Ashes
Eight Years Later
By,
Jennifer
E. Miller
Summer
1988. A sunny drive through central Washington, led into what appeared to be
snow over an otherwise dry landscape dotted with sagebrush. Top Gun’s “Danger
Zone” played over the stereo; the only music an eight-year-old, her dad, and kid
sister compromised on. Little did we know, our drive would turn into our own
danger zone.
Eyes
off the road a split second too long, and the car side-winded across the
interstate lanes, then rolled down the sloped dirt median that separated the
east and westbound traffic. Mixed with screams, anxiety, and breaking windows,
dust came swirling in around us.
When
the car finally stopped, returning to its upright position, the three of us
scrambled out and huddled together, glad we were uninjured. Only then did we
notice the car and ourselves were covered in a dirty film. Our shirts’ bright colors
were muted; our dark hair peppered with dust. Rubbing our eyes, we realized it
wasn’t dust but Mount St. Helens ash; remnants of the 1980 eruption which
spilled over Washington State. Even eight years later, it blanketed this area
of the interstate some two hundred plus miles east of the volcano site.
Ash
remained along the interstate until thin layers eventually blew away with dust,
wind, and the passing of time. But in 1988, there were still visible and
tangible reminders of Mount St. Helens famous eruption.
copyright 2020 Jennifer E. Miller
Photos used with permission from John Thielemann
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