Mount St. Helens Web-cam

An online "volcano-cam" broadcasts near real-time images of Mount St. Helens. On April 29, someone placed a gnome in front of the camera. Its image is shown here.

MOUNT ST. HELENS - An unusual visitor stopped by Mount St. Helens Tuesday.

Someone placed a gnome in front of the webcam at the Johnston Ridge Observatory. The camera broadcasts near real-time images of the mountain online, recorded at an elevation of roughly 4,500 feet.

The webcam is about 5 miles from the volcano itself.

The folks at Mount St. Helens aren't sure how the gnome got there.

But a webmaster for Forest Service credits the gnome for clearing the heavy snowfall that has blocked the views of Mount St. Helens for much of the winter.

In an e-mail to KING 5, USDA Forest Service Webmaster Dennis Lapcewich wrote: "We appreciate the efforts of the VolcanoCamGnome in clearing a view for all the world to see, even if the view is dark clouds today, and probably the rest of the week. I have no idea how long he will remain there, considering access to the JRO (Johnston Ridge Observatory) is all but impossible except by Forest Service Snow cat. He may remain a while until the snowdrift underneath him melts away."