Truman became a minor celebrity during the two months of volcanic activity preceding the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens, giving interviews to reporters and expressing his opinion that the danger was exaggerated. I don't have any idea whether it will blow, he said, but I don't believe it to the point that I'm going to pack up. Truman displayed little concern about the volcano and his situation: If the mountain goes, I'm going with it. This area is heavily timbered, Spirit Lake is in between me and the mountain, and the mountain is a mile away, the mountain ain't gonna hurt me. Law enforcement officials were incensed by his refusal to evacuate because media representatives kept entering the restricted zone near the volcano to interview him, endangering themselves in the process. Still, Truman remained steadfast. You couldn't pull me out with a mule team. That mountain's part of Truman and Truman's part of that mountain.