Steven Grupp and David Walker led the group of EvCC students from the Geology 110 and Geology 102 classes  on a seven-hour trip towards the Johnston Ridge Observatory and ultimately to gaze upon the “dormant” stratovolcano; Mount Saint Helens. Along the way the students walked through valleys full of hummocks, earth deposited along the valley floor from the devastating mudflows known as lahars. Also along the way, the students visited what remained of homes in the volcano’s destructive path, river valleys full of debris, but one thing eluded the group; the volcano. Low lying clouds and rain shrouded the mountain and where upon seeing this Steven said, “There are two trips we make to this area, one where you see Mount Saint Helens and one where you don’t. This was the latter”.

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Michael Rhodes

David Walker, EvCC’s Geological Science teacher, examines the valley floor for lesson examples.