Entered from Windy Ridge, and completed circuit of the mountain. Complete trip report is posted on http://www.summitpost.org/view_object.php?object_id=742347&confirm_post=12, to which pictures will be added. This WTA report will focus on conditions encountered. Wildflowers are going wild at the top of Ape Canyon near the waterfall north of Pumice Butte! Get water there, as the streams between there and June Lake are muddy. June Lake (where we camped night 1) waterfalls are beautiful. My 20-year old Green Trails shows trail 244 going from June Lake to Swift Creek, but a sign at the lake identifies this as a winter ski route 244D, and no summer route across the lava here is evident -- had to hike the steep trail back to Loowit Trail above June Lake. I'm not sure if newer maps make this clear. Hike from June Lake to South Toutle is the longest and toughest of the three sections of Loowit if you choose to do it in three days. The lava flows west of the crossing of Ptarmigan Trail (summer climbing route) are marked with posts, pipes, and cairns, but still hard to follow in places. Contrary to the persistent USFS trail report, there is only one small patch of snow to be crossed, between the lava flows and Butte Camp Trail. It is a bit steep, but several folks have avoided the danger by going 100 feet lower in the shallow gully. The main thing to note on this south and west side of the mountain is that the trail is longer than topos and guides show, as there is a mile+ detour down the Blue Lake Wash that loses around 400+ feet of elevation which must be regained. Crossing the South Fork of the Toutle can be a challenge, both crossing the creek itself and the scramble up the north side of the gorge. We camped in the meadows to the north, which necessitated downclimbing and reclimbing this unpleasant cliff in the morning. The advantage of camping here vs. the Toutle Trail camp is it gets the crossing done the day before the climb back up to 4400 feet. Some of the large boulders embedded in mud are solid, but a few are not! Go one at a time, and stay clear of the area below. Crossing the north side of the mountain to Windy Ridge is the Great Volcano Adventure. First of all, I understand WTA did a lot of work on this section last year. I wondered if our late spring might have wrought some damage, but found the trail to be in excellent condition. THANKS! We saw the elk (120-150 of 'em?) traveling east across and then north down Studebaker Ridge. It felt like being on a safari! There was plenty of good water coming down the middle tributary of Studebaker Creek (but obviously needs filtering due to abundant wildlife!). The creek coming down from Loowit Falls (Loowit Creek? or upper North Fork of Toutle?) is muddy, and was fairly challenging to cross a day and a half after a somewhat rainy night. And it's muddy. The next really good water is the spring east of Loowit Falls below the Forsyth Glacier ... a veritable Eden with all the monkey flowers and willows, and a great place for a break in the hike! However, there was a lot more water flowing down the north side of the mountain than one might expect in the last half of August, and all of it could be made drinkable in a pinch. Anyone who thinks they know St.Helens by having climbed up the south side is missing the true experience of this mountain...do the hike around to really get to know her!