gondogoro

Nice pics. Did you use any rope to get up the summit pinnacle ?

Yes, it is official. St. Helens will open July 21st. The fee has been increased to make the permit system more "efficient" by introducing a private contractor -- a so-called non-profit called Mt. St. Helens Institute. I was at Jack's restaurant yesterday and was told by the cashier there that, according to the new system, you will book a permit on the internet and pay by credit card. Then you print out the receipt and take it to Jack's and get a 24 hr climbing permit. How this makes it more efficient is beyond me. I wonder who is behind the "non-profit" St. Helens Institute who will be collecting a $7 service fee to run this new racket. This $7 service charge is on top of the old climbing fee of $15 hence the $22. I am assuming this will be in addition to the NW Forest Pass required to park at Climbers Bivouac TH. Time to dash off a new letter to the newspaper and my representative about the usurpation of public lands.

Yes, it is official. St. Helens will open July 21st. The fee has been increased to make the permit system more "efficient" by introducing a private contractor -- a so-called non-profit called Mt. St. Helens Institute. I was at Jack's restaurant yesterday and was told by the cashier there that, according to the new system, you will book a permit on the internet and pay by credit card. Then you print out the receipt and take it to Jack's and get a 24 hr climbing permit. How this makes it more efficient is beyond me. I wonder who is behind the "non-profit" St. Helens Institute who will be collecting a $7 service fee to run this new racket. This $7 service charge is on top of the old climbing fee of $15 hence the $22. I am assuming this will be in addition to the NW Forest Pass required to park at Climbers Bivouac TH. Time to dash off a new letter to the newspaper and my representative about the usurpation of public lands.

This is a letter I wrote to my congressman (still waiting for a reply 3 months later) HR 3283 : A usurpation of public land I was very disturbed to learn that this measure (HR 3283) has been shoe-horned through congress in an omnibus bill. The instigator of this bill is a congressman from Ohio named Regula who has no public lands in his district. Now the USFS, BLM etc. will aggressively start charging hikers and backpackers for access to public land. This is an outrage, public land by definition belongs to all the taxpaying citizens of the US and should be accessible for free to those who wish to enjoy nature and take nothing from the forest except good memories. Why are all the public monuments in Wash. DC free for all to enjoy ? I am sure it costs a lot to keep them running from our taxes. People in far-off corners of this country are funding these museums and monuments because its a collective benefit. Similarly people should be able to enjoy their public lands without paying arbitrary fees. I urge you to do your best to end these unjust access fess like the NW Forest Pass etc. Another issue that concerns me is the closure of prime hiking trails and mountaineering access to Mt. St. Helens. This mountain seems to be erupting in a peaceful manner and may continue to do so for months or years. Outdoor activities are inherently dangerous and I find it overly paternalistic of the USFS to close off large swaths of public lands around Mt. St. Helens. I urge you to pressure the USFS to open these areas for climbing and hiking again for those hikers who are willing to sign a liability waiver.