Smith Creek — Friday, Sep. 16, 2016

South Cascades > Mount St. Helens

My boyfriend and I only hiked the top portion of Trail #225, which is part of the Smith Creek Trail. Some maps call this #227, but those maps are wrong (this would make it part of the Independence Pass trail, whereas the faded signs marking the TH identify this as part of Smith Creek). This (http://mountsthelens.com/files/usda-monument-map.jpg) is the map I am relying on. I do NOT recommend this upper portion to Mountain Bikers. Too many sections of the trail are flat out missing, and the trail is narrow so if anybody takes a fall... you'll wind up taking a real beating. We started this trail at the Windy Ridge Viewpoint. The road up to this point is entirely paved, but in some places there are potholes or cracks through the road, so it is important to take it carefully (35mph seems like a safe speed). At the top of this road is a large parking lot. On the north side of this parking lot is a set of stairs - 449 to be exact. This will be the largest elevation gain of the entire "hike" through the upper portion of Smith Creek. Everything else is stead and hardly any elevation gain or loss. Once you get to the top of the stairs, this is the higher viewpoint. Behind the viewpoint (that is, turning and walking away from St. Helens) is a barely-there trail that continues onward. We didn't see anyone on this trail - and thankfully so, because this is a narrow trail and at some points would have been impossible (or at least risky) for two parties to cross. The trail is mostly flat, but there are endless views and plenty of photo opportunities for spirit lake, as well as the cliff face. The trail narrows out and you're nestled between the cliff face and a steep fall if you lose your footing. There are several washed out or "missing" portions of the trail (I'm guessing where they just crumbled away) which didn't create a hindrance to myself or my boyfriend, but could potentially be very dangerous for people with anxiety or fear or heights, or for small children. In fact, I would not recommend this hike to small children at all. I also would not recommend it to people who do not have sure footing or feel uneasy around heights. I'll freely admit that I have some anxiety with heights, but this was tolerable/hardly an issue for me (YMMV). We spotted some deer and elk scat along the trail, as well as some other types that we were unable to identify. This portion of the trail ends at the road, and once you cross the road you run into Donnybrook View Point. Smith Creek trail continues onward at this point, and it is shared with mountain bikers. We did not continue down this route, and instead just went back up the trail the same way we came. Based on the TH sign, I believe the full out-and-back is approximately 2.5 miles. Because some parts of the trail are crumbling apart, I hope WTA comes out early next year to fix this portion of the Smith Creek Trail. It provides some of the most stunning views of Spirit Lake and it would be a shame if they closed it off indefinitely to the public. ALSO: In the staircase at the very bottom, I believe it is the fourth of fifth step, on the RIGHT HAND side there is a 9-inch nail sticking out of the board. This needs to be fixed before somebody winds up with a nail in their foot!