In March of 1980, Mount St. Helens was showing signs of activity such as earthquakes, gas vents, and small eruptions. The mountain was closed off to visitors. That didn’t stop Robert Rogers, who had spent his whole life going to places he shouldn’t have. He spent that spring exploring Mount St. Helens, bringing back samples for scientists, who didn’t ask too many questions. On May 18, the day the top of Mount St. Helens blew off in a huge eruption, Rogers was on the mountainside, getting ready to climb the summit with Francisco Valenzuela, another climber he’d met the night before. Rogers had encountered quite a few other people on the mountain. Some were authorized to be there; some weren’t. Some made it back alive, others didn’t.
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When the eruption happened, Rogers jumped into his car, but became disoriented and took a wrong turn. Both he and Valenzuela drove off the road in a panic, and when they got back on the road, Rogers insisted on going back to their campsite to find a roll of film. All the while, the ash in the air got thicker. Read the story of the serial trespasser who couldn’t leave Mount St. Helens alone at Damn Interesting. You can also listen to the story in a podcast at the same link.
(Image credit: Jmkdouglas)
Source: neatorama