The Hummocks are massive mounds of rock, ash, and mud that were piled unceremoniously around the floor of the new Coldwater Lake valley by the mighty blow. But these aren't just piles of rubble. Some of the hummocks tower 500 feet into the air and cover a once-grand ancient forest.

The loop trail weaves among the hummocks and the small catch-basin ponds that dot the landscape around the mounds. The Hummocks Trail features a lot of rolling up and down, but no serious, committed elevation changes.

Doing the route clockwise puts you on the pool side of the loop right off the bat. Most of the small ponds are on the northern side, near the trailhead, so you'll skirt a handful of them, with St. Helens herself looming on the horizon straight ahead.

After about 0.75 mile, you'll swing west toward the North Fork Toutle River, and then loosely follow the river's course for another mile or so, weaving through a mixed bag of obstacles. Besides the hulks of the hummocks near the river, there are marshy bogs to avoid, and interwoven stream channels to be aware of.

This section of the hummocks shows great vitality. Life is booming here, as birds and bees fill the air, elk can frequently be found browsing on the lush grasses, and birds of prey overhead give testament to the fact that small land mammals are thriving, too (if there were no rodents to eat, the big raptors wouldn't waste their time here).

Closing this clockwise loop, you come out facing Coldwater Lake (just around the highway from this loop trail).