Release Mount
 |
US $255.00
Looking Back at the Eruption of Mount St. Helens
There was a certain uneasiness in the Northwest air back in May 1980 - a date that would go down in the history books and bring international attention to the Pacific Northwest for all the wrong reasons. The eruption of Mount St. Helens on May 18 is like those where-were-you-when-Kennedy-was-shot kind of moments - most people living in the Northwest back then can probably tell you precisely where they were and what they were doing.
We're no exception. Now, 30 years later, our recollections are just as vivid as they were immediately following the event. One reason is that the actual eruption was just part of the story and was followed by weeks of breathless reporting by a national news media obsessed with how this life-changing event had impacted the Pacific Northwest and its population.
News reports leading up to the eruption had everyone a little on edge with scientists strongly hinting that all the signs were there - it was quite possible, even likely that Washington's long dormant volcano, Mount St. Helens, would erupt soon. Anyone paying the slightest attention to the news had to realize that there was potential danger lurking just on the horizon. For several weeks leading up the eruption, the mountain had been releasing plumes of smoke and gasses and, on April 1, the first harmonic tremor was recorded. The countdown to the major eruption was intensifying.
Yet vacationers and weekenders still took camping trips into the general vicinity of the mountain and there developed almost a circus atmosphere where certain vantage points many miles from the mountain were over-run by hundreds of volcano-watchers, hoping to catch a glimpse of the mountain's impending eruption. The plumes seen thus far seemed relatively harmless, floating off into the sky and, for most people, it was difficult to imagine the destruction that would soon come to Southwest Washington.
One example you may remember is Harry Truman, the old man on the mountain who refused to evacuate his Mount St. Helens Lodge, located at just about Ground Zero for any potential cataclysmic activity.
He seemed to ignore the warnings of local officials and his refusal to leave the mountain became a running narrative on local TV and in Seattle newspapers. The Longview Daily News quoted Harry as saying: "I think the whole damn thing is over-exaggerated...Spirit Lake and Mount St. Helens are my life...You couldn't pull me out with a mule team."
Our travels that weekend took us north of Seattle where we were enjoying the use of a rented motor home touring beautiful Whidbey Island with friends. We enjoyed an overnight at South Whidbey State Park -- a family weekend of beachcombing and barbecues that began on a gorgeous blue-sky Saturday. We retired for the evening not knowing we were just hours away from experiencing one of the most notable natural disasters in the history of the Pacific Northwest.
We awakened early to a bright, calm day and were just cooking up breakfast in our motor home when, at 8:32 a.m., we heard a bomb go off - or so we thought. If you plotted our location on a map and measured the distance to the volcano, it would be about 100 miles. Yet the sound we heard sounded and felt to me as if the military had just dropped a 500-pound bomb on a nearby hill. A friend who was with us had just stepped outside the camper to take his daughter to see some nearby cows when he remembers he heard "the sound of rolling thunder, or a sonic boom, came up from the south. It was eerie. I thought maybe World War III had started."
It took just a few seconds for us to put two and two together: With all the talk about how the St. Helens eruption was imminent, that's really the only thing it could be. Yet no one had prepared us for this blast that we had experienced. Somehow we didn't have it pictured in our minds that the eruption, when it came, would make this kind of sound. And since we were so far from the volcano, we still couldn't quite believe that we were hearing an eruption that was 100 miles away.
It was a gorgeous Sunday and we were reluctant to leave the island but we were all due back at work on Monday. As we packed up and headed south to our home south of Seattle, the radio airwaves were crackling with live news reports as reporters rushed to the scene by car and by helicopter and frantically called in their on-the-scene descriptions of the devastation. Once we got home, we were seeing TV reports of news people caught in ash clouds, unable to see or navigate. Almost everyone, it seemed, has been surprised at just how destructive this eruption had been.
In all, 57 people died because of the eruption that day, including Harry Truman. The volcano's magma had burst forth creating a large pyroclastic flow that flattened buildings and vegetation over a total area of more than 230 square miles. Volcanic mudflows stretched many miles down the Toutle and Cowlitz rivers destroying bridges and lumber camps. The famous video of houses floating down the muddy rivers is just as clear in my mind today as it was on the TV back then.
During the eruption, a huge ash column grew to a height of 12 miles above the expanding crater in less than 10 minutes. Altogether, ash spewed into the atmosphere for 10 straight hours and reached cities like Yakima and Spokane where several inches piled up like so much dirty snow on homes, cars, streets - everything. The sun was obscured by the ash, plunging cities in to darkness within minutes of the eruption.
Since we were to the northwest of the eruption, our three-hour trip home that Sunday was relative uneventful - until we too experienced some of the ash falling in Southeast King County, albeit to a lesser degree than cities in Eastern Washington. Since we were reporting for a Seattle-area newspaper, the eruption of Mount St. Helens turned out to be much more than a one-day event. Our entire newsroom sprang into action that Sunday night and, for several weeks after, focused one of the biggest stories in Pacific Northwest history. We had witnessed an event that few people get to experience in their lifetime, and now it was up to our news staff to record every impact, every reaction, and every story that had an angle related to Mount St. Helens.
May 18, 1980 was not exactly a "slow news day" for residents of the Pacific Northwest -- it was a day no one living there at the time will ever forget.
About the Author
Cary Ordway is a syndicated travel writer and president of Getaway Media Corp, which publishes websites focused on regional getaway travel. Among the sites currently offered by GMC are http://www.californiaweekend.com , a popular
California travel guide
, and http://www.northwesttraveladvisor.com , covering
northwest travel deals
and other travel destinations in the Pacific Northwest.
|
|
Kensington / QUICK RELEASE CAR MOUNT / K39256US $37.5 Kensington - QUICK RELEASE CAR MOUNT - K39256US |
|
|
Gon Bops Tambourine with Quick-Release Mount Red $35 Gon Bops Tambourine with Quick-Release Mount Red |
|
|
Gon Bops Tambourine With Quick-Release Mount Red $35 Gon Bops Tambourine with Quick-Release Mount Red |
|
|
Garmin Quick Release Bike Mount Kit 0101088900 $21.92 Garmin Quick Release Bike Mount Kit 0101088900 |
|
|
Quick Release Mount/Extension $18.95 Moose Racing Quick Release Mount/Extension Mount uses receiver style system to attach many Moose accessories to your ATV Utilizes more of your ATV's rack space Constructed of 7-gauge steel 1" square tubing used for receiver plugs Extension also available separately to keep items away from the back of your ATV (see multi view) **Note: Not for composite racks |
|
|
Garmin 0101167600 Quick Release Mount $29.95 "Garmin Quick Release Mount w/ Tilt Swivel (010-11676-00) Brand New Includes One Year Warranty, Product # 0101167600 The Garmin 010-11676-00 is the quick release mount. This replacement mount features tilt/swivel capabilities for optimum viewing. The 010-11676-00 quick cable disconnect feature allows user to plug necessary cords directly into the mount allowing to seat / unseat your device with ease. 010-11676-00 Features: Quick Release Mount, Tilt & Swivel Capabilities, 360° Rotating Head, Quick Cable Disconnect, For Garmin GPS Models: Echo: 100, 150, 200, 300, 500, 550" |
|
|
Garmin Quick Release Bike Mount Kit $19.99 010-10889-00 Garmin Global Positioning Systems: Forerunner 205 Forerunner 305 Garmin Garmin, Ltd Quick Release Bike Mount Kit Vehicle Mount www.garmin.com |
|
|
Twinpoint QRSC3 Stainless Steel Quick Release Mount $33.21 Stainless Steel Quick Release Mount. Manufactured to the highest quality available. Satisfaction ensured. Durable and made to last. |
|
|
Release $13.99 Release |
|
|
Quick Release Chainsaw Holder $78.95 Moose Racing Quick Release Chainsaw Holder Designed to hold any type of chainsaw Chainsaw not included Only mounts with a Moose Quick Release Mount |
|
|
ACCO Brands QUICK RELEASE CAR MOUNT ACCSFOR IPHONE ITOUCH K39256US $30.34 ACCO Brands QUICK RELEASE CAR MOUNT ACCSFOR IPHONE ITOUCH K39256US |
|
|
ATN ACDNPSXXQRM1 Quick Release Mount $154.7 The PS22 mounts in front of a Daytime Scope to provide it with Nighttime operation. No shift of impact no need to rezero or change in eye relief occurs. The PS22 Night Vision Front Sight mounts directly in front of your Daytime Scope quickly and securely without tools making it Night Vision operational. The PS22 has a catadioptic front lens system which combines specifically shaped mirrors and lenses allowing for very fast focal ratios and for a smaller and more lightweight lens. The glass optics is multicoated for better optical view and protection from the elements. Quick Release Mount for PS22 frontal night vision attachment. Just turn the levers to unlock and remove your PS22. Ideal for a quick scope change when the conditions call for it. Used for PS22. |
|
|
T-Max Quick Release Winch Mount 47-3100 $111.25 T-Max Winch Accessories in stock now! Read T-Max Quick Release Winch Mount 47-3100 customer reviews. AutoAccessoriesGarage.com has the best selection of T-Max Winches at the lowest prices around. T-Max Quick Release Winch Mount 47-3100 are chosen by auto enthusiasts everywhere to personalize their vehicles. T-Max Winch Mounts available now at AutoAccessoriesGarage. |
|
|
Garmin 010-10889-01 Quick release bike mount (replacement) $29.95 "Garmin Bike Mount (010-10889-01) Brand New Includes One Year Warranty, The Garmin 010-10889-01 snaps your Forerunner® 305 securely into this handlebar mount, which fits up to a one-inch diameter bar. 010-10889-01 Features: Quick Release Bike Mount (Replacement), Works w/ Forerunner 205 / 305, 4 Cable Ties, For Garmin GPS Models: Forerunner: 205, 305" |
|
|
Garmin Quick Release Mount with Tilt/Swivel for echo 100, 150, 300c $15.89 Quick Release MountCompatible with echo 100, 150 and 300c, this replacement mount features quick release capabilities and tilt/swivel for optimum viewing. |
|
|
Kensington K39256US Quick Release Car Mount Iphone $42.45 Give your iPhone or iPod touch a secure place to ride even when in a case. The kensington quick release car mount s flexible arms provide a reliable hold on your iPhone or iPod touch on even the roughest terrain. Includes both windshield and vent mountsuse whichever works best for your vehicle. Placement: vehicle mount. Color: Black. Compatibility: Apple iPhone 4 iPhone 3GS iPhone 3G iPhone iPod touch. |
|
|
Ram Mount / RAM Mount 1.5" Diameter Ball for Tallon Quick Release Base / RAM-376-TAL2 $32.15 Ram Mount - RAM Mount 1.5" Diameter Ball for Tallon Quick Release Base - RAM-376-TAL2 |
|
|
Quick Release 5-Gal. Bucket Holder $54.95 Moose Racing Quick Release 5-Gal. Bucket Holder Holds any 5-gallon bucket with a 12" diameter top Great for ice anglers Bucket not included Only mounts with Moose Quick Release Mount |
|
|
Garmin Quick Release Mount with Tilt/Swivel for echo 200, 500c, 550c $20.99 Quick Release MountCompatible with echo 200, 500c and 550c, this replacement mount features tilt/swivel capabilities for optimum viewing. With the mount's quick cable disconnect feature, you can plug the necessary cords directly into the mount, allowing you to seat/unseat your device with ease. |
|
|
Garmin 010-10889-00 Quick Release Kit $29.95 "Garmin Quick Release Kit (010-10889-00) Brand New Includes One Year Warranty, The Garmin 010-10889-00 quick release kit can be used with your Forerunner® for mult-sport training. With this kit you can transfer the system from your wrist to your bike in seconds. It includes a wrist strap w/ quick release bracket and a bike mount. 010-10889-00 Features: Quick Release Kit, Elastic Wrist Strap w/ Release Bracket, Bike Mount, Mounting screw Driver, Four Cable Ties, For Garmin GPS Models: Forerunner: 205, 305" |
|
|
Quick Release Car Mount - Cellular phone/digital player car holder $22.99 Kensington Quick Release Car Mount - Cellular phone/digital player car holder - for Apple iPhone 3G 3GS 4 iPod touch (1G 2G 3G) |
|
|
Garmin 0101121500 Quick Release Kit $29.95 "Garmin Quick Release Kit (010-11215-00) Brand New Includes One Year Warranty, The Garmin 010-11215-00 is a quick release kit for mult-sport training go from wrist to bike in seconds.. 010-11215-00 Features: Quick Release Kit, Vinyl Wrist Band, Low-Profile Bike Mount, Perfect to Mount Garmin Forerunner, For Garmin GPS Models: Forerunner: 310XT" |
|
|
Cotytech Monitor Wall Spring Arm Mount Quick Release/ Mount $176.68 Easy installation and functional design make this wall mount spring arm from Cotytech ideal for holding your monitor just where you want it to be. This LCD wall mount is perfect for the classroom, the office or the home.Maximum adjustment rendered by tilting, swiveling, pivoting and dynamic height adjustment Swift and easy movements and adjustments Solid aluminum die-cast constructionSpace saving with its compact design Clean look with minimal hardware visible from underside of work surface Quick mount and quick release designs at 2 connecting points: spring arm and monitor endWall mount type Neat and efficient cable managementMaximum productivity and supreme ergonomic comfortEasy installation and removalColor: Metallic silverHeight adjustment: 10.63 inchesWeight capacity: 19.8 poundsTilt: 105 degreesRotation: 345 degreesSwivel: Max 180 degreesMaximum extension: 15.75 inches |
|
|
Quick Release Gun Case Holder $102.95 Moose Racing Quick Release Gun Case Holder Holds a soft or hard gun case Adjustable to fit any case Case not included Works only with Moose Quick Release Mount Click Here for Additional Luggage Information **Closeouts are limited to stock on hand** |
|
|
Garmin 0101167700 Garmin Quick Release Mount w/Tilt/Swivel f/echo 100, $29.95 "Garmin Quick Release Mount (010-11677-00) Brand New Includes One Year Warranty, Product # 0101167700 The Garmin 010-11677-00 is a Quick Release Mount for echo 100, 150 & 300C Fishfinders. This replacement mount features quick release capabilities and tilt/swivel for optimum viewing. 010-11677-00 Features: Quick Release Mount, Mount Echo On Windshield Or Window, Snaps Echo In Its Place, Mount Allows Easy Adjustments, For Garmin GPS Models: Echo: 100, 150, 300c" |
|
|
Cotytech Dual Apple Monitor Desk Mount Quick Release $426.15 The Cotytech Dual Apple Monitor Desk Mount Quick Release is a stylish desk mount that is perfect for your Apple LCD monitor. With a 360° swivel function and a weight capacity of 44 pounds, this desk mount is ideal for offices and classrooms.Perfect accessory for the busy individualFits neatly into any home office space105° tilt action and a 10.6 vertical height adjustmentRobust cable managementModel: DM-DCA20 |
