Mount St. Helens - Worm Flows Route — Saturday, Apr. 16, 2016

South Cascades > Mount St. Helens

Started from Marble Mtn Sno Park at 4:45am. Snow started well before Chocolate Falls. We were able to watch the sun rise over Mt Adams to the east as it was a beautiful and clear day. There were a few people in front of us which made route finding pretty easy. If you don't see tracks, there are plenty of posts and cairns to mark the way. That being said, it's always a good idea to bring along a contour map. We were the first of the day to make the trek over to the true summit, which was a bit nerve-wracking, as there was a moderate avalanche danger. Stick to bonded surfaces, and keep well away from the cornices, which is where most of the fatalities on the mountain happen. Some of these cornices can collapse when you are well back from the edge. We were able to glissade most of the way down, which was an awesome break for the legs after the 5700' gain. Before you descend, look for Rainier, Adams, Hood, and Jefferson mountains. On exceptionally clear days you can see Baker as well. Make sure you start well before daybreak, as the people we saw going up on sun-softened snow were having a really rough time. Ice axe is mandatory, crampons highly suggested, and gaiters will keep snow out of your boots if you glissade. You'll need the ice axe to glissade down and protect against falls should you make your way over to the true summit. Sun screen is definitely needed for white people like me, as the snow reflects the light and you can get sunburns in places you didn't think possible. I wore a UV blocking face sleeve and polarized glasses, but I wish I had glacier goggles or something to protect light from coming in the side of my sunglasses - my eyes were fried the next day. For this reason, please don't bring your dog on this hike - they can experience severe eye damage from hours of blinding light. Please do not walk in the glissade tracks unless they are frozen and solid. Your butt will thank you on the way down. 5.5 hours up, 2.5 hours down. There are maybe a dozen spots to throw up a tent at the trailhead, so plan your arrival accordingly.