Mount Saint Helens (winter route) — Friday, Jul. 18, 2008

After waiting over five months, the day finally came for us to climb Mount St. Helens! I found out the day before our trip that the summer route (Climber's Bivouac) was inaccessible because Road 830 was closed. This meant that 3 mi and 1000' elevation would be added to our hike. After spending the night in Kelso, we picked up our permits at the Lone Fir Resort in Cougar, WA at 6am. The woman at the office informed us that Road 830 would likely open up next weekend. We signed the register and headed out to the Marble Mountain Sno-Park. We hit the trail at 7:15am. From the Sno Park, take the trail that is just beyond the shelter (#244); there is a sign marked ""Climbing Route"". The trail is very easy to follow from here (just don't pay attention to the tree with arrows pointing in every direction!). For the next 2.0 mi, there will be a number of ski/snowmobile trails that will pop out on both sides of the trail, but just follow the main trail. Before long, you will leave the forest and come upon Chocolate Falls and Swift Creek. When you get to the falls, make sure to cross over to the west side of the creek. There were a number of people who continued on the east side of the creek, but that is a far more difficult route (if anything). After following the creek for a short while, there is a sign leaning against a wooden marker warning you of volcanic hazards. Trot on past it and you will begin to climb the first of many ridges. There are plenty of large, obstructive rocks to wind your way around as well as rather unstable ash. The route is very steep and unstable in many places, so use extreme caution with your footing for yourself and for those beneath you. In terms of snow, there isn't too much of it to go around. There are patches of snow in the woods, but they are easy to cross. There are a few snowfields to cross from 5000' on. The snowfield just below the false summit is tricky -- an ice axe/crampons are a very good idea, although rarely anyone was using them. Past this snowfield, the ground is unstable and steep and the crater is still 45 minutes away. But, as long as you are sure-footed and determined, you'll be rewarded with amazing views of the crater, Rainer/Adams/Hood/Jefferson, and even better views of people still coming up the mountain! Note: most people reached the crater and called it a day; the real summit is ~ .5 mi to the west by a cornice. We only glissaded down one snowfield since the rest were a little iffy. We were back down to the car at 8:45pm -- a 13.5 hour trip, but we had full packs and took our sweet time. Most people made the trip in ~ 10 hours. Be prepared for a long but rewarding day and bring LOTS of water!