Seattle after which I drove down to Portland to visit my an old college roommate. As I approached the area of Mount St Helen's, I decided to make a side trip and divert to check out the area. I was surprised how easy it was still was to see the devastation and impact from 17 years ago....I was also surprised as to the extent of growth in some areas and lack of it in others.

I plan to take my family should we find ourselves in that general area of the country.