esullender

>What boots were you wearing? Do you recommend plastic boots? Leather hiking boots. I don't recommed platic unless you're a masochist. >Any other clothing recommendations? Just the basic layers and protection against unexpected mountain weather. >How far from the parking lot is the climber's bivy? For the most part they are one and the same. >Did you wear your helmet all the way up? No, I only had the helmet with me in case the volcano started spewing rocks.. which luckily it didn't. I guess there were some spots with rocks above me that, had there been any seismic activity, could have posed a danger... but I didn't put the helmet on once.

I went up yesterday. This is my first TR, so if I've left out any details that you care about feel free to ask. Two friends and I left Portland at about 7pm on Friday. We got our permits at Jack's and then continued on to the climber's bivouac. Based on the list the cashier at Jack's was using we were one of the last few groups to check in. As we were signing the register we ran into a friendly family of four who had just gotten off the mountain and were rewarding themselves with cones of soft-serve. They were more than happy to answer all of our questions and wished us luck on our climb. It was fairly crowded but we were able to find a spot to pitch our tent at the bivouac. It was dark by the time we got setup, so we had to do all of our eating and packing by headlamp. Next time I'll definitely leave Portland earlier to allow more time at camp. By the time we got everything done at night and turned in we had about 4 hours of sleep until our 3:15am wake-up for a 4am start. We decided to get an early start because of the extreme heat predicted for the day (89F in Cougar by 11am). Knowing that there would be 97 other people joining us on the mountain only added to our desire to get up and out early. I woke up before my alarm to the sounds of other groups getting ready for the climb. Besides one fool who was laughing hysterically at what sounded like his helmet dropping on the ground, everyone else was courteous to those choosing to get a later start. We were on our way by 4am, as planned. I estimated less than a half dozen groups ahead of us. We kept a slow, steady pace and made good time. When we stopped to use the bathroom at just past the two mile mark we encountered a couple of other groups right behind us. The climb up was uneventful. We, as did just about everyone else, stayed on the rock trail. There were sporadic patches of snow to the sides of the ridge, but they didn't seem to offer any overall efficiency on the way up or the way down. The trail itself was clear of snow all the way to and including the crater rim. We didn't run into anyone coming down until we were almost at the top. We reached the rim at 9am, 5 hours after starting. The rim was crowded, which was not unexpected. There was a regular flow of people coming and going for the half-hour we were there. After lunch and some photos we started back down. The step-sliding the first quarter mile off the rim was the one time that I was glad I had my gaiters with me. The way down, as did the way up, consisted of leapfrogging a number groups. We picked our way along the rocks down to timberline. Once in the trees we decided that instead of sticking around to get eaten by the vicious black flies we would just push on to the car. We got back to the car at 1pm, making the round-trip time exactly 9 hours... about what we were expecting. The overcast day really helped tame the heat we were expecting. The few raindrops that hit us when we were an hour from the top were a refreshing welcome. It did start to get hot as we were coming down, and we didn't envy those we passed who had slept in and got a later start. The best thing I carried with my were my trekking poles. These were invaluable in navigating the rocks and helping to prevent the whole "one step forward, two steps back" progress on the scree. I didn't need the ice ax except for my attempt at glissading, which, as I mentioned above, wasn't really worth the effort. It was windy and dusty towards the top, so I was also glad I had a good pair of sunglasses. Mine have interchangeable lenses which helped in the overcast conditions. Only at the summit did I wear anything heavier than polypro, although on some of the more windy stops I did put a long-sleeve shirt over my t-shirt. I took over four liters of water with me. Had it been any hotter I probably would've wished I had more. I also wish I had brought some strong bug spray to make the last two miles through the trees more enjoyable. Overall it was a great hike and I'd do it again in an instant. However, I would like to see what it's like earlier in the season when there's more snow. -Eric

I've got one extra permit for this Saturday, July 22nd. Let me know if you're interested in it or possibly trading for a different day. I'm not sure how it all works, so my guess is that you'd probably need to meet me at Jack's the night before when I pick it up (since you need to sign a waiver). That, or maybe I can leave it there for you if you want to arrive Sat. morning.. does Jack's do will-call?