Johnston Ridge Trail and Mt. St. Helens

The Fourth of July I attempt to visit Mt. St. Helens every year to celebrate the return of vegetation and wildlife that is now abundant on every trip along this beautiful trail as you peer into the heart of the beast. In 2004 I was lucky enough after visiting the overlook for three days above Carson, Washington to have captured the largest of the explosions on the morning of the third day. If it were not for me knocking on a couple's trailer that had just returned indoors I would have been the lone photographer to capture the power of the mountain as the ashfall covered the newspaper photographers near the mountain and towards Randle.