Mt. St. Helens – Monitor ridge

Maybe the hardest day hike you can find around Portland. But still a very rewarding climb to the top of an active volcano (as long as you don’t fall into the crater :o)

The climb started at the trailhead at Climber Bivouac. Our first leg was on Ptarmigan trail #216A as the trail wound through the trees for about two miles. It was the end of August and there were still patches of snow so I imagine that most of year this part is covered with snow. Just before we reached the tree line we took a short break as we reached the one and only restroom available.
Once we left the tree line, a mountain of rocks appeared in front of us. At first the trail curved to the West but shortly after it turned to the North again. Above the tree line the trail fades away due to the rocky terrain and your guide marks will be large wooden posts. As we reached the Monitor ridge line, we followed an advice we got to stay on the western side of the ridge. We figured out quickly that there is not point climbing to the actual posts. At some sections it became a bit tricky to find our path between the big boulders but just when we thought we had enough the terrain changed once more.
During our last leg of the climb the ground was covered in snow, still a trail was visible and it took us all the way to the rim of the crater. We could not see a thing other then white clouds but it was still worth it.
Couple of notes:
* During the winter this trailhead is not accessible and you need to start at a lower point, more details about that can be found at the web site I will include below.
* Make sure you dress in layers even on warm day. Weather is unpredictable and can change quickly at 8000 feet.
* Permits and other useful information about the climb is available at
http://www.fs.fed.us/gpnf/recreation/mount-st-helens/
Have fun.