Whittier Ridge-Lakes Loop, Norway Pass — Saturday, Sep. 5, 2020

My first real foray into the Mt Saint Helens blast zone was a winner. The variety of terrain and foliage is stunning. Wildflowers and berries abounded. I enjoyed mountain goats and grouse and saw elk on the drive to the trailhead. Mt Whittier is a four volcano summit with views of Helen, Hood, Adams and Rainier and is reached by a fun two mile ridge walk/scramble.   The Lakes Trail portion of the loop is also far prettier than I expected.

There is some discussion in previous trip reports about the difficult of the Mt Whittier traverse.   I would classify it is an easier scramble (T1 or T2 if you are familiar with the Mountaineers classification scale) but definitely more than a hike.   The key is staying on route.   I went in the counter-clockwise direction that most seem to recommend and that does make the harder sections uphill rather than down, which is easier.   Not long after attaining the Whittier Ridge there is a downstep of about 100' in the ridgeline.  It becomes unclear where the route is, but if you descend to the right about 80' and then look left, you will see where the trail has been blasted into the ridge.  Otherwise look for the paths of previous hikers and follow them.

The loop is over 14 miles but the total elevation gain is under 3,000' and other than the Whittier traverse the trails are pretty easy hiking.  My time with multiple breaks was 8 hours and 20 minutes.