The Real Mount St Helens Up Close

This picture taken a few miles from Coldwater Lake on Route 504 up the trek to Mt St Helens. The temperature had dipped to 36F at this point as the elevation was 3800 feet. Coldwater Lake was as close as one could get to the Mountain.  The last few miles to Johnston Ridge Observatory was closed because of the road conditions.  I was fortunate however, that I made the trip early in the day as it was only a few minutes later that the clouds came rolling in and obscured the Mountain.  As one can see the Mountain erupted to the left of the photo.  The crater that was formed is shown with the inside face (rock formation visible) to the left and the outside face (snow covered) to the right.  This really was an awesome sight.