Mt St Helens 4/28/07 5 miles
In preparation for our climb in May, Michael and I decided to hike as far as we were allowed on Mt St Helens to get a feel of where we'd be heading in a few weeks - it would be our "dry" run. I emphasize dry because within a few yards of the trail head for the winter climbing route we ran into snow. Well, duh, this is the winter climbing route. Normally, people who want to climb to the crater of Mt St Helens head to the climber's bivouac and then the Monitor Ridge route. In the winter, climbers start at the Marble Mountain sno-park trail head and add another mile to their climb each way.
In preparation for our climb in May, Michael and I decided to hike as far as we were allowed on Mt St Helens to get a feel of where we'd be heading in a few weeks - it would be our "dry" run. I emphasize dry because within a few yards of the trail head for the winter climbing route we ran into snow. Well, duh, this is the winter climbing route. Normally, people who want to climb to the crater of Mt St Helens head to the climber's bivouac and then the Monitor Ridge route. In the winter, climbers start at the Marble Mountain sno-park trail head and add another mile to their climb each way.
We were a bit apprehensive before climbing out of our car and heading up the trail after the climbers heading to the top. We appraised the climbers' gear - everything from daypacks to skis - and their fitness level - everything from Joe Average to Adonis. OK, we thought, this gives us no idea how other people are preparing for the climb. Sure we had the list from the Forest Service web-site but we wanted to see what people actually brought along with us. As a fall-back we decided to follow the recommended list from the Forest Service for our climb in two weeks. Better to be over-prepared than under, I always say.
We climbed to treeline about 2 1/2 miles in and found a nice perch to sit and have lunch as we watched the climbers make their way up the mountain. The climbing ranger had mentioned it before she skied off down the hill. I thought, skis would be nice to have - too bad I'm such a klutz on them as I watched her gently glide away.
We watched for some time, as the line of ant-like climbers made their way up the snow, the clouds drifting apart every now and then to expose the crater rim. Must have been a beautiful sight from the rim - I could imagine the crater below and stretching off north, the Cascades and Puget Sound and at the center of the scene rose Mt Rainier. I was still somewhat apprehensive, remembering my failed attempt several years ago. But the thought of seeing for myself that fabulous view made me want to try all the more.
Micheal was there to evaluate the trail and happily he came back with a healthy prognosis - we could do this. All we need to do is take our time, play it safe and we'd have one more accomplishment under our belts. Come back in a few weeks to find out how we did.
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