Oct. 18, 1980 | Sixth Eruption - Day 3 Residents of towns as far away as Walla Walla woke up with an unexpected discovery: a dusting of ash from Mount St. Helens. At 9:12 last night, St. Helens sent up a third column of ash 45,000 ft into the sky, drifting eastward. #PNW#PDX#Geology#Science

"We could see (the cloud of ash) outlined by the moon," Lone Fir Resort co-owner Don Platt told reporters. "It didn't look too big. It floated over the top of us." As of this morning, St. Helens is quiet, but scientists reiterate there are no signs of activity ending soon.