Mount St. Helens - Worm Flows Route — Saturday, Apr. 21, 2012

South Cascades > Mount St. Helens

Conditions here are very changeable. On Saturday, footing went from decent to mushy and avvy danger went from non-existent to "maybe" in six hours. Be prepared for anything! Snow was continuous from the trailhead to the crater rim. Things started off relatively firm in the morning, but as soon as the sun hit the slopes (and did it hit the slopes - what a day!), things started softening up. Still, there was a nice string of kicksteps almost to the top. The last 500 vertical were pretty icy and wouldn't take much of a step on the way up. Skiers (who far outnumbered climbers) were losing traction on their skins at the very top. On the way down, even the top was soft enough to take deep steps. Things got mushier and mushier the further down you went. The steepest section of the climb looked like it could potentially slide (anything east facing was subject to wet slides). By the 4,500 foot level, anyone without snowshoes or skis was plunging hip deep with every step. Cornices seemed pretty firm at the top, but who knows when that will change? With clear skies in all directions, the views were incredible - everyone on the trail was grinning from ear to ear.