June Lake, Loowit
Oct 20, 2009
by
Ryan Ojerio
—
last modified
Oct 21, 2009 10:34 AM
- Type of Outing
- Day hike
- Read More in our Hiking Guide
- Hike: June Lake
- Region: South Cascades -- Mt. St. Helens
- Agency: USFS Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument
- Trails: June Lake (#216.1)
- Avg Rating: 3.60
- Read More in our Hiking Guide
- Hike: Loowit Trail
- Region: South Cascades -- Mt. St. Helens
- Agency: Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument
- Trails: Loowit (#216)
- Avg Rating: 3.11
- Why You Should Go Now
- Fall foliage
- Be Aware Of
- Overgrown
- Mud/Rockslide
- Washouts
- No water source
Open grasslands on the SE side of Mount St. Helens with a view of Mt. Adams capped in fresh snow.
Next year marks the 30th anniversary of the 1980 eruption and in celebration of that event we're anticipating working on the Loowit trail with volunteer vacations and Backcountry Response Teams. So we hiked this section to scope out the trail conditions.
The hike unfolds in three chapters, first a gentle climb up the June Lake trail ending at the clear waters of the lake fed by a waterfall. Climbing higher to the jct with the Loowit we turned right and headed east alternately through the forest and across chunky lava flows softened by moss. After a couple miles the trail traverses a different landscape; open grassland with patches of red and swathes of bear grass stalks that must have been spectacular earlier this summer.
Along the last leg of the hike we saw spectacular views of Mt. Adams, plus a glimpse of Mt. Rainier as well as nice views of Mount St. Helens. Far to the south we could also make out Mt. Hood sticking sharply out of the clouds.
We ended the hike where the trail ended at the edge of a precipice carved by the erosion of spring floods. Across the abyss we could see the trail taking off again. But we balked at the idea of climbing down the steep rocky gorge and back out again.
There is lots of worked needed along this section of the Loowit including brushing and tread restoration along the steep side slopes where the trail traverses creeks that flood annually.
The hike unfolds in three chapters, first a gentle climb up the June Lake trail ending at the clear waters of the lake fed by a waterfall. Climbing higher to the jct with the Loowit we turned right and headed east alternately through the forest and across chunky lava flows softened by moss. After a couple miles the trail traverses a different landscape; open grassland with patches of red and swathes of bear grass stalks that must have been spectacular earlier this summer.
Along the last leg of the hike we saw spectacular views of Mt. Adams, plus a glimpse of Mt. Rainier as well as nice views of Mount St. Helens. Far to the south we could also make out Mt. Hood sticking sharply out of the clouds.
We ended the hike where the trail ended at the edge of a precipice carved by the erosion of spring floods. Across the abyss we could see the trail taking off again. But we balked at the idea of climbing down the steep rocky gorge and back out again.
There is lots of worked needed along this section of the Loowit including brushing and tread restoration along the steep side slopes where the trail traverses creeks that flood annually.
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Parts of the Loowit are largley reclaimed by vegetation along this stretch.
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Where the trail traverses steep grades it is losing ground to gravity and erosion.
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Vine maple shows one last flourish before dropping its leaves.
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