Here's a link to a video my Aunt did three years ago to commemorate the 30 year anniversary of the Mt. Saint Helen's eruption in 1980. Today marks the 33rd year since its eruption. I have hear this story many times in person, and its hard to imagine these events happening and what must have been going through the heads of those who were in charge of disseminating information on the eruption.

If you remember this, it would be neat to hear your thoughts and the events surrounding your life at this time. Especially those who lived in the area when this happened.



http://blip.tv/yakimaherald/mountain-of ... bject_map=

I don't live in the area and I wasn't up there at the time, but I do have a memory of that day.

BITD, any Sunday that I wasn't spending in the Sierra, I spent doing my 15 mile Blue Ridge Loop in Henry Coe State Park near San Jose. May 18, 1980 was no exception.

That particular day I had a new pocket watch that I was using to time myself on my hike. As usual I started from the headquarters and traveled down the Fish Trail to the Middle Ridge Trail. From the Middle Ridge Trail, I would take the trail that would eventually lead to the 'Shortcut' and Blue Ridge.

Just as I got to the north end of the Middle Ridge Trail and was about to leave the crest toward the Shortcut, I heard a very deep resonating booming/thudding sound coming from the north- seemingly from San Jose and the Bay Area. My very first thought was that a military plane- probably carrying ordinance- had crashed at Moffett Field. I looked at my new watch and noted the time- 9:30am- so I could brag to my friends that I'd heard the crash all the way from Coe when we saw it on the news.

I continued my hike and eventually reached Mount Sizor where, as usual, I stopped for a lunch break. As I ate I was thinking about Mount Saint Helens- about how it had been showing signs of an impending eruption for the last several months according to the news. I then remembered the noise I'd heard earlier from Middle Ridge and thought about how interesting it would be if I'd heard a massive eruption from there instead of a plane crash. (Remember that Krakatoa was audible from 2,000 miles away.) What if Saint Helens had had an event like prehistoric Mount Mazama and become another Crater Lake? I smiled and shrugged it off. I finished my hike and got home late in the afternoon.

Imagine my reaction that afternoon when I turned on the TV and saw images of flooding tree choked rivers and ash clouds. I paced up and down in my living room shouting at the TV, "What time?! What time was the eruption?!"

Finally, the talking head came on with a recap and stated the the eruption occurred at about 8:35 that morning. My heart sank. I knew that at 8:35, I was in a deep ravine and was enjoying the sounds of birds singing their springtime songs. Damn birds! Drat!

Then I thought of an important detail. How long would it take for sound to travel the distance from Mount Saint Helens to where I was on Middle Ridge? I got out my road atlas and took a measurement and did a rough calculation. The answer was about 60 minutes.

Wow! It fit!

But...

Subsequent reports stated that the eruption of Saint Helens was heard from as far north as Vancouver BC, but only a short distance to the south. It was apparently inaudible from even Portland and northern Oregon.

So... what do you all think?

Did I hear an eruption from 600 miles away (via reflections off the troposphere or something)? Or was I just a hippie who smoked way too much weed on my hiking trips? (Maybe both!)

Sorry about the length of this post, but that's what I remember about May 18th 1980.

Steve1215 wrote:
but around here you're required to show your math


-

Sorry. But not in the regular forums... I only show my math in OR.