Mt St Helens Climb Trip Report

[d360]

Mt St Helens Climb

Climb date: June 11, 2011
Start time: 8:15 am
Finish time: 5:20 pm
Conditions: Slight wind and partly cloudy skies
Our group: Dan M., Dede, Lila, Rick, and Dan T.

Mt St Helens Climb Trip Report
Early season conditions still exist at Mt St Helens, which required us to begin from Marble Mountain Sno-Park. We followed the Worm Flow winter route, which is still snowy—there was about 2 feet of snow on the route for several hundred yards out of the snow park.

Route
The Worm Flow Route, which starts at Marble Mountain Snow Park, is the most direct route to the summit of Mount St Helens during the snowy seasons. Use the Swift Ski Trail (#244) to read the timberline, and then cross to the west side of Swift Creek, just above Chocolate Falls (elevation 3,700 feet). Follow the ridges and open slopes to the crater rim. There is no set trail, but wooden posts mark the route and guide climbers from the timberline to about 4,800 feet.

Gear
Some climbers wore crampons; some wore snowshoes. Our group wore boots and used trekking poles, along with ice axes for glissading down. Checking the Mt St Helens forecast is always wise to know what to bring.

Permits are required between April 1 and October 31 for anyone who plans to hike above the timberline. Climbers get a confirmation receipt emailed to them when they buy their permits and then pick them up en route to the mountain. Permits can be picked up between 6 am and 9 pm, seven days a week, at the Lone Fir Resort, which is at 16806 Lewis River Road (aka SR 503), in Cougar, WA. From the Lone Fir Resort, it’s 14 miles to the Climbers Bivouac trailhead and 12 miles to the Marble Mountain Trailhead.

Regarding safety, there are a few things to be sure to take with you on the climb. The Mt St Helens safety tips recommend bringing:
o 3-4 liters of water per person
o Enough high-energy food for several small meals and snacks
o Sun protection, including sunglasses, sunscreen, lip balm with an SPF, and a hat
o Hiking boots that are lug-soled, waterproof, and have ancle protection and ¾ shank
o Gaiters to keep rain, snow, ice, and rocks out of your boots
o Multiple layers of clothing, including a warm hat and a waterproof jacket and pants
o First-aid kit
o Trekking poles
o A headlamp or flashlight, even if you don’t plan to be hiking at night

The directions from Seattle are quite simple, and it’s also easy to get here from Portland and points south.

Pictures
Check out our Mt St Helens climb pictures and a virtual tour of the summit, or see a map of the climbing route.

[VacationBuddy]

that's an amazing view from the top of Mt Helens

[Ruby]

I thoroughly enjoyed the trip report and the virtual tour of the summit..thanks for posting:)

[Danny]

Very cool Dan...I had some friends that recently did a long mountin bike loop around the Mt Helens and the pics were amazing as well. Very surreal landscape.

[Jenna]

always wanted to do the hike...did you guys get any blisters?

[d360]

No Blisters but some wet feet.

[Constantine675]

awesome trip report buddy!

I've done the Mt St Helens climb in winter dont I wouldn't recommend newbies doing a hike of Mt St Helens in winter. It's best you do it between February and early-summer for snowshoe and ski / snowboard summits. The bonus of doing this time is that you'll get away from the permit quota annoyance.

Also, it's true that the Worm Flows Climbing Route is the most direct route to the summit of Mount St. Helens but only in winter. if you plan to do it in summer then, take the Monitor Ridge Climbing Route.