Presented here of some photos of Mount St. Helens taken by Zeutenhorst family members from 1946–2009. A 1946 photo of Spirit Lake by Angie is followed by two photos from Bryan's first ascent of a dormant St. Helens in 1966. Fourteen years later on May 18, 1980, Mount St. Helens erupted and ash rained down on the family farm on Naches Heights as thunderstorms menaced the sky throughout the day. Photos taken later in the week by Dan and Angie show the snow-like appearance of the fallen dust and ash. Five months later, they accompanied Richard and Catherine along the Toutle River on the west side of the mountain to see the damage done by the massive flow of ash and debris. In September 2009, Catherine and Richard returned to St. Helens to find thousands of trees toppled by the eruption still much in evidence, along with a new dome ominously arising within the shattered crater.
1946-08-28 Angie's photo of Mt St Helens from Spirit Lake
1966-05-00 A 17-year old Bryan completes his first ascent of St. Helens. A year later, he would complete a second climb in 70 mile-an-hour winds with a group of fellow Cascadians.
1966-05-00 Mount St. Helens awaits early morning climbers.
1980-05-00 The fir tree along the driveway next to the house covered in St. Helens ash like a winter's snow.
1980-05-00 The family car shelters in the carport.
1980-05-00 Lynn's dog Snitz heads in from the little orchard with a good dusting of ash.
1980-05-00 The neighbor's dogs survey the driveway leading up the hill to the storage sheds
1980-05-00 Covered by a patina of ash, the Massey Furguson tractor awaits a driver.
1980-05-00 On the upper driveway to the main road, the ash appears darker when wettened by the sprinklers watering the apple trees.
1980-05-00 At the top of the hill, "Old Blue" is blanketed with ash.
19-980-05-00 The family pool awaits warmer days, covered by a black tarp anchored by pipe from the main line of the old sprinkter system. In the distance, dust hangs in the air.
1980-05-00 The magnolia tree behind the house frosted with ash.
1980-05-00 Plants on the back lawn weighed down by the ash.
1980-05-00 Ray returns from work as the dust from his pickup wafts across the neighbor's orchard.
1980-05-00 A torrent of ash falls from the roof of the carport as seen from the family room of the house.
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2009-09-08 Following a narrow temporary road, Richard and Catherine return to Mount St. Helens from the east side.
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2009-09-08 Once thickly forested hills slowly begin to revegetate.
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2009-09-08 The far side of Spirit Lake is jammed with trees felled by the eruption. Once forested hill sides remain largely barren of live trees.
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2009-09-08 Trees slowly begin to reforest the desolate hills as the shattered crater of Mount St. Helens looms in the distance.
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2009-09-08 A new dome slowly forms within Mount St. Helen's crater.
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2009-09-08 Some trees withstood the blast of the eruption but died from the searing heat.
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2009-09-09 A final view of Mount St. Helens and the vast debris field on its western flank.
2009-09-09 The Toutle River begins its flows to the Columbia River from the west side of St. Helens.
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