It was 1980, we were 25 years old, and we had finally fulfilled a dream. North to Alaska. Six years married! I had a new job waiting for me, and we were excited to relocate. Our son had just turned two – Texas-born, and we are proud of him. Our daughter will soon arrive in Alaska, and we are proud of her.
A Texan and an Alaskan!
Life has a funny way of letting you see the past with eyes from the present. Pre-social media days put a strain on all of us. After all, I’m talking about going as far away as possible from your home and still being in-country!
In today’s experiences,
I realize how difficult it must have been
for the family that we moved so far away.
But we were young! Mobile! North to Alaska! Adventure!
The reality of the dream is simple. You must live life no matter where you plant your roots. There are decisions and bills, health and illness, and good times alongside bad times.
The Same Year
That was also the year of Mt St Helen’s. Need I say more? Fifty-seven people died, and thousands were displaced. Life changed in Washington. Our trip north was by road, and we were going to drive through the destruction zone on I-5. Little did we know the impact before making that drive. It was in November 1980, and the rain mixed with the ash. We bought gallons of windshield cleaner. The radiator on our 1977 GMC pickup had to be hosed down at every stop. That truck was a mess when we arrived in Seattle to board the ferry.
Since we were moving, I was asked how we would like to travel. I’d driven and flown to Alaska already, so we asked about the Alaska Marine Highway system. Yes! The original plans were to be on the Columbia, but an engine failure caused a lot of reshuffling. We ended up on the Matanuska. They are both in the fleet today. 40 years later! [Source] We ended up in Haines, Alaska. Those last 756 miles? We were in the dead of winter, making our way through the Yukon and on to Anchorage, Alaska.
This was our first time to be in -40 degrees! Ice! Snow! Frozen truck!
It was 1980: Any move to Alaska can be counted as a personal accomplishment, but something tragic happened in the Pacific NW the same year. Mt St Helens… Share on XI’m still living through the joys of my memories of Alaska, and I write about them often. I will always share our life experiences from my time in Alaska. Sixteen years in the North!
Life Goes On
Today? It’s 42 years later, Alaska still rings in my heart, and Mt St Helen’s is still making an impact. We have visited the visitor center several times and are astounded by our closeness to the destructive source. I found an article talking about the memories of the dreadful tragedy of Mt St Helen’s.
As the land erodes, history shows up.
“The landscape’s starting to give back up what it covered up in the 80s,” Mawhirter said.
History shows up in what I call “my backyard” of life here in Washington. Mt St Helen’s is about 45 air miles south of my home, although it’s a 2-hour drive by road. It’s rebuilding its dome and still has steam events every so often. Mt Rainier is closer to us and directly eastward. Should it ever let loose, we will have near front-row seats!
Throughout my life, I’ve been so interested in the far-flung reach of space. Never forget to be a stargazer, but don’t lose sight of what’s happening in your own backyard. That’s where life is lived.
If you would be interested in reading the article about the modern-day Mt St Helen’s recovery, here’s one. Click Here