Mt. St. Helen's

The last weekend in April we decided to head out to Mt. St. Helen's for a trip to the summit crater and to do some skiing. The weather outlook was good, so we jumped on the opportunity. With packs, tents, and skis, we hiked from the trailhead for just over a mile before making a small makeshift campsite. It wasn't as far as we would have liked, but it got us away from the parking lot and into the forest. After a short evening filled with euchre and pseudo-sleep, we woke at 6am to get ready and head out. We made timberline shortly thereafter as the day began to warm. Thus began our 4 mile trek to the summit via the winter/worm flow route. The trip is of moderate grade, nothing too steep but then again nothing too shallow. At this time of year the snow is abundant, at times it was a bit too hard for skins, so some kick steps were required for several hundred feet, some of which the toe would only catch hold about an inch in (but a slide would only mean a few feet of frustration, so nothing to be worried about). The sun broke free later in the morning and the snow softened, so the ascent, though long, was enjoyable. What took 6 hours to ascend then took 45 minutes to descend on the wide open slopes. The snow was good except for the unexpected sticky stuff, which would really throw you into the front seat if you had picked up a little speed. We were able to ski from the summit to the car, which was great! Excellent trip!