Climbing Mt. St. Helens 9/22/10

Shortly after I climbed South Sister, my friend, Chris, suggested we climb Mt. St. Helens (MSH). I thought that was a good idea and started organizing a time that worked for both of us. I also researched the steps to get the necessary permits.

You see, one can't just climb MSH any time they want. Because MSH is in the MSH National Volcanic Monument and is a very popular climb, a limit of 100 permits per day are issued from 5/15-10/31. The permits must be picked up at The Lone Fir Resort in Cougar, WA. That is also where climbers sign in and sign out.

Chris and I had a window of 9/22 and 9/23, as those were the only days that we could synchronize our days off with days that did not have the permits sold out. As those days approached, I closely watched the weather forecasts. Just as those days drew near, 9/22 looked to be favorable. Almost the entire month of September had been gray and wet up to then, and we did not want to put forth all that effort in the rain or snow.

So 9/22 it was. Everything with the permit went smooth. We made it to the Climbers Bivouac Trailhead at 9:00 AM and began the hike shortly thereafter. The sky at the trailhead was mostly clear and sunny. However, there was a cloud hovering over the top of the mountain. Positive thoughts were expressed that the cloud would burn off, affording us great views at the top.

Now for some math.

The trail to the top is 4.7 miles one-way gaining 4,500' in elevation. The high point of MSH is 8,369'. Due to safety reasons, climbers cannot get to the true high point and have to settle for 8,281'. Something of importance to note is that the first 2.1 miles gain only 915'. That means the remaining 2.6 miles gain 3,601'. This equates to 1,385' per mile, whereas 1,000' per mile is considered very steep and strenuous.

Now try that all the while rock hopping on boulders and walking on loose sand, gravel and volcanic ash. Chris and I were able to get this done in 6 1/2 hours. The sign at the trailhead noted that it should take 7-10 hours. Cue the chest puffing and bicep flexing.

As for the climb? It went off without any incidents. Both Chris and I got a little nauseous and had mild headaches due to the elevation, but nothing like we got on South Sister. There were great views until we got to around 7,200'. That's when we hit the cloud level and were shrouded in fog the rest of the way up. It also got cold and windy. At the top it was 33 degrees. My fingers were numb even with gloves on.

Here is a link to the pictures on my Flickr site:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/54959080@N05/sets/72157625101773161/detail/?deleted=5108417763