Ever seen that shot of the mountain just... sliding? Most people scrolling through mt st helens pics think they’re looking at a standard explosion. They aren't. They’re looking at the largest landslide in recorded history.
It’s 8:32 a.m. on May 18, 1980. The north face of the mountain literally falls off.
The Photographer Who Shielded His Film
Robert Landsburg wasn't a guy who played it safe. He was an amateur photographer from Portland who had spent weeks obsessing over the "bulge" on the mountain's north side. When the big one finally hit, he was about four miles out. He knew he was dead.
He didn't run. Well, he did, but he realized the ash cloud was moving at over 200 miles per hour. You can't outrun that in a 1970s station wagon.
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So, he did something almost unthinkable. He kept shooting. He captured the wall of ash as it swallowed the horizon. Then, in his final seconds, he rewound his film, put the camera in its bag, put the bag in his backpack, and laid his body on top of it. He used his own torso as a human shield against the heat.
Seventeen days later, they found him. The film survived. The photos he took are some of the most haunting mt st helens pics in existence because they show exactly what he saw before the lights went out.
Why Gary Rosenquist’s Sequence Is the Real MVP
If you've seen the "flipbook" style photos of the eruption, you're looking at Gary Rosenquist’s work. He was camping at Bear Meadow, about 11 miles away. Honestly, it’s a miracle he lived.
The topography of the land actually saved him—the blast was deflected by a ridge just a mile or so short of his location.
Rosenquist’s sequence is why we know the mountain didn't just "blow up" vertically like a cartoon. It exploded sideways.
- The earthquake (5.1 magnitude) hits.
- The north flank ripples.
- The landslide begins.
- The "cork" is pulled, and the lateral blast overtakes the falling mountain.
Scientists used these specific mt st helens pics to reconstruct the first minute of the eruption. Without them, we’d still be guessing how a mountain loses 1,300 feet of height in seconds.
The Mystery of Reid Blackburn
Then there's Reid Blackburn. He was a pro, shooting for The Columbian and National Geographic. He was at Coldwater Camp.
His car was found buried to the windows in ash. Unlike Landsburg, Blackburn’s film was mostly destroyed by the intense heat—temperatures reached roughly 800 degrees Fahrenheit.
But here’s the kicker: in 2013, a roll of his pre-eruption film was found in the archives. It showed the mountain as it used to be. Serene. Perfect. It’s a weirdly emotional contrast to the grey, lunar landscape we see today.
Capturing the Rebirth in 2026
If you’re heading out there now to get your own mt st helens pics, things look a lot different. Nature is aggressive.
Lupines are everywhere. These purple flowers were the first to "wake up" the soil because they can fix nitrogen. If you’re shooting today, the contrast between the bleached "ghost logs" in Spirit Lake and the vibrant purple flowers is the shot you want.
Where to go for the best views:
- Johnston Ridge Observatory: (Check for 2026 road closures first, as landslides often shut down Highway 504). It’s named after David Johnston, the volcanologist who shouted "Vancouver! Vancouver! This is it!" before he was killed.
- Windy Ridge: On the east side. You get a direct look into the crater. It’s a long drive on Forest Road 99, but worth it for the scale.
- Spirit Lake: The surface is still covered in thousands of floating logs. It looks like a giant jigsaw puzzle from above.
What You’ll Actually Need for Photography
Don't just bring a phone.
Bring a wide-angle lens for the crater, but you’ll want a telephoto (200mm+) to see the steam vents inside the lava dome. The mountain is still active. It "breathes."
Also, watch out for the "gray-out." On windy days, the old ash still kicks up. It'll ruin your sensor if you're changing lenses in the open. Basically, treat the ash like sand at the beach—it gets everywhere and it’s abrasive.
Actionable Insights for Your Visit
- Check the Volcanic Activity: Visit the USGS Cascades Volcano Observatory before you go. It’s rare, but the mountain still has small "burps" of steam and ash.
- Timing is Everything: Arrive at Windy Ridge at sunrise. The light hits the interior of the crater first, highlighting the new glacier—the youngest glacier on Earth is growing inside that crater right now.
- Permits: If you're planning to climb above 4,800 feet, you need a permit. They sell out months in advance during the summer.
- Respect the Zone: Stay on the trails. The "pumice plain" is a giant laboratory for scientists studying how life returns after total destruction. Walking off-trail can literally crush years of research.
Most people look at mt st helens pics and see a tragedy. But when you stand at the edge of the blast zone today, you see a comeback. It’s messy, it’s grey, and it’s beautiful.
Go take your own shots. Just remember the guys like Landsburg who made sure we saw it first.
Next Steps for You:
- Check the Gifford Pinchot National Forest website for current road conditions on Highway 504 and Forest Road 99.
- Order a polarizing filter for your lens to help cut the glare from the volcanic rock and highlight the blue of the new lakes.