Up From the Ashes

"The barren landscape of Mount St. Helens National Monument." ~ photo by Carol E Fairbanks, 2010

Like the mythological phoenix, that rises up from its own ashes to be reborn and live once again, the presence of life at Mount St. Helens Monument continues to grow and flourish after the devastating eruption in 1980. Out of the ashes of its barren, moonscape-like destruction, diverse plants and animals have reclaimed this land as their home. The movie I saw, after hiking the Boundary Trail up to Johnstons Ridge Observatory, for my 14th hike of this blog, portrayed that dramatic natural transformation of the last thirty four years, both in landform and plant and animal life. 

The movie emphasized ways in which nature has found to repair and renew, after those wide sweeping changes of the greatest landslide yet in recorded history. It cited many examples where nature has “found opportunity in the cycle of destruction and renewal”, which is naturally inherent in all life processes.

"Indian paintbrush and lupine wildflowers grown abundantly around Coldwater Lake at Mount St Helens." ~ photo by Carol E Fairbanks, 2014

The lupine wildflower was the first hardy plant to grow in the midst of that blown down forest in the blast zone. It was able to take root and blossom in the volcanic dust that covered the land after the complete destruction of this once verdant woodland. And in growing there, the lupine replenished the altered soil with nutrients, making it possible for other varieties of plants to then grow.

"An eagle perches on a hummock in the middle of Coldwater Lake."  ~ photo by Carol E Fairbanks, 2014

Fish were once again discovered in the newly formed lakes, that were created dramatically by the blast. On another hike at Coldwater Lake, I spotted an eagle perched on a small island hummock in the lake, who was certainly evidence that there were ample fish to be caught there. Green moss and a variety of trees and grasses now cover what was once the lunar landscape of Mount St Helen’s violent destruction. A hydrologist and coordinator for the USGS Cascades Volcano Observatory says, “Mount St. Helens has been a master teacher for an entirely new generation of scientists.” This much-studied mountain, in its cycle of destruction and renewal, has become a world class outdoor laboratory for the study of volcanoes, ecosystems, and natural recovery. A monument scientist at Mount St. Helens, Peter Frenzen, asserts that “it’s a terrific opportunity for people to understand the forces of the earth.”

"A green landscape is seen from the Boundary Trail with the Toutle River in the distance." ~ photo by Carol E Fairbanks, 2014

In hiking the Coldwater Lake, Boundary and Hummocks Trails, I have been given an opportunity to witness this amazing process of natural regeneration first hand. During my first visit to Mt. St. Helens in 1995, when the road only went as far as the Coldwater Visitors Center and there was no Johnstons Ridge Observatory, I saw only a gray, barren landscape with no trees, except for the stumps and remains that had been blown down in the blast. On my hikes in 2007 and 2010, trees were beginning to grow and areas of green appeared, dotting some of the hillsides. Last month, in June of 2014, thirty four years after the blast, I hiked among lush ferns and tall trees that actually provided some shade! I delighted in photographing abundant wildflowers, like the Indian Paintbrush, that carpeted the area with vibrant color.

"Colorful wildflowers carpet the ridge as I hike on the Boundary Trail near Johnstons Ridge Observatory."  ~ photo by Lee G Young, 2014

The “phoenix” of Mount St. Helen has risen up from the ashes of its destruction, after reshaping the landscape with devastation. Now, life is flourishing there, revealing a new vision of diversity, while transforming the area from gray to green. Out of that sweeping loss has come diverse life and incredible beauty. Just as Mount St. Helens has demonstrated the possibilities of finding new opportunity in the midst of such widespread loss, so I feel challenged by those cycles in my life to do the same. Since we are all part of the earth, like Mt. St. Helen, those natural laws that foster the cycles of destruction and renewal govern and guide us all. Out of loss, we, too, are challenged to find opportunity. And in the midst of devastation, we are asked to manifest new growth. As we feel our anguish during those stressful cycles of life, we can look to the inspiring examples of renewal at Mt St. Helens and see that recovery is not only possible, but that those courageous efforts of regeneration are indeed supported by nature, itself.

"Hiking on the Coldwater Lake Trail."  ~ photo by Lee G Young, 2014

Surrounded by the beautiful trees and wildflowers on the trail, where there was once a landscape devoid of life, I found comfort in hiking this new vibrant habitat. Lush Sitka and red alder forests have spread from 120 new aquatic lakes, ponds and wetlands, formed by the blast, and, today, the Toutle River Valley is one of the few places in the Northwest where large tracts of alder forests can be found. This new habitat has encouraged a rapid resurgence of a wide array of amphibians, birds, insects, mammals and plants. How reassuring it is to experience an inspiring demonstration of that treasure of regeneration and renewal, seeing that which is part of everything, is indeed part of me… and you!

"Surrounded by Indian paintbrush and lupine, I hiked on the Boundary Trail on my way up to Johnstons Ridge."  ~ photo by Lee G Young, 2014