Mt. St. Helens, Washington, USA

The Hoffstadt Creek Bridge is the gateway to the Mt. St. Helens National Volcanic Monument in Washington, USA. It is the longest and tallest of fourteen bridges on the Spirit Lake Memorial Highway (Hwy 504) at Mount St. Helens.

In May of 1980 Mt. St. Helens erupted with deadly force, taking many lives and destroying an enormous area. 42 years later the valley is slowly restoring itself to its former glory, an interesting process that can be witnessed in Mt. St. Helens National Volcanic Monument in Washington, USA.

Fourty-two years after the devastating eruption of Mt. St. Helens the thick layers of ash are eroding. The river is clearly creating a new path to follow. Mt. St. Helens National Volcanic Monument in Washington, USA is a truly interesting place to witness how nature recuperates after such an event.

Looking down from the Johnston Ridge in Mt. St. Helens National Volcanic Monument in Washington, USA. The valley below is clearly turning into a fertile area again after 42 years.

Mt. St. Helens National Volcanic Monument in Washington, USA is not just about the volcano. There are also some interesting lakes to be found like this one, aptly called Coldwater Lake. We spent quite some time wading through the ice cold water.

Getting a good view on Mt. St. Helens in the Mt. St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, Washington, USA seemed like an impossible task. The volcano is constantly surrounded by clouds and seldom shows itself. However, on our drive away from it we finally got a somewhat decent look on it. The ice on the slopes is clearly visible.