Mount St. Helens - Worm Flows Route — Wednesday, Jun. 3, 2020

I did a casual solo hike up Worm Flows on Wednesday. I've done this hike several times and noticed that the look and feel of the landscape and the hike really change depending on the snow conditions. So even if you've been on this hike before, parts might look surprisingly unfamiliar.

The first snow patches appear in the shade in the last 1/2 mile of the wooded stretch. As implied in other recent trip reports, you can keep your boots dry well past the weather station (at 5600 feet or so), with a few exceptions where the trail crosses from one ridge to the next over a snowfield...but they're easy crossings. 

Your mileage may vary but the bugs seemed attracted to my sunscreen, which was an annoyance. Not much interest in stinging, but my face was divebombed and my ears were buzzed throughout the day - it got old. Wish I had brought some bug spray.

Another lesson - the forecast temperatures were much lower than what it 'felt' like - (I think) because once out of the woods and in the full sun, you'll often be scrambling over dark, heat absorbent/radiating rocks...not to mention you'll be working hard as you gain altitude. I brought too many layers - thought I would feel much colder - had to stash my big coat along the trail. Mountain-forecast.com has temps for 3000,6000, and 9000 ft (above the summit)- and forecast showed no higher than mid-50's, but I would have been comfortable in shorts and one or two upper layers most of the way up. (As you might expect, it gets windier the higher you go.)

At this time of year, the trail is in 4 main parts. The forest is one, the section along Swift Creek is two, the rocky spine up to and past the weather station to maybe 6000ft is three, then the last steep snowy climb to the summit. Each section is progressively steeper...and obviously the last section is totally covered in snow.

If you're new to this trail: The Swift Creek section can be a little confusing - going up, you start on the east side of the creek bed, then after a while there's a crossover where you switch over to the west side of Swift Creek which deepens to become a kind of mini-canyon. Some guidebooks talk about Chocolate Falls as a reference point, and I think that confuses people because A) there are a couple of scenic cataracts that look like they might be Chocolate Falls, but aren't... and B) the water flow changes throughout the day depending on temperature/snowmelt...and C) the water flow is intermittent as in - the flowing creek sometimes disappears into the ground. Point being, the creek bed is an unstable reference point. It can take on a different look going down than it did 6 hours earlier when you were on your way up. The navigation polls and signage are not as visible or straightforward as they are on Monitor Ridge. BUT - there are clear signs for where you should cross over the creek from one side to the other.

Following boot prints in this section is not always an infallible plan as there's no one absolute path. I encountered several people in that section who either were confused themselves, or had encountered someone who was separated/lost/out of site/on the wrong ridge...and this was in near-perfect visibility. So - If you go with a group, have a plan for how close you're going to stay together (or not) / how often you'll regroup / what to do if the caboose gets detached from the train. It sounds silly, but bring a sports whistle if you have it. There are weird audio "shadows" in this terrain and voices and noises will get swallowed up in certain places. Above all...always make a point to pause and look backwards at regular intervals as you're heading up the mountain...note where you've been, look for distinctive sights/angles that you'll remember on the way down. Take a picture or two. The good news is, once you're high enough on the rocky spine, when you look back down the mountain Swift Creek is a distinctive gash in the mountain that runs down into the woods.

The rocks/boulders on the spine section aren't as big as they are on Monitor ridge, so it's not a true scramble. But there are many occasions where you'll need more than 2 points of contact with the mountain. I used poles (shortened going up, lengthened going down)...another good alternative is to bring work gloves or gardening gloves.  If visibility is good, you can look up and see the spine of rocks you're on rising up the mountain and veering off the left to the final knob below the weather station. As the snow melts in June, the sides of the rocky spine will become exposed and available for a less rocky path and make climbing this section easier. As of yesterday, there were no low-impact options - no well-worn paths. The margin between the spine and the snow was often thick, slippery mud. Whether you're going up or down on the spine, take your time and survey the options - some routes will definitely be easier than others. And while the rock piles are mostly stable...gravity and erosion are always at work, so test your steps / handholds before putting all your weight on to a new rock...Didn't happen often, but it's a little disconcerting when a 900 lb rock jiggles under your feet. I couldn't help but think of Aron Ralston a few times.

The weather station is a perfect break area after scrambling up the spine. It's relatively flat, has a great view of Mt Adams, Hood, Jefferson, and the valley below. This spot was also wildlife central yesterday...there were 4-5 mountain goats a few ridges over, sunning on the rocks. If you're not too anxious to get the rim - sit, take it all in, be as quiet as possible, and if you're lucky the marmots (wood chucks? see picture...) will come out and frolic.  There were two or three yesterday playing chase in and out of the rockpiles. It was the first time in many hikes up MSH that I've seen a single living thing other than birds and bugs.

A few more notes about the weather station. At this point when you look up, you're looking at a false rim...budget your daylight and energy wisely; you're close according to the map, but you're only halfway there in terms of vertical rise. The good news is, as of yesterday at least, there's plenty of snow to have a nice long glisade from this point (if you're ready to turn around). Just sit down in one of the 'tubes' - push off, and use your feet and a pole or ice axe as a brake. I had rain pants stuffed into hiking boots, a light sweater, and ski gloves - it kept me dry with no problem. Snow was thick enough that there were no out-of-control moments (although the higher up you start, the steeper the mountain is...make sure you can self-arrest before going full speed)...And plan your glisade route! "down" is not a good enough plan - it's easy to get led away from the trail. Be especially cautious in low visibility.

Having said that, glissading is not just fun, it's a serious time saver. Sure, you don't huff and puff on the way down the mountain, but getting down is far from easy on the old bones, and it's not like going down stairs where you can go 3 at a time if you're in a hurry. Tired legs and sore toes make stumbles more likely on the way down...at least that's the case for me.

Recent trip reports' descriptions of the last stretch to the summit are valid. All I would add is that there was a clear fracture line in the snow at about 7000 ft to the right of the trail route on a steeper part of the mountain...an avalanche that had probably happened in the last 24 hours with a runout zone that easily went a quarter of a mile. It wasn't in the path of the trail, and didn't look to be very deep...but it's a reminder to keep your wits about you and keep your head on a swivel, have a plan, etc...Other than that I would just repeat what everyone else says - treat the cornices at the rim with great respect. If the fall into the crater doesn't kill you, you'll be a very very very long way from civilization with nobody to help you but the marmots.

A few more random notes:

-There's been logging activity on the roads leading to the parking lot, and some of the cuts have given great views of the mountain.

-ATT cell service was markedly improved over my last visit (2 yrs ago). It comes and goes between Cougar and the parking lot, but I had a bar or two all the way to Chocolate Falls. (although none above that...)

-There's no running water in the parking lot- but I think the bathrooms were open (for the very brave/desperate). BYO toilet paper. You *don't* need a parking pass for the parking lot. 

-If you're doing a casual hike without a permit, there is some disagreement about how high you can go...Many sources say 4800 feet, but there's a "Climbing Permit Required from This Point" sign on the trail at about 3800 feet.