Sunday, May 18, 2025, 8:32 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time: I’m in the Mount Saint Helens National Volcanic Monument, sitting on a boulder off to the side of Boundary Trail somewhere between Hummock Trail and Loowit Lookout. The view overlooks a hummock-filled valley with trees and plants that are younger than I am. The sound is quiet, except for the rapids from the Toutle River below and the Canada geese honking to announce their presence. The gray clouds hang low, enough to expose the green hills and the foot of the volcano. Mt. St. Helens sat silent and out of sight for the eruption anniversary today.
That’s a stark difference to 45 years ago on the exact day, day of the week, and time. On May 18, 1980, at 8:32 a.m. Pacific Time, the north face of the volcano collapsed, triggering the largest landslide, and a devastating lateral pyroclastic blast that would forever change the landscape and the mountain’s profile. The eruption would claim 57 lives.