Recovery

Sunrise alpenglow and peak summer wildflowers at Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, Washington.

Thirty three years after the eruption which shot ash 80,000 feet into the air and flattened 230 square miles of forest, this area is undergoing a remarkable recovery. The wildflowers are now blooming every summer and small trees are starting to take root once again. All of the vegetation that is seen in this image is natural, since no replanting has occurred within the National Volcanic Monument. Experts believe that in 200-500 years, in the absence of another massive eruption, the area will return to the pre-1980 old growth forest. I doubt this view of the mountain will exist in a few hundred years, since an old growth forest would likely block the view of the mountain. When thinking about it in those terms, I guess this image is somewhat unique!

Nikon D800, Nikkor 14-24mm at 19mm, no filters
4 image blend for DOF and flower motion
1/8 sec at f/9, ISO 100 for the sky, mountain and valley
1/50 sec at f/16, ISO 800 for the foreground flowers

Thanks for taking a look and for any comments or suggestions. Please check out the larger version.