Devastation

MT. ST HELENS NATIONAL VOLCANIC MONUMENT, WA - - The Mt. St Helens National Volcanic Monument is a vivid testament to nature's power. It's 27 years since the massive eruption and the scars are still evident. We were able to drive to a viewpoint 8 miles from the base of the mountain. The photos are from varying areas along the way.
The profile of the mountain (top) shows a barren space where once it was heavily forested. The middle photo is the left side of shot one while the bottom pic shows the right hand side. The section of the blowout is on right side of the middle photo while on the bottom photo one can see the avenues of lava flow.
So where are the trees which weren't vaporized in the 300mph gas and ash storm which followed the explosion? From our viewpoint, Spirit Lake way below us looked like it was half frozen over. Closer inspection via binoculars showed us that what looked like 'ice' were the "bodies" of thousands of trees floating on the lake. They had been bleached by the sun over the years and looked so jammed together that it appeared you could take a walk on them