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Mt St Helens To Open?

Criminal

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Criminal

+Criminal

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Mount St. Helens officials consider permitting climbs to crater rim

 

Wednesday, March 15, 2006

By ERIK ROBINSON, Columbian staff writer

 

There aren't many places on Earth where it's possible to climb an erupting volcano and peer over the crater's edge.

 

Soon, adventure-seekers may be able to do just that at Mount St. Helens. A year and a half after the volcano stirred to life in September of 2004, U.S. Forest Service officials are deciding whether to reopen the volcano to climbers. Advertisement

 

"The public is interested," said Tom Mulder, manager of the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument. "It's a recreation niche, a learning opportunity, and we want to serve the public well."

 

Forest officials in February began accepting conditional climbing reservations, which would enable permit-holders to scale the mountain from the main staging route at Climber Bivouac. Mulder, in an interview Tuesday, cautioned that he and Gifford Pinchot National Forest Supervisor Claire Lavendel haven't yet decided whether to reopen the climbing route, but permit-seekers are being advised that the traditional starting date of the climbing season is May 15.

 

During the busy summer climbing season, the Forest Service has historically capped the number of permits at 100 per day; half by reservation and half available by lottery each evening at Jack's Restaurant and Store on state Highway 503 in Ariel.

 

Ominous tremor

 

Scientists detected the first of thousands of tiny earthquakes beginning in the early morning of Sept. 23, 2004. Three days later, with larger quakes signalling that magma was on the move, Forest Service officials closed hiking trails above 4,800 feet on the mountain because of the danger of sudden steam explosions blasting rock out of the crater. Officials said at the time that they didn't want climbers exposed to a sudden gas or steam explosion while peering over the crater rim.

 

A week later, when seismologists detected an ominous tremor lasting for nearly an hour beneath the volcano, forest officials hastily evacuated thousands of visitors from the Johnston Ridge Observatory five miles north of the mountain.

 

The volcano has been erupting continuously since then, pumping out the equivalent of a pickup truck load of lava every second.

 

Despite several spectacular steam and ash blasts, including one a year ago that expelled a towering cloud to an elevation of 36,000 feet, none of the blasts have expelled rocks beyond the crater itself. Aptly known as ballistics, these rocks present the most direct hazard from any unexpected volcanic outburst.

 

"Climbers will be taking on the responsibility for exposing themselves to any risk that they may encounter," Mulder said. "Temperature extremes, to slippery slopes, to things that may fall out of the sky."

 

Low hazard

 

Tom Pierson, a geologist with the U.S. Geological Survey in Vancouver, tentatively plans to lead a guided hike to the crater rim in August. The climb, offered through the nonprofit Mount St. Helens Institute, will provide a radically different view from the pre-2004 landscape.

 

Massive mounds of fresh lava now cover the area where a smooth glacier had accumulated between the steep south crater wall and the 876-foot-tall lava dome that emerged in a series of eruptions during the 1980s.

 

"It will be great to see the new view and to take pictures to compare," Pierson said.

 

Scientists have watched carefully as the volcano has established a relatively placid pattern of dome-building over the past 18 months, and Pierson said it presents a fairly low hazard to the public. Because the volcano is part of the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, it's ultimately up to the Forest Service to decide whether to reopen the climbing route.

 

Capt. Chris Lynch, law enforcement officer at forest headquarters in Vancouver, said officers have cited only a handful of people who violated the closure zone around the volcano.

 

Mulder said that may be because the consequences of such violations are "painful," with a fine of up to $5,000 or six months in jail. Because interlopers above the timberline would be readily apparent to the many scientists and sight-seers flying around the volcano, law enforcement officers have ample opportunities to capture violators.

 

Lynch said officers easily collared one out-of-shape climber from the East Coast during the height of the volcano's international publicity in the fall of 2004.

 

"I hate to say it, but volcanoes do draw a certain level of people who wear aluminum foil on their heads," she said.

 

A little notoriety couldn't hurt, one local business booster said.

 

Stephanie Burhop, owner of Jack's Restaurant and the Cougar Store, said the area south of Mount St. Helens could use an economic boost from climbers converging on the area again.

 

"We're looking forward to it," she said. "Obviously, winters are very tough up here."

 

Erik Robinson covers the environment and energy for The Columbian. Reach him at 360-759-8014, or by e-mail at erik.robinson@columbian.com.

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Team Jac'd

+Team Jac'd

Posted
Posted

Mothers' day ski!

(OK it is weird to find a stranger's photo on the web that includes your party :( There were a carpload of people there.)

 

Edit to add linky: http://www.gladam.com/photos-mtsthelensmay04.htm

 

That is just disturbing.

 

Seriously though, I am getting back into serious hiking and would enjoy having some company and sage advice for a trip like this. Also, would enjoy getting together with some geo-folks for a grand adventure.

 

If we were to organize something like this, how would we go about it?

 

cheers,

Poppa J

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MarcusArelius

MarcusArelius

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Posted

Ok I called them. They will take applications (via snail mail) but reservations will not be made untill the decision is made to open it up. No money is needed untill you pick up the reserved permits at Jack's. And as always they will have a dialy lottery for the unreserved permits.

 

I'm sending an application in for the maximum of 12. I'm sure that there will be more than enough folks willing to take the extra 10 spots if it gets approved.

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5

+5

Posted
Posted

Ok I called them. They will take applications (via snail mail) but reservations will not be made untill the decision is made to open it up. No money is needed untill you pick up the reserved permits at Jack's. And as always they will have a dialy lottery for the unreserved permits.

 

I'm sending an application in for the maximum of 12. I'm sure that there will be more than enough folks willing to take the extra 10 spots if it gets approved.

 

I'm sure interested in that...Sounds like fun.

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MarcusArelius

MarcusArelius

Posted
Posted

 

For what dates?

 

BTW, have fun divying out those extra passes. I got lobbied pretty hard for my extra ones. ;)

 

I was thinking about a Saturday in August. So the 3 choices that I will request (in order) are 8/19, 8/12, 8/5.

 

I don't expect many people to be able to commit until the plan congeals. Even so there's nothing preventing others from sumitting additional applications in advance, or trying for the lottery at the last minute.

 

I picked Saturday so we could drive down Friday and camp overnight. Hike Saturday then drive back, and recover Sunday. The main cache.

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Right Wing Wacko

+Right Wing Wacko

Posted
Posted

 

For what dates?

 

BTW, have fun divying out those extra passes. I got lobbied pretty hard for my extra ones. ;)

 

I was thinking about a Saturday in August. So the 3 choices that I will request (in order) are 8/19, 8/12, 8/5.

 

I don't expect many people to be able to commit until the plan congeals. Even so there's nothing preventing others from sumitting additional applications in advance, or trying for the lottery at the last minute.

 

I picked Saturday so we could drive down Friday and camp overnight. Hike Saturday then drive back, and recover Sunday. The main cache.

 

Just remember that the WSGA campout is the weekend of Aug 12

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MarcusArelius

MarcusArelius

Posted
Posted (edited)

Hubby and I have been wanting to hike to Loowit Falls. We've assumed that area has been closed all this time, but have never checked on it. Anyone know? What's the best place to find out what trails/areas are open/closed?

 

It was closed in 1997, but I don't see anything recent about a closure.

 

No wait this does appear to fall within the Oct 2004 closure area. Ths may be the order they are considering resending, or revising.

Edited by MarcusArelius
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Team Jac'd

+Team Jac'd

Posted
Posted

See I knew we wouldn't have any trouble finding 10 more people. :D

 

Lets wait until we see if they even decide to open it up before taking a role call. Think positive thoughts!

 

However, I will be open to warm up hikes this spring. Anyone got the mail lately?

 

Actually, funny that you mentioned that. My daughter is getting more and more into hiking, and one of our personal goals as a father-daughter team is to hike Mt Si by the end of the summer. Seeing as she is 8 and is getting into hiking, this is somewhat ambitious, but she still wants to try for it. We were thinking of trying to organize something on one of the weekends this summer for going to either Mailbox or Washington.

 

Are there others interested in such a hike?

 

cheers,

Poppa J

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evergreenhiker!

+evergreenhiker!

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Posted

Man, the old Mailbox is a favorite of mine! Just be sure to have trekking poles with you. It's a knee killer. Once I got the summit from the backside...I don't recommend that route though...forty-five degree slope with heavy brush.

 

The trail is actually fairly good....just damned steep, but it does give you a break here and there with more level sections.

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luckykoi

luckykoi

Posted
Posted

See I knew we wouldn't have any trouble finding 10 more people. :huh:

 

Lets wait until we see if they even decide to open it up before taking a role call. Think positive thoughts!

 

However, I will be open to warm up hikes this spring. Anyone got the mail lately?

 

Actually, funny that you mentioned that. My daughter is getting more and more into hiking, and one of our personal goals as a father-daughter team is to hike Mt Si by the end of the summer. Seeing as she is 8 and is getting into hiking, this is somewhat ambitious, but she still wants to try for it. We were thinking of trying to organize something on one of the weekends this summer for going to either Mailbox or Washington.

 

Are there others interested in such a hike?

 

cheers,

Poppa J

 

I would be interested in that, I've not been up Mt Si. I have a 9 year old daughter who likes to hike. I can't hike on Fridays or Saturdays though becuase I don't have childcare for my toddler on those days and don't feel like carrying her up Si. I did carry her up Mt Ellinor from the lower trail head last summer but I'm not sure I want to do something like that again.

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shunra

+shunra

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Posted

I have two reservations for opening day, if it opens. Snow will prolly be too deep for a cache recovery, but I hear you only have to get close anyway.

 

:laughing:

 

Is this a technical climb or a walk up?

Mt. Si, or Mt. St. Helens?

 

Mt. St. Helens is definitely to tough for most 9 year olds, I think. it's not technical, but a very tough walk, especially the last bit, where every step through the gravel makes you slide two thirds of a step back down.

 

Mt. Si is just a walkup, except for the last bit, the Haystack, which I believe is technical, and kids should be able to do it, if they're motivated. Otherwise it will be a torture for all.

 

Mt. Si is also "used" as a preparation for Mt. Rainier. They say that when you can do Mt. Si twice in a row on the same day, you're ready for the big one.

 

There's a couple of GC caches there, including two near the summit, as well as a TC cache. If you have more than once car, you could do the traverse to Tenerife. Haven't done that yet, but intend to :-)

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EraSeek

+EraSeek

Posted
Posted

I have two reservations for opening day, if it opens. Snow will prolly be too deep for a cache recovery, but I hear you only have to get close anyway.

 

:(

 

Are you talking about May 15? It really depends on the year. I have been up St Helens before May 15 and it was just fine. In fact really great. But some years.... The biggest problem is hitting days with good weather. I've been up there in really bad weather, but the worst is when it rains.

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EraSeek

+EraSeek

Posted
Posted

I have two reservations for opening day, if it opens. Snow will prolly be too deep for a cache recovery, but I hear you only have to get close anyway.

 

:(

 

Is this a technical climb or a walk up?

 

It is neither just a walk up nor technical. It is steep and needs to be respected. Often dangers lurk in the weather. I have seen it done in tennis shoes (dumb), and I have seen someone get altitude sickness here even though it is not terribly high. I have seen minor accidents. It's tame enough to draw a wide crowd and big enough to be a problem, so come prepared.

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EraSeek

+EraSeek

Posted
Posted (edited)

I haven't done mailbox yet either. Just not sure when I can get away.

 

Just a note on St Helens. The biggest problem on doing St Helens too early is just getting to the trailhead. Usually the road is snowed in. You can check on road conditions on their website. If the road is open to the trailhead then the mountain is ready to be climbed.

 

Why they may re-open:

feb06_energy.gif

Edited by EraSeek
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MarcusArelius

MarcusArelius

Posted
Posted (edited)

I was hoping to wait until summer to firm up plans.

 

But since I do now know the date that I got (8/19) we can how much overbooked it may be.

 

If enough confirm they could do that date maybe someone else could request a smaller party for the same date. Here are the folks that expressed interest (some before the date was known). How sure are you that you can climb that date?

 

Me and my daugther

Bull Moose + wife

TotemLake

evergreenhiker!

Square Bear

Team Jac'd (Poppa J)

hydnsek

5

Belleterre

EraSeek

Team Wrastro (1 or 2)

Og's outfit

 

You should also know that the GeoLuau got moved to this same day after I had made the resevation request. So if St. Helens remains closed I know a party that we could all crash instead.

Edited by MarcusArelius
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hydnsek

+hydnsek

Posted
Posted

I was hoping to wait until summer to firm up plans.

 

But since I do now know the date that I got (8/19) we can how much overbooked it may be.

 

If enough confirm they could do that date maybe someone else could request a smaller party for the same date. Here are the folks that expressed interest (some before the date was known). How sure are you that you can climb that date?

 

Me and my daugther

Bull Moose + wife

TotemLake

evergreenhiker!

Square Bear

Team Jac'd (Poppa J)

hydnsek

5

Belleterre

EraSeek

Team Wrastro (1 or 2)

Og's outfit

 

You should also know that the GeoLuau got moved to this same day after I had made the resevation request. So if St. Helens remains closed I know a party that we could all crash instead.

Like I said - I call shotgun!

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TotemLake

+TotemLake

Posted
Posted

I just wanted to thank Criminal for starting the original St. Helens thread!

 

I could open a new thread to track the hike or get TL to merge it into the hike of the month if you guys think that would be better.

 

Wouldn't this be considered hike of the year? :D

 

For us less fortunate folks, we'll probably plan on a sister hike for that same timeframe. Look for our flash of the mirror on a different mountain top. :D

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