# Living by an active volcano is kind of fun **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 4, 2005, 8:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-by-an-active-volcano-is-kind-of-fun/283008 "2005-01-04T08:32:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Seven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Seven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seven)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2005, 8:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-by-an-active-volcano-is-kind-of-fun/283008/1 "2005-01-04T08:32:28Z")
It’s been cold and there is a small threat of morning ice on the roads. This morning I woke up for work and after a bit of grumbling around the house, I took a peak outside. Not a cloud in the sky. The roads out front looked ok. Then I noticed an odd site. Over the hill to the north I spotted a single cloud. It looked a bit like a large tree made of cotton. At first I thought it was a house fire or perhaps steam from some unknown factory of some sort. Then I realized it must be the volcano. It’s in the right area and it’s about due to do something else. As I was driving to work I-5 takes a slight curve and you end up heading right at the mountian. Sure enough, a nice fluffy pillar coming right out of the middle. It was one of those moments where I had to stop and think how lucky I was to be living in an area where something like this is going on. My daughter gets to see some of this up close in real life. Well, not REAL close. But close enough to be part of this volcanos living history. I was not near when the volcano popped in the 80’s, but I wasn’t too far away. I didn’t get a chance to see any action with my own eyes. A few years after I did manage to fly over the mountain in a small prop plane and see the shear damage up close. Well, not real close. I’ve been sort of drawn to the mountain ever since. It’s pretty cool that here I am years later watching the old girl do her thing with my own eyes. I kind of hopes she does a mini boom. Something large enough to go “wow,. cool. Look at her go!” but not big enough to cause any major damage or loss of life. ---
**Author:** ![Tikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5daacb/32.png) [@Tikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tikki)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2005, 8:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-by-an-active-volcano-is-kind-of-fun/283008/2 "2005-01-04T08:45:05Z")
**Seven** is talking about Mount St. Helens, in case anyone is confused. I’m up in Seattle. I wish I’d had the [Volcano Cam](http://www.fs.fed.us/gpnf/volcanocams/msh/) on then. It would have been cool to see. I’m glad your family gets to see it a bit closer. What a tale you all can your grandkids! ---
**Author:** ![Seven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Seven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seven)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2005, 9:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-by-an-active-volcano-is-kind-of-fun/283008/3 "2005-01-04T09:09:23Z")
Oh yeah,. heh heh. Sorry about that. Yes, St Helens. :smack: I guess I’m a bit used to saying _the volcano_ and not having people say “Nyiragongo???” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Anastasaeon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Anastasaeon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anastasaeon)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2005, 9:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-by-an-active-volcano-is-kind-of-fun/283008/4 "2005-01-04T09:19:40Z")
I’m up in Seattle, too. _sigh_ That thing hasn’t popped yet? It keeps promising to… I don’t want people to get hurt, but I am morbidly curious to see it kersplode. Even just a little. Hubby has lived here all of his life and insists I don’t want it to kersplode, since all the dust and grit in the air wreaks havoc on vehicles. But I do anyway. I don’t drive 😉 ---
**Author:** ![slortar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@slortar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slortar)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2005, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-by-an-active-volcano-is-kind-of-fun/283008/5 "2005-01-04T13:31:03Z")
And the cool thing is, if your luck takes a turn for the worse, you can always sacrifice a virgin to it. Do you have a tiki mask handy? ---
**Author:** ![Terrorcotta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dbc845/32.png) [@Terrorcotta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terrorcotta)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2005, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-by-an-active-volcano-is-kind-of-fun/283008/6 "2005-01-04T14:44:47Z")
> [@slortar](#): > > And the cool thing is, if your luck takes a turn for the worse, you can always sacrifice a virgin to it. Do you have a tiki mask handy? Good idea!! I wonder if our good ol’ American volcanos respond to virgin sacrifices? Maybe we need to organize a Ceremony to the volcano! Virgins, roasted animals, virgins, drinks with fruit and umbrellas, virgins, lots of dancing, virgins and music. Plenty of music since volcanos always respond well to good tunes… Well, it would make a great party in any event. ---
**Author:** ![PetW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d2c977/32.png) [@PetW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PetW)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2005, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-by-an-active-volcano-is-kind-of-fun/283008/7 "2005-01-04T18:57:32Z")
Just out of curiosity, how close are you allowed to get to the volcano? Can you climb up the side? Or am I taking the sacrificing virgins idea too seriously (think it would really help my luck?) Can I write a whole post using only questions? No. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2005, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-by-an-active-volcano-is-kind-of-fun/283008/8 "2005-01-04T20:33:37Z")
From what I hear of the goings-on in Gifford Pinchot National Forest prior to the 1980 eruption, the virgin-sacrifice gimmick won’t work – many virginities were sacrificed there, and it didn’t stop it from blowing the last time! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2005, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-by-an-active-volcano-is-kind-of-fun/283008/9 "2005-01-04T21:00:35Z")
My dad bought or otherwise received a little gumball-capsule of Mt. St. Helens ash after the volcano blew its top. I’ve recently found it. Up here, Mt. Baker doesn’t seem to be doing anything interesting at all. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2005, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-by-an-active-volcano-is-kind-of-fun/283008/10 "2005-01-04T21:29:58Z")
> [@Anastasaeon](#): > > I don’t want people to get hurt, but I am morbidly curious to see it kersplode. Even just a little. Hubby has lived here all of his life and insists I don’t want it to kersplode, since all the dust and grit in the air wreaks havoc on vehicles. But I do anyway. I have to say, I think Hubby is right. I’ve been in the NW since the early 70s, and I recall the 1980 blast as if it were yesterday. Or last week, anyway. Maybe last month. Whatthehellever. Anyway, it messes up more than vehicles. It was _bad news._ Kinda neat geologically (and I speak as the grandson of a geologist), but not worth the hassle, IMO. ---
**Author:** ![Seven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Seven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seven)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2005, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-by-an-active-volcano-is-kind-of-fun/283008/11 "2005-01-05T05:33:43Z")
> [@PetW](#): > > Just out of curiosity, how close are you allowed to get to the volcano? Can you climb up the side? > > Or am I taking the sacrificing virgins idea too seriously (think it would really help my luck?) > Can I write a whole post using only questions? > No. When the thing started grumbling not long ago they closed climbing and most of the trails close to the mountain. I’ve seen quite a number of trucks and “charter” buses heading towards the volcano. Personally, I think they closed the mountian ala Devils Tower/Close Encounters of the 3rd Kind. That isn’t steam, it’s exhaust from a giant mothership. Forget the virgins. We need to get Richard Dreyfuss up there.