I was sitting in front of my TV in Elgin, Ill., on my 16th birthday watching Mount St. Helens blow her top. My uncle came out to Washington state later that year and brought me back a ziplock bag full of ash.
I climbed Mt St Helens in 1988 and made it to the top wearing tennis shoes with sandwich bags given to us from hikers on their way down. I tried to climb again on the 10 year anniversary, but only made it to the timber line due to bad weather and fog. I have plans on making the hike again soon.
