Since we didn’t know when the next "volcanic event" might occur, the helicopter rotor was kept spinning. The pilot remained at the controls monitoring the emergency frequency on the radio, and our group never moved out of earshot. In every direction the land was gray. The collapsed mountain and barren landscape were covered with pumice and ash.

In subsequent years, I have photographed along the few U.S. Forest Service roads open to the public and flown over the area by helicopter several times. Immediately after the blast, most predictions were that it would be years, if ever, before life returned. Yet on my early return visits, I was amazed to see both pockets of vegetation and even some elk in the impact zones. In the years since, I have returned in all seasons and weather conditions. I am always impressed by the contrasting patterns of recovery. Many areas continue to rapidly fill in with plants and animals, yet other areas seem immune to recovery, looking almost as they did on that first post-eruption trip.

At about Milepost 21 is a short side road to the interesting Sediment Retention Structure. It was built to capture and hold back the enormous volume of volcanic deposits carried by the river. There is both a viewpoint and a short trail onto the dam itself.

Route 504 beyond the sediment dam is the replacement road built in the hills above its buried predecessor in the valley. From the Sediment Retention Structure to the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument’s western boundary at Elk Rock Viewpoint, there are many places to photograph the still-scoured Toutle River valley. It suffered the effects of an 80-billion-cubic-foot debris avalanche that was unleashed when the north face of the mountain collapsed, sending a huge landslide traveling 15 miles down the river. Here the hillsides above the valley are covered with large, attractive forest tracts on lands reclaimed and replanted shortly after the eruption.

From Elk Rock eastward to Coldwater Ridge Visitor Center, the volcanic monument lies immediately south of the road. No replanting has occurred inside the monument, and trees lie as they fell when blown over by the enormously powerful lateral explosion of gas and rock that shot out of the volcano through the opening created by the landslide. These trees form delightful, almost abstract curved patterns on the ground.

Also, this is the area to spot elk herds roaming within the monument. While all large mammals in the vicinity were killed by the eruption, elk were seen back on the debris avalanche within weeks.

From the Coldwater Ridge Visitor Center, the road heads south toward Johnston Ridge. Signs of vegetation diminish as you approach the inner blast zone. At road’s end is an unearthly and eroded pumice plain between the ridge and the volcano. You can use your telephoto lens to peer directly into the 1-mile-wide crater and its almost 1,000-foot-tall lava dome.

Driving along FS 99 through typical Cascade forests, you turn a corner and suddenly find yourself in the blast zone.

As the road winds towards the mountain, it provides many chances to photograph standing dead trees on the edge of destruction and the large zone of blown-down trees. Here you also find abundant signs of re-established plants of many species. There are now splashes of color to photograph that were absent in the dense, pre-eruption forests that covered this area.

Spirit Lake is a predominant feature along FS 99. It can be photographed from several overlooks, and its covering of floating logs makes for fascinating compositions. Trees were pulled into the lake off the surrounding hills by a huge wave triggered by the eruption landslide.

At the end of the road are Smith Creek Picnic Area and Windy Ridge Viewpoint, both excellent for close-in images of the volcano, especially in early morning light. At Windy Ridge, you are just 4 miles from the crater.

But don’t sell this side of the mountain short. You can photograph dramatic evidence of older eruptions. Try your luck at both the lava tube at Ape Cave and the lava casts at Trail of Two Forests. Then explore the south side’s roads and trails for other images of ancient volcanic activity. Also, take a dawn drive up the spur road to Climbers Bivouac to find adventurers there readying themselves for a summit attempt.

After photographing the many different possibilities at the Muddy River lahar, carry your gear along the upper portion of the nearby Lava Canyon Trail for unusual images of a narrow gorge formed by water action on large volcanic rocks.

The U.S. Geological Survey’s Cascades Volcano Observatory website (vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Volcanoes/MSH/) focuses on the science of the volcano. It offers seismic and hydrologic data and a photo archive from the 1980 eruption.