— Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument —

Gary Rosenquist wanted eruption pictures. On May 17, 1980, he and friends Joel and Linda Harvey, their 10-year-old son Jo-Jo, and William Dilley drove down from Tacoma. They camped here, at Bear Meadow, 11 miles northeast of Mount St. Helens.

The next morning, the group witnessed the colossal landslide and unprecendented lateral blast, and nearly lost their lives. Rosenquist managed to capture 22 photographs of the eruption before fleeing to safety. His pictures help us understand the dynamics of this astonishing event.

Gary Rosenquist wanted pictures. He got more than he bargained for . . .

(Photo captions, left to right, top row first)

8:27 am. Gary Rosenquist's account of the eruption: "Shortly before 8:40 a.m. my friend Willy peered through his binoculars and said the mountain looked 'fuzzy,' so I took a picture."

8:32 am 33 seconds. "Minutes later, while I was standing with my back towards the mountain, Willy yelled, 'The mountain is going!' I dashed to my camera and accidentally bumped it as I reached out. Luck was with me, and the camera aimed perfectly."

8:32 am 59 seconds. "All my energy was focused through the lens of my camera as I watched a scene unfold like a silent movie before my eyes. I never heard the blast. Somehow I managed to take 22 pictures is about 30 seconds."

"I grabbed my camera and ran for the car. The turbulent cloud loomed behind us as we sped down Road 99. We raced towards Randle as marble-sized mudballs flattened against the windshield. Minutes later, it was completely dark. We groped through the choking ash cloud to safety, taking with us a moment in time." Photos courtesy of Joel Harvey and the 8 Miles Hi group.

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