Moon over Mount Saint Helens

An epic photo from an epic trip

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What do you do when you have a Canadian who lives in Minnesota visiting? Take them to see mountains that go boom, of course! My friend Jason and I got a very lucky break in the weather, so we scampered on down to see some of your favorite Pacific Northwest volcanoes. I'll have a lovely photo essay up for you as soon as I've gotten everything properly selected and edited, but here's a taste of what's to come:

Moon Over Mount St. Helens. Credit: Dana Hunter. All Rights Reserved

What a gorgeous October day! And that near-sunset light spilling up the valley to the snow-capped volcano is one of the reasons why Hoffstadt Bluffs Visitors Center is one of my very favorite places to stop on these trips. I was so delighted the moon happened to be out and positioned just about perfectly for a photo op with my favorite exploding mountain. Pretty amazing that this old point-and-shoot camera of mine handled what I asked of it so well. Click here to get a larger image and see all the detail. If you really super love this image, and wish you could have it in your home, I've got you covered! You can get prints, posters, stickers, and more here.

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