<Tr> <Th_colspan="2"> Climbing </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> First ascent </Th> <Td> 1853 by Thomas J. Dryer </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Easiest route </Th> <Td> Hike via south slope of volcano (closest area near eruption site) </Td> </Tr> <P> Mount St. Helens or Louwala - Clough (known as Lawetlat'la to the indigenous Cowlitz people, and Loowit to the Klickitat) is an active stratovolcano located in Skamania County, Washington, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States . It is 50 miles (80 km) northeast of Portland, Oregon and 96 miles (154 km) south of Seattle, Washington . Mount St. Helens takes its English name from the British diplomat Lord St Helens, a friend of explorer George Vancouver who made a survey of the area in the late 18th century . The volcano is located in the Cascade Range and is part of the Cascade Volcanic Arc, a segment of the Pacific Ring of Fire that includes over 160 active volcanoes . This volcano is well known for its ash explosions and pyroclastic flows . </P>

What type of magma is mt. st. helens