As a relatively new, uh, Kodakian? ...Kodakee? ...Kodaker? ...well, I'm told it's the latter. So as a new Kodaker, I did not have much of an opportunity to take a long-distance vacation during my first few months here. So I was excited to take an extra day off and fly to Oregon for a long Labor Day Weekend.

What a beautiful clear moon on a crisp Oregon night

Before I get into that, I'll give a very brief introduction since this is my first "true" blog for Kodak unless you count the pictures I had featured in July. I joined Kodak after graduating from Western Michigan University in April - Go Broncos! Outside of work, I love to travel and am a bit obsessed with aviation. In fact, I am starting flight training for my private pilot certificate soon, so expect related blog entries, possibly even a series,  in the future. I love taking pictures (convenient that I got hired by Kodak, huh?) and I will definitely share many with you in this and future blogs. I'm using a Canon Powershot right now, in case you're interested. Last but not least, I am new to this whole blogging thing so please send me any and every question, comment, and concern!

Hoffstadt Creek Bridge on the Spirit Lake Memorial Highway

Why Oregon, you may ask? For starters, I have family near Portland and you certainly can't beat the convenience of a free place to stay while visiting relatives you don't get to see regularly. After a week out there this past March I could not wait to go back and see more. If you have never made it to the Pacific Northwest I highly recommend that you do so at least once. Even without the relatives it would be a hard vacation to pass up because the scenery is absolutely beautiful. Plus, we don't have too many oceans here in Ohio.

 

Peter Iredale shipwreck at Ft. Stevens State Park

The real reason I wanted to write about the trip was that I had the opportunity to spend an entire day at Mt. St. Helens and it was remarkable. I admit I have probably seen an unhealthy number of TV shows about the 1981 eruption but an actual visit is an entirely different, humbling experience.

You can see Mt. St. Helens from south of Portland. In fact, drive a few hundred feet up to the top of a small ridge and you can see Mt. Hood, Mt. Rainier, and Mt. St. Helens and they do not look all that far away. And then you get in a car and drive to Mt. St. Helens - and drive, and drive - and it takes a solid 2 1/2 hours to get to Johnston Ridge Observatory that is 5 miles from the base of the volcano. Yet it always seems as if the mountain is right in front of you from the car. Just remember that if you ever make the trek.

 

St. Helens from just west of the Johnston Ridge Observatory

Journey to the mountain aside, the most spectacular thing is when you realize that you are standing in a blast zone where everything was essentially obliterated just over 25 years ago. And then you look around some more and it makes you appreciate nature in a way that's somewhat hard to describe. Yes, you see trees - giant, massive trees - twisted around and snapped into pieces like toothpicks. Or the old riverbed that is now hundreds of feet higher because of the flows from that blast. It is certainly a sight to behold and leaves you in a kind of awe at the fact that it was caused by rock, steam, and ash blasting out of the mountain in front of you at over 600 mph. But for every one of those aspects, you look around again and see rebirth in the flowers and trees and animals. There was a herd of at least 40 elk on that riverbed, new pine trees on those hills, and countless birds and insects flying around. I can't say that I have ever seen anything more impressive in nature and encourage you to make a visit to Mt. St. Helens if you ever have the opportunity. You won't regret it.

 

Trees in the blast zone

 

Toutle River Valley, filled in by the debris flow

 

Flowers growing in the blast zone

 

Flowers growing in the blast zone

Finally, if you share my interest (or don't!) in traveling and aviation you might want to check out a podcast that I really enjoy called Betty in the Sky with a Suitcase - it is available on iTunes or at www.bettyinthesky.com. Betty is a flight attendant for a major airline and some of the stories she shares from pilots, flight attendants, and passengers are absolutely hilarious. Who knew they raced unrolled toilet paper up the aisles by sucking it into the toilets?

Well it looks like I made it all the way through my first blog. I plan to share many stories of my own with you in the future. Hopefully you enjoyed this story and made it through with me!

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