Our site will be undergoing maintenance from 6 a.m. - 6 p.m. ET on Saturday, May 20. During this time, Bookshop, checkout, and other features will be unavailable. We apologize for the inconvenience.
Cookies must be enabled to use this website.
Book Image Not Available Book Image Not Available

See inside

Book details
  • Genre:SPORTS & RECREATION
  • SubGenre:Hiking
  • Language:English
  • Pages:50
  • eBook ISBN:9781543923810

Blast

My Return to Mount St. Helens

by Jeffrey H. Ryan

Book Image Not Available Book Image Not Available

See inside

Overview

Adventurer and author Jeffrey Ryan first climbed Mount St. Helens in 1987—just seven years after the epic blast that changed the Northwest's landscape forever. Intrigued by what he might find thirty years later, he returned in the autumn of 2017 to climb the mountain again. He also spent several days hiking into ground zero of the blast zone and exploring the backcountry to witness the amazing regeneration taking place in grand and subtle ways.

Ryan's narrative is accompanied by beautiful photos showing the transformation of the area and Mother Nature's ability to bounce back. It also includes tips for visiting and hiking in the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument. 

Description
On May 18, 1980, Mount St. Helens erupted with fury. Triggered by the largest landslide ever recorded, a devastating lateral blast blew off the entire northern side of the volcano. Searing hot gasses, traveling at 650 miles per hour, scorched trees nearly twenty miles away. The mountain instantly lost 1300' in elevation. A slurry of mud, ash and melting ice inundated the landscape, which was then buried in 540 million tons of ash, and fifty-seven people lost their lives. In 1987, just seven years after the historic eruption and the first year climbers were allowed back on the mountain, Jeffrey Ryan ascended Mount St. Helens. In 2017, he went back to climb it again and to explore the areas affected by the eruption. "Blast" is the first-hand account of what he observed during the hard-charging mountaineering days of his 30s and, most poignantly, what he saw through the eyes of a well-seasoned hiker with thousands of miles under his feet. Many thought that the scars of the eruption might never heal, and some are still vivid to be sure. But the mountain and surrounding ridges and valleys have rebounded at an inspiring rate. Ryan takes us along with him deep into the blast zone, onto the mountain's summit and into the backcountry, where the recovery of the area is most vivid and affirming. In addition to Ryan's narrative, "Blast" includes helpful advice about exploring Mount St. Helens National Monument, one of the Northwest's most interesting natural areas.
About the author

Maine-based author, speaker, and photographer Jeffrey Ryan has a contagious passion for exploring the outdoors, particularly on foot. He has hiked thousands of miles—including his first “trip of a lifetime”, a 6-month hike on the Pacific Crest Trail. In 1985, Ryan began “section hiking” the Appalachian Trail with a childhood friend, a journey that would take years to complete and inspired his first book, Appalachian Odyssey: A 28-year hike on America’s trail (published in 2016 by Down East Books). He shares the experiences of his nearly three-decade hike with entertaining flair. The former Executive Editor of National Geographic noted that "Appalachian Odyssey is destined to become a classic of nature and travel writing." Ryan's Appalachian Trail experiences inspired him to learn about the dynamic relationship between the doer and the dreamer—a dynamic which culminated in the creation and completion of the legendary 2,181-mile trail. His book Blazing Ahead: Benton MacKaye, Myron Avery and the Rivalry that Built the Appalachian Trail (published in 2017 by Appalachian Mountain Club Books) has also earned high praise. In 2018, Ryan wrote Blast: My Return to Mount St. Helens, chronicling his 30-year reunion with the mountain he first climbed in 1987, just seven years after it erupted. When he is not researching or writing, Jeff is often presenting at conferences, trade shows, libraries, universities and other venues throughout the U.S. and Canada.

Book Reviews

to submit a book review