A quick trip report on this route since it has been awhile since someone has posted.
Road to the Marble Mountain parking lot has sections covered in ice and snow over the last five miles. My 4runner made it with no issues but I would have been comfortable driving it in a passenger sedan as none of the sections were covered in deep snow.
Unlike my trip in January, there is a good amount of snow right at the beginning of the route and we put our snowshoes on right away. A well beaten boot path that makes travel very easy exists and quite honestly, in the early morning temps, we could have probably stowed our snowshoes away without much postholing.
The boot path leads right to the ridge and continued up it. We kept our snowshoes on at this point taking advantage of our heel risers for the steady incline. At about 6,000' the temps really soared and we found without showshoes, we would posthole so we kept them on for the entire climb.
Cornices were evident on the crater rim and honestly, it was difficult to get a view of the crater without moving a bit too close to the edge for my taste. That being said, it was a beautiful day with fantastic conditions.
With a storm moving in the next few days, I suspect someone will have to put the work in to forge a new trail for the great weekend weather.
Trip Report
Mount St. Helens - Worm Flows Route — Tuesday, Mar. 6, 2018
South Cascades > Mount St. Helens
Comments
tpioletti on Mount St. Helens - Worm Flows Route
What a beast
Posted by:
tpioletti on Mar 07, 2018 06:26 PM
Stuke Sowle on Mount St. Helens - Worm Flows Route
Thank you! Just out there getting it as much as I can. :-)
Posted by:
Stuke Sowle on Mar 08, 2018 10:16 AM
TrailBender on Mount St. Helens - Worm Flows Route
thank you for your report, i plan to go this sunday
I have done helens back in october, monitor ridge but never the worm flows
I also intend to bring an inexperienced friend.
Question is, is there an absolute need for an ice axe? especially when strapped on snowshoes for the climb which i am expecting to be on.
Did you guys glissade your way back down? or were reports of hard snow still holding true?
Posted by:
TrailBender on Mar 08, 2018 10:02 AM
Stuke Sowle on Mount St. Helens - Worm Flows Route
I haven't brought an ice axe the last two times I have gone. I just don't find the exposure warrants the need for one. I did not do any glissading as the snow was far too soft on the entire route. Of course if a thaw/freeze cycle happens, the slopes might be quite icy early in the day before the sun warms it up.
Posted by:
Stuke Sowle on Mar 08, 2018 10:19 AM