Unearthing the lost stories of Mount St. Helens | Oregon Field Guide (full episode)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 13 มี.ค. 2024
- Amateur archeologists set out to uncover new details about what happened on Mount St. Helens on May 18, 1980. Can they find the rumored "bootlegger caves" of Harry Truman, the innkeeper of Spirit Lake Lodge? What stories do the rusted relics found hiding in the ash still have to tell? Scott Kemery and his group of volunteers search the rugged post-eruption volcanic landscape in a quest for answers.
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I was 16. Dad woke me up in the morning saying the volcano was erupting and he had hot soup ready in a thermos. We went up to Mt. Sylvania and everyone there was out in the streets watching it. A huge black ash cloud just boiling up and lightening in it every few seconds... I've seen a number of documentaries over the years but this one really captured the story.
The legend of Harry's cave will live on forever and that is truly fitting of the man
Either some friends or family, can't remember now, did convince him to come into town and stay. But it was short lived. He took off without telling anyone and went back up there. Honestly, its probably for the best that he died up there. He would have died of a broken heart once everything up there that he loved was gone.
My Great Grandpa was best Friends with Harry Truman. He used to tell me stories of going fishing with him, and they would go mushroom & berry hunting up on St. Helens when my grandpa was a kid so my Great Grandma could make blackberry pie. Harry was my grandpa's first guitar teacher also, Harry was actually trying to teach my Great grandma but she would get so frustrated and put the guitar down. One day my grandpa picked it up and just started playing, so Harry taught him to play and gave him his first steel guitar. I actually have that guitar, my grandpa left it to me when he passed. When I was 10, we went to MT and brought back pictures for my Great Grandpa and also brought a few with us to give to the museum.
The steel guitar from Harry is meant to carry on the music of Spirit Lake. I hope someone is playing it for people somewhere
I lost my classmate Andy Carr to Mt St Helen’s, Him his Brother and Father all died from the blast. I believe we were in 5th grade.
that is powerful. I'm sorry for that loss. thank you for sharing their memory.
I’m so sorry- 😢
Super sad.
Oh what a sad thing to have to experience as a child. Thanks for sharing.
I'm so sorry to hear that. I can't even imagine what that must have been like, to those who knew the Carrs. Their loss has bothered me for years and I didn't even know them. Just two kids and their dad, out for a weekend of camping on the mountain and then got caught up in it.
@Xtinnoker my parents lived in Mrs. Carr's neighborhood - the grandma to your classmate. She was just devastated. My older brother did car work for Mrs. Carr. Mrs. Carr was a sweet woman- so sorry she lost her family that day, so many years ago! 😢❤🌹
I lived in Valley Forge,PA. when she erupted.
We had ash laying on the car from that
Incredible how far the wind carried the ash.
I was at work at the airport in Port Angeles WA that morning. We heard and felt a dull thud. I went outside to see what had bumped into the building. When I came back in, the gate agent was hanging up the phone. It was the mountain. One of our airplanes was taking off from Seattle headed south when the mountain blew. He and his passengers had a front-row seat.
A few hours later, I was flying one of the 14 airplanes circling the flood crest down the Toutle River. I had a geologist and a couple of reporters aboard. I was too busy watching traffic to see much of what was below, but it's an event I'll never forget.
This landscape before the Eruption must have been of unbelievable beauty, as I see on this old photos.
I was working in the ER in Longview on May 18. The Injured and burned were brought to us first.
It was quite an experience.
My wife and I were up there on a road trip about 5 days before the eruption. Crazy times. Crazy history. Thanks for the video.
Glad you went by far enough ahead of time that you weren’t at risk or affected.
That piece of buried
'RV' that may have evidenced Mr Martin's area I recognized as an engine from some diesel bulldozer or similar earthmoving equipment. The part that was visible is the supercharger
(a 'Roots' type of engine feature like that found on WWII airplanes), commonly found on a 4 cylinder diesel engine.
As an 18 yr old, and a motorhead just out of HS, my job had me employed around big cranes and such which had identical superchargers, or 'blowers' as they are known.
Was Mr Martin engaged in such
'road maintenance?
A few yrs later, while in college, my part time night shift job crew began hearing reports of the eruption of St Helen's. We were in shock, to say the least.
So sad for those lives lost. But this is a fitting tribute to those lost on that fateful day.
Very cool that you are able share this search with viewers.
Thanks for this excellent post
OPB!
Idaho viewer.
This is great information. Thank you for sharing. Sounds like you really know your engines! Perhaps the RV engine will someday be found.
Was just about to type the same about the Roots blower. Decided to check the comments first ;)
@@mountainsbeyond6757 Wasnt he in a trailer though or is it the tow vehicles engine that your searching for?
@@tubatits from what I could see in photos, it looked like Gerry owned a large RV, one big vehicle rather than a tow trailer. (David Johnston had a trailer at Coldwater 2, which was owned by the USGS I believe and had been a temp field station on other assignments; pieces of that were actually found.) I think Scott and some of the searchers know a lot more about the exact model of RV owned by Gerry Martin than I do. And clearly some folks on this comment section know their engines!! Since Gerry parked at a logging "landing" where he could get the optimal view, there may likely have been a bulldozer or other piece of heavy equipment parked up there, too. So, very likely!
@@mountainsbeyond6757 Oh okay, I see. I saw the trailer/truck pic as the narration was speaking about Gerry.
all in all though, what a great production. I remember when this happened and still have the the nat geo issue that went over what you have put into film.
Being a young canadian kid in southern bc, I remember being confused with the "Vancouver, Vancouver, this is it!" radio transcript. Kind of a sad way to discover Washington also had a city of the same name.
We actually had a light dusting of ash locally but nowhere near like the mt mazama deposit from 7700 years ago that is still visible.
The day St. Helen's erupted, my favorite instructor and preceptor from Stockton State College in NJ was just 20 miles away. Jerry had taken a sabatical in my junior year to drive around the US with his wife in his RV. They were opposite the blast sight (to the south west) so they escaped the blast but saw the tragedy unfold. Two years later, returning from a family visit to Seattle, I saw an amazing view of St. Helens and two other volcanoes on the right side of the airplane. It was awesome...nature is awesome.
What they thought was the engine from Jerry Martin's RV is a supercharger from a 6-71 Detroit diesel engine, most likely from a piece of heavy logging equipment. or possibly a log hauling semi truck.
I was thinking the same. No way did an old RV have that big of a motor. Let alone a diesel. Still a really neat find. I'll never forget watching this all unfold. I just turned 7 the day before.
I couldn’t tell what it was (thanks!), but I knew it wasn’t an IH Scout engine. The same people that called a wheel a tire, called this a possible “engine from the RV”, which was a little travel trailer.
@@garysarratt1 Yes I thought the same - both guys pulled trailers, not self-powered RVs like we have today. Look at the photos
@@Ivartshiva There WAS an RV parked next to the Scout. It could be possible. They used big engines in RV back then. They used to use 292's in big rigs until everything switched to diesel engines so its a possibilty that diesel engine was in an RV.
More Mt. St. Helens, please! The science behind current monitoring efforts and research would be great!
Thank you for making this video and sparking my memories of the eruption and the aftereffects.
I was 10 years old and visiting the Portland Zoo on Sunday the 18th. We took the Zoo Train to the Rose Garden stop, and I saw the mushroom cloud and the ash blowing away to the North and East. When the ash settled in Portland, my friends and I climbed on top of the local Plaid Pantry, scooped ash into my mom's tiny canning jars, took the bus out to the Portland airport to sell the jars of ash (and make a killing) to people flying out of town. We made enough money to buy lunch and pay for the bus fare.
that's a fantastic story. thanks for sharing!
That is a very nostalgic story! Isn't it funny how nearly every kid around that age at that time had the same thoughts? Sell the ashes. Make a little money. An adventure worth remembering.
I have always wanted to go to where Harry's lodge was and look for artifacts. I have hiked Harry's Ridge and plan on climbing St Helens this year. It is a very special place. RIP to Harry and all of his cats. ❤
@@Yosetime We were all little business moguls. I was so desperate for money that I must have done 10,000 different jobs from about 9 till 15.
I remember where I was any exact moment I spotted the ash cloud on May 18th 1980. Living in spokane. This is a great tribute and well made documentary! Thank you
Yup I was in Hayden in a field and thought we were gonna get a giant snowstorm. Went in the house and found out she blew.
Thinking Harry could have made it to a cave within seconds is... well... you know.
Totally agree. With what we know now, there’s no way Harry could have survived. But on that day of May 18, no one knew exactly what had happened. As I recall, I5 was even shut down. Reports were coming in, but it wasn’t until much later that everyone realized how massive the destruction was on the north side of town he mountain. I thought the words of the rescue crew were powerful when he said, “I’ve camped here before, doesn’t look like anywhere I’ve ever been.”
They are just looking for the cave, yeah doubtful he ever made it to it.
I lived up in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada at the time, and the winds brought it in a perfect path to our city, 270 miles away. Our entire home and yard were covered with about 3/4 inch of ash. I will never forget that day. Some 30 years later I went on a trip with my family and was able to visit St Helens. It was a beautiful yet somber experience.
My son was born in a British hospital when it erupted. The British nurses were laughing at this American who went around the hospital trying to find a TV where I could watch the eruption (back in 1980, there were VERY FEW TV sets in British hospitals!!) They told me I had a more important "eruption" to pay attention to. In my defense, it was a looong birth process! When we moved back to Portland, and later when he could afford it, he bought a house on the north side of Mt. Tabor, with a clear view of Mt St Helens through their living room picture windows. He regards it as "his" mountain! (And happy retirement, Todd Sonflieth!)
As a mother myself you do not need to defend yourself....ever.
how dare they laugh at you, it was an incredibly important thing happening the same you were getting ready to give birth. if something like that happened to their home land the time they were out of country they'd be worried too
My brother and I would climb St. Helens as a warmup climb for Rainier.
My freshman year in college, we did St. Helens late, in June.
At the summit there were all these blue, green, yellow and brown patches.
There is red snow in the PNW.
I thought how cool, it isn't just a red algae.
Digging deeper, I found it was human shit and toilet paper.
As his Eagle Scout project, my brother proposed removing it all.
The Forest Service said there were tons.
I wondered how it would be removed.
The day she blew up.
I knew.
ha! true poetry! thanks for sharing.(and I'm glad Rainier has those bathroom facilities at base camp to fly out all the poo.)
I learned how much human waste is on Everest, the estimate was 15 metric tons of waste, human waste and garbage left behind from hikers. Its shocking to hear of such things. I had never thought of such things, I sure do now,
This has to be a joke no?
@@marked4death076 Not a native English speaker, are you.
@@marked4death076 Sicko.
This is so fascinating to see & remember. I lived in Michigan, and I was 15. And I remember all of our cars and driveways were filled with soot from the Mount Saint Helens explosion.
Thank you for this trip back in time. It’s so sad but so interesting.
I lived in southwestern ontsrio no soot fell on us near windsor ont!
@@davidrussell8795
It was really fine. Grey colored, not much just a light film of it for a few days. It didn’t snow down on us
I did say it wrong. Are driveways were not “filled” with it.
I was 10 and was able to watch the eruption from Orchards Wa. Like many a day that i will never forget. The prior eruptions i was able to collect two different kinds of ash on two separate occasions. My dad was in the Coast Guard and we moved to Chincoteague Virginia in 83. This was 7th grade for me and when the classmates found out where i came from they all asked about Mt St Helen's. So my home room teacher allowed me to bring in the ash i had collect and i was able to share my story of Mt St Helen's. This helped me break the ice of joining a new school as i made friends after my story.
On another note the documentary is top notch. Like many i have watch and researched so much through out the yrs. This video really hits home because of the search of Jerry and David sites. Would do anything to be apart or be able to experience what you all got to do. So cool and thank you for this documentary!
So i have not read through all the replies but that engine looks to be a Detroit diesel. I can tell by the color and the item sticking above the ground looks like a 671 Detroit blower that usual sit in the side if the engine. The photos of the vehicles/rv wouldn't of had the engine. More of a heavy equipment or semi motor/engine.
It is so amazing to watch this, but it makes me feel so old because I was there. There isn't a moment of May 18, 1980, that I will ever forget... and I will always cherish the memories I have of being at Spirit Lake the year before the eruption, because it really was a special gem of a place nestled in the Central Washington Cascades..
I was a young and relatively brand new USFS employee just a couple of years into my career working on the south side of what we then called St. Helens Ranger District on the Gifford Pinchot National Forest when the Mt. St. Helens eruption happened. The initial March 18 top-popping eruption is extremely memorable (sounding like a sonic boom at our office on the south side of the mountain) because it - unbeknownst to us - was signaling the beginning of an incredible once-in-a-lifetime saga that we could have never imagined that we would be living for the next several years following the eruption. There is another story that may or may not ever be told about the years of recovery after May 18, 1980, but 05/18/1980 IS the basis of stories that Grandma and Grandpa tell when asked the question "were you really there?" and Grandma/Grandpa say "yup...and let me tell you a story..."
If they ever invent a time machine, I'd love to set it to go back to Spirit Lake pre 1980.
@@mountainsbeyond6757 ah, me too. It was such a beautiful place and wonderful recreation area. I was able to go there a few times early in my career before the eruption and - when I reminisce - I really miss it...
My dad actually lived up there as a logger he witnessed interrupt, and he also did some work clearing some of the debris and some of the damage off the roads that was caused by the explosion
My parents let me go on the roof and watch the eruption! My dad and I watched it for quite a while! Me and the neighborhood kids in Portland would play with the soft ashes that would build up along the curbs of the street.
You got to watch that!!! ??
Omg how insanely cool! ❤❤❤
Cool dad too!
Us 'free roaming' kids of the 80's. It's surprising how many of us survived. lol
@@Yosetime right lol my brother and I would stand on the backseat cheering while my dad tried to imitate a Yee Haw!(like the show dukes of hazard) and he did get air quite a few times and other than landing on the floor laughing and promising not to tell mom we managed both to reach our 40s so far
I'm old enough to remember her before she blew (used to go play on her in the snow) and my family knew Harry. He used to always go fishing while us kids were swimming. I think it was just so he could help keep an eye on all of us and he liked the company. Harry was stubborn as hell but he was also the sweetest old man! ❤️😊 I was a teenager when she blew and watched it from our front picture window in the living room. Something I will never forget!
The is a great story. I’d give anything to be able to see Spirit Lake pre-1980 and meet Harry. Thanks for sharing.
@@mountainsbeyond6757 You are very welcome. I grew up on Spirit Lake Highway in Castle Rock, Kid Valley and Toutle. We walked, road bikes and horses all over that country side. 🥰
I really liked this documentary. Real stories of real people. I especially value the compassionate approach to Harry Truman and his decision not to leave.
This tells about all the people that were on the mountain that day. Some of the survivors have links to their stories. It is an inertactive map that shows where they were and pics. Yahoo search this..... google map Mount St Helens Eruption Fatalities
This is probably the best recent retelling of the events that lead up to the eruption of Mount St. Helens. This is also my first time to see the stunning snow-capped volcano in motion picture before the eruption. Watching from the Philippines.
You may like this too. Some of the survivors have links to their stories. It is an inertactive map that shows where they were and pics. Yahoo search this..... google map Mount St Helens Eruption Fatalities
Wow, watching from Australia. I remember watching TV news when I was a child, nowadays the transformation is amazing? From total devastation, loss of life to a green pasture. RIP brave Souls.
Great video--- Brings back memories. That Sunday morning I was climbing Mt. Hood starting from Timberline Lodge with 3 other close friends. We were about 3/4 of the way up Hood when it blew. The plume was intense and the first thing I thought about was the chance of a small earthquake on Hood and maybe an avalanche where I was at. Decided not to finished the climb to the summit.
wow! that's an incredible story. I can only imagine what that was like from the side of Hood. Definitely good call not to risk the avy potential, as that seems totally feasible. thanks for sharing!
Were you on the North Side of Mt Hood? I just wonder if you could actually see Mt St Helens. I was in Portland and could see the plume.
No---- We went up from Timberline Lodge and that is more on the south west side of Hood. We heard about it at first from other climber's coming down from the summit and the when the plume got bigger we could see it and were amazed at the size of the plume.
There was something about the way that Scott was describing his 5 year old self on that day that brought to mind the same experiences that others have described after major events. Like 9/11, the assassination of JFK, the deaths of Elvis, Michael Jackson, John Lennon, hurricane Katrina, the 2011 Japan Tsunami. Things like that. It's fascinating to me to hear stories from this personal perspective long past the events themselves. We are so lucky that we have had the technology to visually record these events as they happened. Like this video. Telling the real and personal stories. Well done little documentary. I do hope Scott has invested in a pair of actual hiking boots over his sneakers! Go Scott!!
Ha! This is great post. Thank you for it.
Been living in sight of the mountain all my life in Vancouver.
I got fascinated with Mt. St. Helens when we learned about it in first grade.
Always pictured Harry standing outside his lodge that morning drinking a Coke and watching it erupt.
Seconds later, he along with his lodge and cats were completly buried.
What a legend.
Outstanding documentary.
What a great story. Takes me down memory lane. I was living in Tualatin at the time of the erruption and could just see the top of the mountain from my appartment and watched in awe as the mushroom cloud grew and spread out. I visited the site with my wife a few years later and it still looked like a moonscape but very cool. We moved to Bend, OR in 1989 with our kids and enjoyed the mountains and trails. Green Lakes was one of our favorite trails with the view of Broken Top near the end of how far we would go with small children. Now retired and living in Gulf Shores, AL. we miss the daily view of the mountains. Thanks for the story.
My dad, even rescued a injured cat. We think it was probably an injured bobcat that he nicknamed tootle cat.
I bet he wasn't in Oregon when he did it?!
All I can say, yes thank you for this video.
If it got David in about 26 seconds 6 miles away, I'd imagine Harry didn't even get to look out the window, or perhaps he was outside he probably had seconds to realize this is it
So true. I can’t help but wonder.
My only guess is that since it was a spring day and clear weather, the sun must have been up for several hours. David had been taking measurements on Coldwater ridge. So Harry might have been up, tinkering around. Wonder what happened in that moment.
I'm still stymied by the idea that the geologist never thought of the mountain blowing sideways. If it had blown straight up, David Johnson would not have been killed.
@@Madronaxyz well David did say he expected it could be a lateral blast, he was one of first watching the bulge grow.... yet the gov and everyone else wrote it off. That's what makes me amazed by his story,, he knew it could come straight at him yet wanted to be up there! Perhaps he figured his life for a front row seat at a once in a million lifetime view was a price he was willing to pay. Guy is legend in my book, and he didn't have any ties to the place like Harry, and half his age.
@@Madronaxyz even crazier is listen to the excitement in David's voice when he radios back, he had to of known he was toast, yet sounds elated to witness it, complete opposite of the radio operator Garry who died as well few miles back from him.
Like Harry said he would rather go with his beloved lodge because he couldn't live without it. RIP brother
I was 23 and going to college then in Kansas. We got a slight dusting of ash. I remember all the news coverage from the time surrounding the eruption being interested in geology at the time (was studying physics and math). A momentous event in my lifetime. I hope to make it there now that I’ve retired. RIP all who lost their lives that day.
I've walked those same grounds. I have a very personal connection to David. God bless him, and I applaud him for both his bravery and sacrifice. He was a great man. Never forgotten.
I lived in Spokane, WA, on May 18,1980. Mt. St. Helens is, I believe, over 300 miles from Spokane. We had gotten home from church and I was working out in the yard when I looked to the SW and saw what appeared to be dark storm clouds approaching. I love storms so I was anxious for these clouds to arrive. A short time later we learned that these were not storm clouds but rather clouds of volcanic ash... never had that happen before - or since. Your video is well put together and I appreciate the personalities that you brought into the story. Thank you for a job really well done!
I was 6 yrs old when this happened.i grew up in Portland and my family and I were on Columbia Blvd heading to my grandmother's house as it blew we saw a handful of other vehicles pulled off the side of the road,an open view thru a large field we saw the huge plume of ash billowing up.inwill never forget this day.Thank you for sharing this,always good to revisit our past weather it be good or bad.its how we learn and grow 👍
This is the first time I've ever heard about any caves! 😊
There's a lot of things the documentaries don't tell. Like only 4 of the 57 victims died in the Red Zone. The rest died some distance away from any restricted areas. They were told where they were was safe. There was also no "Warning Quake" either. Just 1 of thousands of 5.0 quakes going on for a little over a month and a half. David Johnston was also not in the Red Zone when he died. He straddled the border. I think he thought he was relatively safe there to where he might have thought he could make a quick escape even though he knew Coldwater II was a danger zone. He probably didn't account for the flow and blast overtaking all of the ridges and valleys in between. Harry's legacy was dragged in the dirt too for everyone thinking he was dumb and underestimated an eruption. I wish a documentary would cover all of the stuff the other documentaries won't. You'd also be shocked at how many people connected to the eruption are in the comments in all the videos too.
We passed over the Toutle River about a week after the blast. I will never forget how huge trees were laid down like toothpicks, all in one big swath. It looked like the end of the world.
Wonderful video. I have a child’s memory of the eruption, too. I still think about Harry.
Thank you!
Mt. St. Helens erupted 3 weeks after my 6th birthday. We lived in Battle Ground and watched the eruption from the shoulder of Lewisville Hwy. Later, we drove to the Toutle River to see the washed out bridges and mud flows.
I met a friend of Harry Truman's and she said he was quite the character. It's said that whenever the mountain makes certain noises of certain kinds...the locals say it's Harry trying to dig his way out.
I lived in Battle Ground until I moved to Cougar in 1977.
I was crew in the ACOE Dredge Biddle. Along with the Army Corps of Enginners Dredge Pacific and Dredge Harding we opened the Columbia River to ship traffic, not in 3 months but 20 days. We did this by pushing our bows into the river and allowed our propellers to wash the ash down stream. We were sulfer ash covered Heroes of the day.
Awesome to see some new stuff on the best volcano, i get tired of re-watching the old stuff haha
Yes that part they found is definitely a supercharger on a diesel engine. The force of the blast could easily have moved it from a different location. At the same time martins rv could have been blown to bits and the remnants moved further downwind
We were at a retreat on Thetis Island, off of Vancouver Island and knew Mt. St. Helen's was going to erupt soon. It was all over the news and they had already blocked entrance to the surrounding area. So when we heard a large BOOOMMMM before 9:00 a.m. that Sunday morning, we all joked that St. Helen's had erupted. Little did we know she did and we heard the sound 20ish minutes later. Quiet impressive.
I was too young to remember when Mt. St. Helens erupted, but I have been fascinated all my life by it. Many years ago, I was talking to my aunt about it, and she said "You know, your uncle and I used to camp up there a lot of summers. It was gorgeous." I asked her, "Did you ever get to meet Harry Truman?" She said, "Yeah. Yeah I met Harry Truman once." I could tell she wasn't saying something, but I kind of pressed her and she told me the whole story. Our family is New Mexican, and my grandparents and their older children moved to Richland during WWII. There's no hiding that we are very brown. She and her white husband decided to stop by the Spirit Lake Lodge. When my uncle walked in, Harry Truman greeted him with a smile and welcomed him in to take a seat, ther was plenty of room. But the smile left his face when my aunt walked in a few steps behind him. Suddenly the lodge was full, and he told her she would have to leave immediately. It wasn't the first time my family faced racism in Washington, but I could tell the memory still hurt. My aunt is the most beautiful soul I know, and because it hurt her, it hurt me.
He was a product of his time, and no one in my family would have wished him harm. But when people talk about "Ol' Harry, what a legend! What a great character! You gotta respect him..." it just makes me think of the look in her eye as she told me that story. No one's perfect.
Having lived here for over 50 years, I know there are parts of Washington's character that I wish didn't exist. I wish I could change the past but the best I can do is let you know that we're not all like that. You would be welcome in my home and in the home of everyone I personally know. May God bless you and yours, Miles and Carla P.S. It's ironic but a grade school in south Seattle, very near where my wife went to high school, has a tradition of flying the flag of every nation that is represented by students that have attended there. That grade school now has over 70 national flags flying. I can only hope that people have grown.
@@SeedFiddler-kp4eg Washington has been good to us. My grandparents left the Colorado/New Mexico border, a place their Eurpean families had farmed for hundreds of years, to give their kids a better life. And they succeeded. Washington is home now, and my generation is well established and happy. We were blissfully unaware of the struggles our family went through for a long time. Sometimes I have to be reminded of all my grandparents, and my father and his siblings, had to face to get us to this point. Most of the traces of that struggle have been erased with time, but Harry Truman's face has been preserved and is put on display every year. He was a product of his time, and I think it is right that those who can remember him fondly should. But all heros have their flaws.
Thank you, Miles and Carla, for your kind words. My mother is from good ol' Seattle Scandinavian stock. That school must be ringed with flag poles! That's beautiful.
@@Eimi.Signo. Thank you for taking the time to reply. It's so good to hear that things are better. My Dad, when I was a young boy in Seattle, managed a music store in Burien selling organs and pianos. I don't know if you know the name, but the owner of these music stores was Stan Boreson. I'm told he was Scandinavian and was actually a bit of a local television personality around Seattle in the 1960's. He used his Scandinavian accent during his shows when he told humorous stories. My Dad spoke highly of Mr. Boreson. It's been a pleasure. Take care, Miles and Carla
@@SeedFiddler-kp4eg Stan Boreson? Of course I know who he is! My family had his Christmas album, and I still remember those songs - "Lena Got Run Over by a Reindeer", "O Lutefisk", "Walking in My Winter Underwear"... My mother's family definitely got a real kick out of him, especially since my great-grandparents sounded just like him! I wish I could have heard more of their stories. Thank you for the reminder. It's so great that you have those memories.
Enjoy the spring!
Excellent video. Great info I’ve never seen before.
That was informative and touching. Thank you!
The night before I went by on the train. Arriving in San Francisco the next morning and hearing that it erupted was surreal. No planes could fly and on the way home the ash, trees down and everything unrecognizable. We made a stop and suddenly Cool and the Gang got into our car! All of them! I was such a fan but would have never bothered them under those conditions it was enough just to sit by them ❤
One of my earliest memories is seeing the eruption of Mount St. Helens being reported on TV in Australia. I would've been 4 years old. I remember being stunned the first time I saw the time-lapse photos of the eruption.
Enjoyed watching this, most documentaries on Mt. St. Helens gloss over the small details on what happened. Hope to someday visit the area myself. Would interesting to search for artifacts from that day.
I lived in Salem, Oregon on May 18,1980. It started snowing? Luckily we only got a light snow, finally my son hollered out the window, told me what was happening, on tv . It was so strange. I was landscaping, and forgot about it.
I cycle toured through that area in Nov. '80 & found 2 inch deep ash under fir trees 6 months after the eruption. Truely amazing.
The engine block that Scott Kemery stumbles upon is not from Gerry Martin's RV. It is a Detroit Diesel engine found in Kenworth log trucks.
Gerry Martin's RV was a Superior motor home on a Dodge chassis, powered by a Dodge 440 or a 318 V8 .
This is great info. I hope more research can confirm what the engine belonged to, or if any traces of the RV will be found.
I lived 5 miles south of Cougar and approximately 12 air miles from Mount St. Helens from 1977 until 1993. We lived behind a roadblock for 6 months. Thank you for a very good documentary of what happened. I lived it working for St. Helens Ranger District.
wow. that is direct experience. thank you for sharing!
@@mountainsbeyond6757 You are welcome! There used to be a very short TH-cam video of me made by our local newspaper. Ash, but nothing like eastern WA. Pumice in October 1980 eruption. Didn't have to clean house for 6 months - no visitors. 😅
I fought a fire with the forest service around 1984? Cutting line in all the ash was a new experience. Some how I think I t was called the cougar fire but it was a long time ago and I’m not sure. We were given a tour by the local ranger station after the fire, of the aftermath of the explosion.
When this happened I lived in St. Paul Minnesota. We had ash on everything and the sun was hazy for 2 years after. I live in Portland now and can't imagine what it was like here then.
After watching so many heartbreaking posts, it is both an honor and a privilege to watch you beautiful video Thank you for sharing your upload
That was absolutely fantastic! I love this lost history, especially on Truman and Johnson, so damn mysterious! What a story ! We need a fantastic 3 hour epic movie about this
Towards the end when the last of the press left because it was getting scary, folks say you could tell Harry was wanting to go too…but he couldn’t.
Wow, thank you for making and posting this. I lived in the midwest at the time, and was 21 years old. Prior to the eruption I don't remember there being a Mt. St. Helen. But when it erupted, cable tv was new and common, and we were all glued to the broadcasts. It was horrifying, but your film here gives me a much better sense of scale and time. And horror.
I was 10 living in Astoria. I remember all the ash and for years we found pumice in young’s bay. This is a great video. Thank you! 😊
I had never felt closer to my Higher Power then when I was hiking the trails...Beautiful. Thanks for the insights....was the engine ever positively identified as Jerry Martin's?
As far as I know, no positive ID. From some of the comments here on TH-cam, it might have come from a piece of logging equipment. That’s also viable possibility. More research is needed.
Thank you so much for doing such a great job, this is very important history and remembrance
I was 7 and in Charlotte N.C.. My mom, dad, and myself were sitting in the carport and I noticed how dusty everything was, so I asked why was everything so dusty. My mom told me is was because of Mt. Saint Helen's. We had ash even from that far away.
Thanks for the video guys . Enjoy hearing the stories . I’m from Texas but have family up there. I made it the I think 6 months after and lots of pics of ash high up on trees . Houses all alone no the river banks, etc
You know it's going to blow...
Condolences to the bereaved and disaffected
I remember this like it was yesterday, I was in Minnesota at the time. So awful. Fascinating. Wow, to be able to see it happen on the news was jaw dropping. Even experts had no idea of the power that was going to be unleashed. Never thought of artifacts!
Thank you for this interesting and informative video. I remember that day well. In Omaha Nebraska, we went to work with a thick layer of ash on all the autos. It was amazing to me that the ash would travel that far. Another phenomenon was that when it got cold in late fall, we had new snow almost every day. The side streets couldn't get plowed well, so the streets developed grooves from our tires. We didn't even have to steer when turning a corner; we just put our wheels in the grooves and kept going. Did anyone else have that phenomenon?
This was awesome thanks 👍👍
Fascinating story! RIP to all the dear souls who lost their lives there. Watching from England UK. 💙🇬🇧💙
I got lost on mt Saint Helens and had to get rescued by some hikers on a multi day hike. There's no water up there. None.
when July eruption sent ash into Portland...Greatful Dead concert in Portland played. ..fire on the mt run run run blue grass tune
I love the way the vegetation has grown back!
climbing ST Helens years after opened back up...return to car...told. must drive thru Carson...flume for power plant failed..fond memory
Scott is doing admirable work but for heavens sake put a hat on man! You dont work out in the hot sun without a hat on.
Thank you for this documentary! I was 17 years old when MT ST Helens erupted. We took in a hitchhiker here in Columbus that had been there and given me some ashes.
John Daly can wear whatever he wants dear hat police guy..
Awesome video guys, thanks!!!
Fascinating and well done! Thank you everyone who put this together.
I was 22yo in Chicago when this happened. The news coverage wasn't as good as this video. Thank you for doing so well on it. One clear memory I do have is one morning, probably on my way to work, I remember all the ash on my car...like I was in a big dust storm...a long way from this eruption. I remember thinking, "wow, that had to be some huge explosion! It's still hard to comprehend.
I was about the same age and living in St Louis. We had cable tv so got quite a bit of what we (at the time) thought was amazing footage and reporting. Better than network. I don't think we got any ash, not that I remember. This truly is a remarkable piece of history preserved.
I am in tears with this video. I remember that day so clearly and vividly even to this day. I to, was worried about Harry as I was 18 at the time and realizing the impact it was all the way in south Texas as I saw the dust on all the cars in the driveway. Making that connection that the eruption was THAT HUGE.
I was three years old living in SW Portland. I remember thinking it was snowing and I ran outside to play. That is until my mother figured it out and made me come back in. It might be my oldest complete memory.
I was 30, living in Seattle, on this fateful day. I've watched every documentary on it. This has been the most interesting, with more details of all the human stories. Good job!
Crazy how well I remember all of this. I was 8 years old when we watched it blow. I have been obsessed with the mountain ever since. Spend a lot of time up there exploring.
Nicely done, brought back a ton of memories!
Had to be almost double the speed, 300mph wouldn't have engulfed David Johnston that quick, it's around 26 seconds and if Johnston was 6 miles away that makes the explosion got him going around 550, 600mph. Crazy
This is a good point. I’m sure the folks at USGS have a precise estimate. But yes-what an incredible force that was unleashed and an unthinkable speed and power.
@mountainsbeyond6757 yeah I have a feeling they may of meant the speed the landslide was moving at? The explosion surpassed the slide at close to double the speed if we use the evidence we got. Slide may have got Truman, but the explosion got johnston before the slide got up that ridge, just insane to imagine what those 3 guys must of seen and heard in those few seconds and how it looked from their view.
I was in 6th grade, elementary school, when the eruption happened and my aunt, who lived (and still does) in Spokane WA , sent me a jar of the ash. I was the hit of the class when I brought that it!
That was great folks ,thank you for sharing the stories..I was 33yrs old when it happened , but remember it like yesterday..
Another absolutely fascinating film, thanks so much to all involved.
Interesting , exciting, gorgeous, shocking, sweet, sad, touching documentary. Thank you so much for sharing
I was 3 years old and lived in Kennewick Washington when St Helens erupted. I cant remember anything before it but my sister and I were playing in the yard that morning while my mom was working in the flower bed. I thought it started snowing and i asked my mon why the snow was warm. It was that moment she realized the ash was raining down and she grabbed us and ran us inside. I have memories of the destruction the ash caused that day. Its strange how I have no other memories of that time of my life. Its truly interesting how stress can solidify a memory in your mind.
This was a beautiful and endearing production.
My two children and I lived in Vancouver, Washington, and watched Mt. St. Helens erupt in 1980. Personally, I had loved that outrageously beautiful mountain from the first time I saw it years earlier and had spent a lot of time on its slopes. Without realizing how often I was doing so, I drew the kids’ attention to St. Helens, pointed it out on bright sunshiny days after a period of snow had left the mountain in a pristine white snowy coat and also in summer when all the snow had melted but for a bright white cap on the summit. In March of 1980 when ash clouds began to blow high in the sky, I pointed those out as well as the jagged dark gullies in the glittering white snow created when the ash fell back to earth. Twice, prevailing winds blew clouds of ash to us and necessitated hasty cleaning of roofs and gutters. The weight of it, especially when wet, ripped gutters away from houses. Left dry on the ground, streets, driveways and parking lots,the stuff puffed ash clouds up into the air when anything on wheels passed by. To clean it up and contain it was a frustrating task, one that had to be done over and over again. Then came the day of the eruption and all talk by everyone centered around that…for some time. More of my endless fascination and pointing out to the children with comments. “Oh, look. You can see the mountain. Look how much of the top has disappeared!” Or, “It has finally stopped raining and we can see St. Helens again” and more of the same over the passing days. Finally one day at least two months after the eruption, the kids and I were out driving around and I, once again and, obviously, once too often, said “Oh, look! You can see…” when my droll 11 year-old daughter finished the sentence. “I know, Mt. St. Helens.” Meg,” I remonstrated most people have never seen a volcano erupt…” “Yes, “ she answered, “and I have seen and heard about enough of this one.” I was crestfallen but did not bother her about the mountain as much any longer.
As a 3 year old I was to the south side of the mountain. My father became the High school principal that year and I grew up in Toutle. It is very interesting to me to see all the changes over the years as when I lived in Toutle it was a grey dusted disaster zone. Thanks for the video.
Love this doc! I was 10 yrs old when it blew and I clearly remember that day and many days after. It snowed ash and was dark for 3 days and ash covered everything for months afterward.
Yep. I was 6.
i lived en houston when that happened...i was 12 years old...all the cars had grey dust on them...and we where pretty far away....thank you for the story .. saludos !!!!!
What made the most lasting impression on me concerning the eruption of Mount St. Helens was the photo of the dead boy Andy Karr in the bed of his father's pickup truck. That image broke my heart.
My Husbands Uncle lived in Portland Oregon at the time and sent us some volcanic sand with the Newspaper cutting s and we still have it. We were lived in Derbyshire England at the time. God Bless all those affected.
I was in 4th grade, living in Helena, Montana when this happened. I remember very, very well that morning...like it happened yesterday. We woke to see what looked like snow, all over my Mom's red Mercury Marquis. It was still falling for a long time. I remember just how much ash accumulated on the old metal storage shed behind the house, and it just seemed like it was never going to go away. I'm almost 52 now, and it's still just as vivid as if it had happened yesterday.
I was having my daughter that morning in Utah so I will never forget.