Prior to the 1980 eruption, Mount St. Helens was the fifth-highest peak in Washington. It stood out prominently from surrounding hills because of the symmetry and extensive snow and ice cover of the pre-1980 summit cone, earning it the nickname, by some, Fuji-san of America.(p201) The peak rose more than above its base, where the lower flanks merge with adjacent ridges. The mountain is across at its base, which is at an elevation of on the northeastern side and elsewhere. At the pre-eruption tree line, the width of the cone was .