Between Seattle, Washington and Portland, Oregon and just east of the coastal range lies a narrow fertile valley bordered on the east by the Cascade Range. Amongst the peaks of the uplift mountains in the Cascades stand some of the grandest volcanoes in the contiguous United States. For as long as the Europeans have been settled along that stretch of northwest coast, those volcanoes have been recreational areas. Places to build summer homes and cottages. Mount Saint Helens was one of the most serene and sought after vacation spots. This view of Mount Saint Helens is just one year after its eruption in the spring of 1980. Spirit lake, which mirrors the truncated peak reflects both the glory and the monumental desolation. I've taken the liberty of compressing the distance between the eastern flatlands of central Oregon and the coastal volcanoes into this composition of contrast and looming beauty.