[uspolymer]

What a humbling experience…

Even without the top, she’s a formidable and majestic mountain.
Mt. Saint Helens got the best of me.
9 people signed up plus 5 guides, including Mt. Saint Helen's Institute Volunteers

We had to traverse through the forest section first, then the boulders and finally the vertical beach (volcanic ash).
5 miles one way and about 4500’ vertical ascent.

Needless to say, I only made it to the boulders (3 miles). My right quads gave out first. I took a packet of liquid IV and rested. It helped a lot. I continued a few more minutes and my left quad gave out . Took the 2nd liquid IV pack but didn’t help this time.

I made the decision to turn around and with my tail between my legs, I made a slow decent.
I’m so glad I decided to stop, otherwise I would have made the 6pm news.

Lessons learned:
1. I’m old and my body has gotten weak or out of shape.

2. Hiking to the top of mountains isn’t my thing

3. I’m gonna stick to fishing

Any iFishers make it to the top?

 

[Don G Baldi]

Alan, just so you know, you can pretty much get those same views from an airplane.

 

[STGRule]

I live vicariously through my daughter who does those things so I don't have to.

 

[uspolymer]

Alan, just so you know, you can pretty much get those same views from an airplane.

Now you tell me.....

 

[kittiwake]

I've skied off the top a couple of times. In my opinion it is a lot easier if you go when there is still substantial snow cover.....usually in May or early June. Easier to walk in the boot pack/kick your own steps with crampons than try to navigate the talus fields and moondust. Even if you don't bring skis or a snowboard for the descent, glissading out is a lot easier on the body and more fun than walking....if you know how to stay in control! Hiking downhill always beats up my knees and quads....I'm a lot better at going up.

But good effort....its always nice to get into the alpine....NOT A FAIL....you got out and got some fresh air....there's always value in that

 

[fishinpox]

I've done st helens a handful of times now. I have no desire to go back. Have done the summer summit, have done the winter summit. Winter almost easier to be honest. Then last summer we decided to do the Loowit Trail that goes around the mountain. Middle of August, and lots of rain. I'm over that mountain, we just don't get along that well it seems......

 

[dirtman]

I've done it several times and winter time with skis was the best. Another nice thing about doing it in the winter is they dont have the quota for permits.

Also, Adams is a fun mountain to climb and ski before too much snow melts.

 

[444Marlin]

It's been a while, but yes I used to climb it every spring. I lost a pair of mittens up there...blew off the rim down into the crater while I was snapping some pics with my point and shot camera (remember those?!). I wore a spare pair of socks over my hands for the decent.

I think snow makes it easier - even when it's got a good ice pack on it, with crampons. However, I did get annoyed with the stinky snow machines buzzing around.

 

[DogZilla15]

I did it right after it opened. Lots younger then. The boulder field didn’t have an established trail yet, had to guess which rock to put yer foot on. I think the mountain is quite a bit shorter now. The rim was crumbling away constantly. I didn’t want to be anywhere close to the edge. Cracks opening up everywhere.

 

[Shanel]

What a humbling experience…

Even without the top, she’s a formidable and majestic mountain.
Mt. Saint Helens got the best of me.
9 people signed up plus 5 guides, including Mt. Saint Helen's Institute Volunteers

We had to traverse through the forest section first, then the boulders and finally the vertical beach (volcanic ash).
5 miles one way and about 4500’ vertical ascent.

Needless to say, I only made it to the boulders (3 miles). My right quads gave out first. I took a packet of liquid IV and rested. It helped a lot. I continued a few more minutes and my left quad gave out . Took the 2nd liquid IV pack but didn’t help this time.

I made the decision to turn around and with my tail between my legs, I made a slow decent.
I’m so glad I decided to stop, otherwise I would have made the 6pm news.

Lessons learned:
1. I’m old and my body has gotten weak or out of shape.

2. Hiking to the top of mountains isn’t my thing

3. I’m gonna stick to fishing

Any iFishers make it to the top?

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When you start acting old you get old! You look fit and should be able to do that... Prep better and do it again!

 

[Buck]

Been a few years, but I was in my 60's. Climbed with my son-in-law and niece. I climbed the mountain earlier in my 20's, but it was a few thousand feet taller in those days!

 

[JeffP_Or]

I too have done it a handful of times - mostly spring through August - it is a real slog in that scree for sure! In the good snow years, glissading down is the best! Have not been for a good while though - permits are a pain to get and watching people sit on the edges of the cornices was cringe-worthy.
Sounds like you did the right thing though! Now you know what to expect, you can do some training and try again - it will call you back! It is a good starter for other hikes or just training [plus, no poison oak like the gorge hikes! ].

 

[n8r1]

We do it every 2-3 years. We did it last summer so we are taking this year off. It's a fun hike but once you get out of the forest, the last 2.5 miles are fully exposed and can be brutally hot. The last 1/2 mile up the scree and loose pumice is grueling. Hiking poles help, but it's still a slow slog as you slide backward each step. Very rewarding views at the top though.

 

[DogZilla15]

A neat trick someone told me about to take the strain off certain muscles is to walk backward. I’ve tried it and it actually works.

JeffP.... “Cringeworthy”. You got that right. The folks I went with insisted on standing close to the edge and I walked out there at first..... then noticed the cracks behind us. I did “cringe” and got back to the other side of the cracks. Nothing was stable up there back then. Probably fine now.

 

[Zarn]

What a humbling experience…

Even without the top, she’s a formidable and majestic mountain.
Mt. Saint Helens got the best of me.
9 people signed up plus 5 guides, including Mt. Saint Helen's Institute Volunteers

We had to traverse through the forest section first, then the boulders and finally the vertical beach (volcanic ash).
5 miles one way and about 4500’ vertical ascent.

Needless to say, I only made it to the boulders (3 miles). My right quads gave out first. I took a packet of liquid IV and rested. It helped a lot. I continued a few more minutes and my left quad gave out . Took the 2nd liquid IV pack but didn’t help this time.

I made the decision to turn around and with my tail between my legs, I made a slow decent.
I’m so glad I decided to stop, otherwise I would have made the 6pm news.

Lessons learned:
1. I’m old and my body has gotten weak or out of shape.

2. Hiking to the top of mountains isn’t my thing

3. I’m gonna stick to fishing

Any iFishers make it to the top?

View attachment 986387
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View attachment 986390
View attachment 986391 View attachment 986392

I've skied off the top a couple of times. In my opinion it is a lot easier if you go when there is still substantial snow cover.....usually in May or early June. Easier to walk in the boot pack/kick your own steps with crampons than try to navigate the talus fields and moondust. Even if you don't bring skis or a snowboard for the descent, glissading out is a lot easier on the body and more fun than walking....if you know how to stay in control! Hiking downhill always beats up my knees and quads....I'm a lot better at going up.

But good effort....its always nice to get into the alpine....NOT A FAIL....you got out and got some fresh air....there's always value in that

Good you turned around there if you were having issues. I have soloed MSH 5 times, besides that bolder scramble...the 1100 feet or so of powder pumice and boot cutting scree is the worst (one step up, slide 1/2 step back stuff) before you make the summit transition over boot deep soft pumice. 1st time up I was hit w/ quad cramps in BOTH thighs in that pumice. Took me over an hour to recover. The down climb was NOT fun... Now a buddy of mine swears by liquid mustard to relieve cramps. I keep 4-6 packs of mustard w/ me now when climbing and have used it for leg cramps... It works, at least for me. And then I am reminded of an out-of-control glissader, a few years back, when he did not arrest his glissade in time turned both his butt cheeks into raw mess and had to be vac'ed out.

 

[tga713]

Done it a handful of times. Late spring was the best. Wife and I packed up corrugated plastic to use as sleds down. Actually had to use ice axe as brake. Got down in 40mins. Need to do it again.

 

[Blderman]

I have done it once. The hardest part is the ash field at the top. It's two steps forward, one step backward. Not so much difficult as it is frustrating. I am of the mentality that you are never too old; get out there and try it again in the future!