Barren land caught in tug of war
CASTLE ROCK -- The government would like to incorporate Dave Berry's land into the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, but 20 years of negotiation has gone nowhere while Mother Nature was quietly landscaping.

Eruption started a flow of souvenirs that's still molten-hot today
From the death, destruction and eventual renewal of Mount St. Helens, another phenomenon erupted -- industrial-strength kitsch. Inspired by artistic possibility and profit, an astonishing potpourri of souvenirs, paraphernalia, mementos and good ol' fashioned Americana exploded along with the eruption and has been on shelves ever since.

Blast created today’s tourist mecca
The summer before it happened, Mount St. Helens was a sleepy playground for local families. Then the mountain exhaled. Overnight, the picture-perfect panorama was no more. But from the ashes rose a new identity, economic opportunity and a tourism destination, one forged in a pyroclastic crucible. (May 11, 2000)

Mountain's surprising recovery teaches rich lessons
Wildlife casualties of the eruption number in the tens of millions. Many predicted it would take decades before living creatures returned to the most devastated areas, and centuries for full regeneration. Then came the flying spiders -- 2 million or so a day. And that was just the beginning. (May 10, 2000)

Spirit Lake came back to life
The eruption of Mount St. Helens temporarily killed Spirit Lake, but the volcano gave back what it took at a 5-for-1 exchange rate. (May 10, 2000)

>> Recovery in the dead zone: An illustrated timeline
>> Lessons learned from the recovery of St. Helens
>> An overview of the eruption's effects on wildlife

As ash blanketed everything, some made the best of situation
Twenty years ago, when Mount St. Helen's blew and volcanic ash fell like heavy sand and talcum on the state's potato, apple, asparagus and other crops, experts predicted the worst. They were wrong. (May 8, 2000)