Mount Saint Helens National Volcanic Monument Things to Do Tips by ...

At the end of a grand drive - 53 miles east of the I-5 exit at Castle Rock - high above the devastion left behind by the huge lahar that roared down the North Fork of the Toutle River - lahar is the huge devastated swath created by the devastation left behind by the huge superheated ash, rock and mudflows created by the blast, which melted glaciers instantaneously. The North Fork lahar is by far the largest, but not the only lahar that was enlarged upon by the 1980 eruption. The Visitor Center is atop Johnston Ridge at 4200 feet giving a grand vista across into the Breach - the open part of the horseshoe - and at the new steaming Lava Dome rebuilding the mountain from the inside. Lots of informative displays and movies can be enjoyed at the Center.

From the Center, you can hike atop Coldwater Peak - 5727 feet - high above St Helens Lake and square in the devastated area. On the way up to the Visitor Center yo upass Coldwater Lake where you can enjoy ... the cold waters ;-\

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Phone: 360-274-2140
Address: 42218 N.E. Yale Bridge Rd., Amboy, WA 98601
Directions: 53 miles east of Castle Rock exit on I-5
Website: www.fs.fed.us/gpnf/mshnvm

When the north side of Mt St Helens blew away, it sloshed the waters of Spirit Lake 800 feet up the northern slopes above the old banks, stripping away thousands of trees - many of which remain floating in the lake's waters today. Before the Johnston Ridge Visitor Center was built, most visitors got up close to Mt St Helens via the long road to the Windy Ridge Viewpoint on the northeast side of the volcano. That entails a long drive around the mountain on paved, but slow roads deep in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. There are several trails off the Windy Ridge Road that are spectacular. One goes down to the lakeshore passing Harmony Falls in 1.1 miles. Two other options head to Norway Pass. From a trailhead just norht of Meta Lake, the Boundary Trail winds up through devastated forests to Norway Pass in 2.2 miles. From the Independance Pass Viewpoint - further along the Windy Ridge road - you can hike to the same Pass in 3.5 miles along ridges and past volcanic spires high above Spirit Lake.

Norway Pass -4500 feet- gives you a postcard view over devastation, the lake, the crate and its smoldering dome within.

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Address: 42218 N.E. Yale Bridge Rd., Amboy, WA 98601
Directions: From I-5, exit 21 Woodland; east following signs to Mt St Helens- SR 503 through Cougar which becomes Forest Route 90; north on FR 25 25 miles and left on FR 99.
Website: http://www.fs.fed.us/gpnf/recreation/trails/locations/msh-0227-independence-pass.shtml

Norway Pass is grand. 3.4 miles farther is Mt Margaret - 5858 feet high - and 'grand' becomes 'grandeur'! Devastation ensures views in 360 degrees. North lies a series of lakes and an airy trail along a ridge crest to Mt Whittier - 5883 feet. Huckleberry bushes flourish in the area, providing a bountiful harvest, as can be seen from that steaming red-purple bear scat on the trail in front of you:-0

Backcountry camping permits need to be obtained in advance. See the website below for more.

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Phone: 360-449-7871
Address: 42218 N.E. Yale Bridge Rd., Amboy, WA 98601
Directions: From I-5, exit 21 Woodland; east following signs to Mt St Helens- SR 503 through Cougar which becomes Forest Route 90; north on FR 25 25 miles and left on FR 99, 8 miles to FR 26; right to trailhead.
Website: http://www.fs.fed.us/gpnf/mshnvm/backcountry/

A lahar is an area devastated not by lava but by mudflows. The eruption of 1980 melted glaciers high on the mountain instantly. The ice that roared down off from what was Shoestring Glacier in a huge tidal wave of superheated mud rock and ash scoured the landscape between the Muddy River and Pine Creek - an area one kilometer across. Along Forest Road 83, near its end, there are a couple of viewpoints where you can gaze in wonder over flowers and desolation towards the mountain beyond.

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Address: 42218 N.E. Yale Bridge Rd., Amboy, WA 98601
Directions: From I-5, exit 21 Woodland; east following signs to Mt St Helens 35 miles to Forest Road 83;
11 miles farther to lahar viewpoints.
Website: www.fs.fed.us/gpnf/mshnvm

To better appreciate the extensive lahar swath along the Muddy River, take the Ape Canyon trail - the trailhead is on the north side of Forest Road 83 just short of its end at the Lava Canyon trail. Walk through forests towards the mountain. The 1980 eruption was not the first time this area was devastated - as you can tell from the lower height of the trees in the old USGS picture. What 1980 did, however is evident - besides the obvious lowering of the mountain - in this picture and the next tip.

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Address: 42218 N.E. Yale Bridge Rd., Amboy, WA 98601
Directions: From I-5, exit 21 Woodland; east following signs to Mt St Helens 35 miles to Forest Road 83;
11.2 miles farther to Ape Canyon trailhead.
Website: http://www.fs.fed.us/gpnf/recreation/trails/locations/msh-0234-ape-canyon.shtml

As you walk up the Ape Canyon trail, you walk along cliffs overlooking the vast lahar of the Muddy River. Much of the 5.5 miles to the trail's junction with the Loowit Trail, lie within huge old growth forest - standing in marked defiance of the devastation just meters to the west.

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Address: 42218 N.E. Yale Bridge Rd., Amboy, WA 98601
Directions: From I-5, exit 21 Woodland; east following signs to Mt St Helens 35 miles to Forest Road 83;
11.2 miles farther to Ape Canyon trailhead.
Website: http://www.fs.fed.us/gpnf/recreation/trails/locations/msh-0234-ape-canyon.shtml

At the end of the Ape Canyon Trail, 5.5 miles, you ocme to the Loowit Trail - a trail that goes around the base of Mt St Helens. To your right is the dramatic 300 foot rock slot Ape Canyon, slicing through mountain walls like a knife through butter. The canyon draws a narrow line which drops quickly down the the valley floor of Smith Creek, over 2000 feet below.

Ape Canyon was so named when a Sasquatch - Bigfoot - was seen throwing rocks on a miners cabin below in the valley - 1924. This first Bigfoot sighting was later confess to be bogus, but the name remains.

From here the entry into the moonscape of the Plains of Abraham is also visible, inviting the wanderer to venture farther.

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Address: 42218 N.E. Yale Bridge Rd., Amboy, WA 98601
Directions: From I-5, exit 21 Woodland; east following signs to Mt St Helens 35 miles to Forest Road 83;
11.2 miles farther to Ape Canyon trailhead.
Website: http://www.fs.fed.us/gpnf/recreation/trails/locations/msh-0234-ape-canyon.shtml

A mile-long plateau at the eastern base of Mt St Helens, the Plains of Abraham have long been devoid of life. Massive avalanches off the eastern mountain bastions have constantly swept away what life there was. 1980's eruption ismply continued the process, albeit in a more dramatic manner. To wander among these plains is to transport yourself to another state of mind. Here, it is easy to sit on a rock and just gaze in wonder at the World we live in. For more views, see my travellogue.

Note that the Loowit Trail, which you join onto just before reaching the Plains of Abraham, encircles the mountain normally. This year it is closed from the Plain of Abraham west across the entire norhtern face of the mountain - due to volcanic activity. *

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Address: 42218 N.E. Yale Bridge Rd., Amboy, WA 98601
Directions: From I-5, exit 21 Woodland; east following signs to Mt St Helens 35 miles to Forest Road 83;
11.2 miles farther to Ape Canyon trailhead.
Website: www.fs.fed.us/gpnf/mshnvm

From about mid-July through mid-October, a climb of Mt St Helens can be considere as a hard hike - 4500 feet to be gained in 4.7 miles. The Monitor Ridge route takes you from the large parking lot at the 3765 foot high Cliimbers Bivouac through two miles of forests and then up a rugged lava ridge - so-called because of the monitors (which you can see) that sit along the ridge to give scientists indications of potential future eruptions. Monitor tower like the ones you see along this ridge can also be seen atop many other domes around the mountain. Near the top of your climb, lava rock gives way to ash sands making the tread tedious except for the everwidening view to the south. Suddenly, you are at the Rim. A gigantic horseshoe with 2000 foot high cliffs fram the hissing Lava Dome - rebuilding the mountain's losses from the inside-out - the waters of Spirit Lake and glaciers of Mt Rainier are beyond.

Note - the climbing season is cancelled for now in 2005 by the Forest Service due to volcanic activity. The road into Climbers Bivouac is gated. *

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Phone: 360-449-7861
Address: 42218 N.E. Yale Bridge Rd., Amboy, WA 98601
Directions: From I-5, exit 21 Woodland; east following signs to Mt St Helens 35 miles to Forest Road 83; left for 3.1 miles "Climbers Bivouac"; follow gravel roads another 4.2 miles to the parking lot.
Website: http://www.fs.fed.us/gpnf/recreation/mount-st-helens/index.shtml

The technical highpoint of the mountain - 8365 feet - lies about a halfmile to the west, but the icy headwall of Dwyer Glacier make this visit very precarious. Rest assured, I cna tell you that the view from there is the same as from the end of the Monitor Ridge's route - 8281 feet. Watch in awe as rock avalanches roar off the crater cliffs.

Earlier in the season, it is possible to ski all the way up, though a large cornice forms at the rim which you should observe with caution.

A word about the climbing permits needed to climb here - climbing rangers monitor the route to make sure everyone has a permit. Summer weekends, you need to reserve, in February when the permits are first available. UP to 12 in a pary, $30 per permit. There are a few permits offered - for the next day. The problem is you end up wasting a day by going to Jack's Restaurant, near the town of Cougar on the south end of the mountain, to sign up. First come - first served, but you con't get the permits until later in the day. Late in showing up nad the permit goes to someone else. See the following website for all of the rules of the game. Even though it is bureacracy at its best, the views from the Rim and relative lack of others on a trail that would be overrun, makes your trek and pre-trek trials, worthwhile.

Climbing for 2005 is on permanent hold by the Forest Service because of volcanic activity within the mountain. An eruption would be a definite bummer if your were in the process of peakbagging on this one! *

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Phone: 360-449-7861
Address: 42218 N.E. Yale Bridge Rd., Amboy, WA 98601
Directions: From I-5, exit 21 Woodland; east following signs to Mt St Helens 35 miles to Forest Road 83 left for 3.1 miles "Climbers Bivouac"; follow gravel roads another 4.2 miles to the parking lot.
Website: http://www.fs.fed.us/gpnf/recreation/mount-st-helens/index.shtml