Today marks the 40th anniversary of the day Mount St. Helens erupted on May 18, 1980. When the volcano erupted 40 years ago it was the most disastrous volcanic event in the U.S. history. In the explosions wake left a giant lakeside crater on the top.
When the volcano erupted 1500 ft of the mountain vaporized in seconds. Now, Mt. St Helens is a total 8,365 feet. At the top of the mountain there is crater a giant crater that remains. Here in the Northwest, there is still so much to do and see on the mountain and the surrounding area. Mt. St Helens continues to teach me again and again about the power of nature. It remains the most active volcano in the cascade range.
There are so many ways you can now explore the mountain but my favorite is still from the summit. Here’s everything you need to know about summiting the mountain.
SUMMIT:
Mount St. Helens is a popular climb for both beginner and experienced mountaineers. Although strenuous, Mount St. Helens is considered a non-technical climb and is suitable for people in good physical condition who are comfortable scrambling on steep, rugged terrain. It is relatively easier mountain to climb in comparison with others in the cascade range. However, you should still come prepared with gear and training.
PERMITS:
If you would like to summit between April 1- October 31 you will need to obtain a permit from the Recreation.gov site here. The permits go on sale on March 15th and usually sell out very quickly. There are also some permit resale sites where people will sell their permits if they are not able to go. If you would like to summit, outside of the peak window, you can obtain a self serve permit at the trailhead.
ROUTES:
There are two main routes you can take to summit the mountain. They ar the Monitor Ridge Route (Summer, Peak Season Route) or the Warm Flows Route (Winter Route). The Monitor Ridge route is 10 miles long, 4,598 ft and begins at the Climbers Bivouac trailhead. Warm Flows is 12 miles long, 5,563 ft and begins at the Marble Mountain SnoPark trailhead Mount St Helens Institute keeps updated information about current conditions here.
I’ve climbed the mountain from both routes in both winter and the fall. I personally found the Fall to be a better time. In early spring the mountain can still have a ton of snow on it depending on the season which means hiking 12 miles roundtrip in deep snow which was not my favorite experience. If you luck out with nice weather I prefer September, October for summiting this specific mountain.
GLUTEN FREE SUMMITS:
One benefit to being Gluten Free is that you become extremely self reliant. You have to always pack as much food with you as possible because you know its unlikely that you’re going to be able to share food with the rest of the crew. And while summiting mountains, you burn so many calories so I always pack way more food than I think I need just in case I might need to be out there for longer than expected.
I always bring my own water but I also always travel with this Sawyer filter in case I need to filter water at anytime. I also always carry a ton of jerky and other snacks and I always bring a backpacking meal just in case because those can always be eaten with cold water if needed for extra fuel in an emergency or if you get extra hungry. They may not taste as good as with hot but still an option when you’re desperate.
There’s so much to do and see on and around Mount St. Helens and the area just opened back up!