I set out for Mt. St. Helens via the Monitor Ridge route early Friday morning with a mix of excitement and a bit of unfinished business. A few years ago I attempted the climb but turned around at the ash field after battling headaches and nausea for seven hours.
I camped at the Climber's Bivouac trailhead the night before, which made for an easy early start. As I was settling in, I overhead a hiker planning to leave around 11 PM to catch the sunrise from the summit. I passed him coming down on my way up and it sounds like he was successful. I can only imagine the experience and the photos!
I hit the trail at 6:15 AM. The hike through the forest and up the boulder fields was warm and calm, but conditions changed dramatically once I reached the ash field: strong winds that were pretty chilly at times. I was wearing a baseball hat and opted to take that off for fear of it blowing away. As many other trip reports have mentioned, the ash field is a slog. The slow pace and frequent breaks allowed me to soak in the awesome views, so it wasn't all bad.
I reached the summit at 10 AM and soaked in the views. Before heading back down, I put gaiters on. I didn't feel like I needed them on the way up, but I was grateful to have them on the way down. The loose ash easily swallows whole shoes in places.
The descent on tired legs was one of the hardest parts of the hike for me. I really had to take my time on the boulder fields. The warmer weather made for a sweaty, hot trek back to the car. I made it back at the trailhead at 1:45 PM, redeemed from my first failed attempt at Mt. St. Helens.
Gear notes:
- Gardening or other types of gloves highly recommended for the boulder fields.
- Gaiters recommended, especially for the descent.
- Through several experiences, including my first crack at climbing Helens, I've realized that I might be prone to altitude issues. I took ibuprofen for headaches and dramamine for nausea before starting this hike. That worked for me, personally. I good throughout the hike.
- Lots of water, sunscreen, layers, etc. All the good and normal stuff.
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