Mount St. Helens - Worm Flows Route — Wednesday, Jun. 9, 2021

This was my first time doing the winter route. There is certainly a few more miles going this way, but it is way easier on the snow than it is the ash later in the summer. The trail through the woods was easy to navigate. We made a wrong turn in a boulder section. Be sure to check your maps frequently. It is easy to get lost. The creek bed was dry and you need to cross it before heading up. We went 1 mile out of the way before we caught our mistake. We then traveled up the rocks for a fair distance and got pretty high up before actually putting on crampons. The route to false summit is no joke and pretty steep. Once at the false summit I feel you gain momentum when the end is in sight. It's slow going unless you're a super star and even then it can be tricky. This is totally doable though. I saw people at the top in the best shape of their lives as well as ones that hadn't trained much. The important thing is to come prepared. Judging from the tracks I could see that a few people summited yesterday without micorspikes nor crampons, but I would recommend some kind of traction as well as trekking poles and an ice axe, if you plan to glissade down, which most people do. Secure your gear before you glissade. Stay off the cornice please!!! Especially this time of year. A view of the crater is not worth your life. There is also still an avalanche risk so be mindful of that. I saw a little one near the summer route on the way down.We got glimpses of the surrounding mountains, but nothing to spectacular. I was just grateful there wasn't a white out or snow storm. All in all a great day for a climb.