Mt St Helens Summit Climb (July 2012)

In July, I tried my second attempt to summit Mt St Helens.  Our previous attempt in March got us within a few hundred feet of the top before high winds and icy conditions forced us to turn back.  This time was much easier as the weather was much more forgiving.  Also, since more snow had melted, more of the roads were open, so we were able to drive further up the mountain and start at a higher elevation trailhead.  With much longer daylight hours in the summer, we were able to start at a later time (getting up at 3AM for the previous attempt was a little rough way to start the day).

 foggy conditions during the start of the climb

 part of our crew

 the snow, while slick in some spots, was easier to walk up than climbing over the large boulders

 towards the top is mostly scree and loose ash, making traction difficult

 

 a crevasse - 

it looks much smaller in the pic, but this one was scary enough for me...a fall into here could be devastating

 

 I finally reached the summit around lunchtime, after 4.5 hours of climbing.  

The views into the crater were breathtaking.  The steam vents are still active, reminding us that this is still a powerful volcano.  It is hard to imagine the amount of force required to blow the top off of a mountain this large. 

 celebrating at the top

 my buddy, Mike, jumps off the top of the mountain  :)

*special thanks to Mike for organizing the trip and getting the permits secured for our group months in advance (he even made T shirts to commemorate our group climb)

 the clouds on the horizon parted for about 30 seconds to give us a glimpse of our next challenge: Mt Adams

after such dramatic views of the crater, the descent is always less appealing  ;)

Our entire group of 35 made it safely up and down the mountain.  We only had minor injuries (sprained ankle and hurt knee), but they were able to hobble down with a little help from friends.  It was a very successful climb and my first summit of a "real" mountain.