Image-heavy post ahead...skip if you don't wanna see endless pics

In case y'all weren't aware, I'm a huuuuuuuuuuuuuuge volcano freak. I'm particularly fanboyish about Mt. St. Helens. See, when it went "kaboom," I was like 4, and I thought it was the coolest thing EVAR. Talk about a life-defining moment. A lifelong obsession was born that day, and a visit to the mountain is kind of a spiritual experience for me, not too unlike Muslims visiting Mecca I suspect.

So, since I had little better to do with myself on a 3-day weekend, I made my pilgrimage. And, of course, took pictures.

( Metric shit-ton of Mt. St. Helens pics ahead...dial up users beware )

I probably spent about 4 times as much time driving there as I did actually visiting, but it was worth it. It was soooooooooo worth it.