Mount St. Helens
The morning of May 18, 1980 in the Pacific Northwest was a day that will live in history as one of the most incredible displays of the volatility of our planet that we will likely see in our lifetimes for those of us who were born before this event. One of the most incredible experiences that one can have since the mountain was declared “safe” again many years ago is to make the challenging climb up the South flank of this famous mountain and then gaze over the edge of the crater. This view includes the famous growing lava dome and then on toward Spirit Lake and in the far distance looms the true giant of the Cascades, Mt. Rainier.
The 10 mile roundtrip climb up Monitor Ridge is a 4,500 ft. vertical ascent that would be challenging but is made even more so by the 2,500 ft. of boulder fields that must be carefully navigated for over half of the climb. Some of these boulders are the size of small cars and require hopping from one to another and if you are climbing in late season after the snow is gone the climber will be be additionally challenged by the loose pumice up the remaining 2,000 ft. that has the effect of taking two steps forward and one back all the way to the summit. To avoid this extra challenge I recommend a climb in mid-May when the snow still is still lingering on the upper portion of the mountain.
Point of caution… if you do take on this climb and snow is still on the summit it is essential to stay well back from the edge of the crater as the cornice over the lip of the crater can easily give way. Climbers have died due to this danger so please respect the mountain! If you do take the climb while snow is present I recommend taking along a flexible rollup sled to enjoy the ride down but be careful to navigate toward Monitor Ridge as the fall line can take you down the wrong direction off trail if you are not paying attention. Once again, respect the mountain so you don’t get lost.
If you are adventurous and in climbing shape I highly recommend investigating this trip on a reliable website such as https://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/mount-st-helens-monitor-ridge and then watching for a weather window that will give you the best views from the top just as our group was blessed to have on this day in 2017.
I hope you enjoy this photo as much as I enjoyed taking it in person. Hopefully you will be able to put this on your list of adventures to do some day if you haven’t already done this climb!
