Trip report by Bill DeYoung
Mt St Helens, 18 yrs later. 8:20 in the morning joking with the staff at the MSH National Volcanic Monument office about a cake with exploding frosting or an ice cream flow. I hadn't planned it, but I was there 18 yrs almost to the minute. The staff put up with my ignorance about permits and arrangements and politely sent me on my way to Jack's Restaurant where I got my pass from a pretty disinterested man I didn't presume to call Jack.
Photo: Mt. St. Helens crater, looking west along the south rim.
Kind of a late start for a solo climb on a foggy and rainy day, but the weatherman promised ... . At Climber's Biovuac there were 10 or 15 cars and one other lone climber getting his gaithers on. We chatted a bit, this was his 2nd climb and we agreed to start out together. Lionel is 66 and started mountaineering at 58. Which gives me great satisfaction and hope at 55. Snow at CB was plowed up to 8' along the lot, and about 4' around the privy. We were on snow the whole way. Mostly soft, no need for crampons.
It rained off and on and we didn't need sunglasses even after we got out of the woods until about 11. Lionel is steady, but short and slower. I'm training for a climb on Rainier in August and wanted to push, so I went on ahead after we passed Monitor Rock. By then the sun was mostly out and it was warm. Passed several groups on their way down, including a kid from Kansas who was celebrating his--yep--18th birthday. Some skiers, some experienced groups with good advice, some folks who looked like they knew less than I. Most people trying to glisade had to push themselves along through the soft snow unless the slope was really steep.
The last group I talked to guided me to a spot east of the true summit where there was no snow cornice and you could get to the rim and look in. I could see the floor of the crater and the foot of the dome. Beyond that it was mist and steam; mysterious and mostly veiled. Almost no wind and I could hear boulders crashing into the crater. Arrived at 2:00 with a group from the Royal Air Force celebrating completion of jet pilot school with a climb on St Helens. I sat and snacked and walked around to the east, but the snow was soft and deep and pretty hard going. Headed back down and met Lionel at 2:45 about 30 minutes from the rim. He was doing fine and determined to make the summit, so I headed on down, though I wasn't keen on leaving him alone as I couldn't see anyone else along the rim. Practicing the plunge step and glisade I overtook the Royal Air Force and was down and on the road by 5pm.
At 7,000' I was questioning my judgement, since I'm scheduled to climb again with the Mt Rainier team on June 6. But today I'm ready to go again. Making up for 30 years in the NW with only sporadic day-hiking.
Getting there: The ascent begins at the Climber's Bivoiac on the south side of Mt. St. Helens.
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