Anything I should know about Olympia? (Shelton, Port Townsend: crime, homes, safe neighborhoods)

[Metlakatla]

If Mt. Rainier starts spitting prior to the big eruption, I'll probably have time to go up to my place in Alaska until it blows over. Or maybe I'll be up there anyway.

I'll be out in West Olympia, so maybe I'll be out of range of the lava when Mt. Rainier blows up. Any other mountains around there that might blow up?

I just hope I can get off the Oregon coast before the subduction zone earthquake/tsunami wipes us out over here.

[Wile E. Coyote]

Originally Posted by Metlakatla

If Mt. Rainier starts spitting prior to the big eruption, I'll probably have time to go up to my place in Alaska until it blows over. Or maybe I'll be up there anyway.

I'll be out in West Olympia, so maybe I'll be out of range of the lava when Mt. Rainier blows up. Any other mountains around there that might blow up?

I just hope I can get off the Oregon coast before the subduction zone earthquake/tsunami wipes us out over here.

I'm in Portland about 50 miles from Mt. Hood. I'd rather be 75 miles from Mt. Hood. I have been considering Washington; but, I think up along the West coast it's more tenuous than the NW Portland area where I am (due to being on the water and this Mt. Rainier thing). I think I'd rather be in Battleground or certainly Vancouver. I really like the idea of the Bellingham area. The pricing in Wenatchee is way better.

I saw a program that covered this issue with Mt. Rainier a few years back (about the destruction that they estimate can occur in that area). I could not un-see it.

I don't buy into the Cascadia Subduction Zone where sometimes those 9.0's are somewhere between 250 and 910 years intervals. The insurance industry made the 300 year mark a reason to raise our insurance rates. I do not lose any sleep over that one.

[Diana Holbrook]

I've been here long enough to remember the last Volcano. It was one of the most fascinating experiences of my young life, and I have loved returning back over the years to observe the change and recovery of the flora and fauna. I am glad I was here for it! I am not admitting I look forward to another volcano but you can't say it wouldn't be incredibly amazing to see Mt. Rainier go. Talk about witnessing history!

Ash clouds will depend on the winds. Mt. St. Helens sent a few ash falls Westward (and North) over the months that I remember dusting us in Olympia, but most prevailing winds, and the wind on the day of the most major eruption, went east. The ash clouds were a major impact and not as dramatic as the mud flow footage, but the long term effects were huge, on agriculture. You can still find ash in the bottom of drainages out there. It dries and blows around, it gets wet and turns to a paste, but the stuff doesn't wash away. It just stays. Eventually it got plowed in to fields. For a few years afterwards, we'd still need to wet down Eastern Washington hay when feeding it to cut down on the dust and ash in it.

Mud flows will likely follow one or all of the major river valleys that flow from the mountain. In that way they are predictable. We know where they are. The good news with this area is there is LOTS of high ground. My main goal would be to try to get to one of those high viewpoints with a camera.

[Metlakatla]

I remember the last volcano, but not many of the details because I was pretty young. The ash covered everything, and the people were selling tiny little jars of it.

[MechAndy]

I remember the last volcano too.
It effected us even down here in the San Francisco area with its over cast and soot.
The local KFC was giving away small coleslaw containers filled with Mt St. Helen’s ash.

What I remember most is that it brought a sense of reality to volcanoes.
Before that they were only in the movies or in ancient history as far as I was concerned.

Spending some time there exploring that area is one of my bucket list items to do.
Lots of my family and friends have done that and it sounds good.

[Diana Holbrook]

Originally Posted by Metlakatla

I remember the last volcano, but not many of the details because I was pretty young. The ash covered everything, and the people were selling tiny little jars of it.

Yes... and making "ash" trays and little figurines!

We had two 5 gallon buckets of it in our garage for awhile too, potentially for use in some craft project my mother had in mind that never happened.

[Diana Holbrook]

Originally Posted by MechAndy

I remember the last volcano too.
It effected us even down here in the San Francisco area with its over cast and soot.
The local KFC was giving away small coleslaw containers filled with Mt St. Helen’s ash.

What I remember most is that it brought a sense of reality to volcanoes.
Before that they were only in the movies or in ancient history as far as I was concerned.

Spending some time there exploring that area is one of my bucket list items to do.
Lots of my family and friends have done that and it sounds good.

It is definitely still worth the trip. Should be better this year than the last couple where the visitor centers were closed for COVID. Johnston Ridge and the volcano movie and reveal is really well done, as is the Weyerhauser Visitor Center near the entrance to the volcanic monument, that tells the story from the logging and timber perspective.

[Diana Holbrook]

Originally Posted by Rogue29

You might struggle a bit if your tendencies run to the conservative end of the spectrum.

Or move just a little ways out of town

[MtnSurfer]

Originally Posted by MechAndy

What I remember most is that it brought a sense of reality to volcanoes.
Before that they were only in the movies or in ancient history as far as I was concerned.

Spending some time there exploring that area is one of my bucket list items to do.
Lots of my family and friends have done that and it sounds good.

It's a fun place to visit and beautiful for hiking/exploring. My son is actually climbing it today in the snow taking the 'winter route.' I've hiked the area in the snow but never attempted to summit. That too much for me but not when you've 20 something.

Here's a few pics I took at night and into sunrise during winter. It's super clear up there.


















Derek

[MechAndy]

Derek that last picture is breathtaking.
I mean look at all that missing mountain.