[TR] St Helens - Marble Mountain Snow Park --> Trail #244 7/24/2008

[rstreicher]

Trip: St Helens - Marble Mountain Snow Park --> Trail #244

 

Date: 7/24/2008

 

Trip Report:

My friend and I left the Marble Mountain Snow Park parking lot around 6:30 am on Thursday (7/24) and headed up trail #244 into the Worm Flows area toward the summit. We hadn't realized that two days earlier Climbers Bivouac opened up, or else we might have taken that route instead. As it turned out, I think we lucked out by not knowing, because we were among only a handful of climbers on that route and had that portion of the mountain practically to ourselves the whole way up.

 

The weather was pefect for a climb on Thursday. Sunny skies and temperatures that kept us comfortable in light t-shirts pretty much the entire time. Wind was at a minimum.

 

The route we took put us about two miles east of Monitor Ridge and it was fairly well established so we didn't have too much trouble staying on course. Of the people we did encounter along the way, they were on their way down already - making the decision not to attempt the higher snow fields/glaciers given the equipment they had & didn't have. More specifically, some were in hiking shoes (you know, the glorified tennis shoes with a little more tread than normal), and all without ice picks or crampons. We had proper hiking boots and ice axes, which was the minimum equipment to attempt those upper snow fields (in hindsight, a rope & harness would have been even wiser). We were very careful and took our time going up that little stretch of snow. I led the way and kick-stepped footholds for my climbing partner to walk up. I don't think it would be possible to kick-step very effectively with those hiking shoes I mentioned above. Those guys who turned around made a very smart choice. It was with great relief once we arrived on dry land again.

 

Speaking of dry land, the #244 route that we took is a much different type of terrain than Monitor Ridge. Where Monitor Ridge is 75% climbing up through rock fields and 25% soft stuff, our route was probably 70% soft and 30% hard. No wonder it's not the more popular summer route. That soft stuff gets old fast.

 

At about 90% to the top, we crossed over one final snow field to merge with Monitor Ridge, then just a short jaunt to the top.

 

We decided to take the Monitor Ridge way down, wanting to avoid going down the steep snow field. On a side-note: for those who are new to climbing, keep in mind that the top of the mountain is the half-way point, not the finish line. Going down the mountain (any mountain) involves a lot of hard work, too - so be prepared! We encountered one person at the top who was pretty well spent and who had I'm sure a very exhausting downhill journey.

 

On our way down Monitor Ridge, there were a few minor snow fields to walk down. The snow was pretty soft and the descent down them was relatively easy and uneventful. Except for one spot that was nearly at the bottom of the ridge. I was going down a small snow field, with about 100 yards of snow below me and a not-too-steep pitch. By this time, I had the whole snow tromping thing down pretty well, so I thought. I let my confidence get the better of me, deciding that I only needed to have my trusty hiking poles in hand. Well, I slipped and fell on my butt, sliding about 200 feet into a rock pile below. I wasn't injured, thankfully, but I learned a valuable lesson. I should have exchanged my poles for my ice axe and to be ready to self-arrest. The slope wasn't very steep, but within two seconds there was no stopping me. I wasn't going all that fast when I hit the rocks, but I could have twisted an ankle or even broken something. Luckily, I managed to emerge with only a bruise on my ass and a lesson in gravity.

 

Finally, we had to cross over from the trail we were on, which was headed to the Climbers Bivouac parking lot, back east to get to the Marble Mountain parking lot where we started. We picked up Trail #216 and followed it about 3 miles to where it merged once again with #244.

 

Thanks for reading (assuming you didn't fall asleep by now). Here's a link to some of the pictures I took:

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/moontan2008

Edited July 29, 2008 by rstreicher

[Jeff W]

I climbed St Helens on the Monitor Ridge route yesterday. As you pointed out the Climbers Bivouac opened on Tuesday. I also found it odd to see how many people were unprepared for this climb, especially considering most of the forest trail is still covered in heavy snow. We opted to stay on the snow field as much as possible to avoid scrambling over the rock. All the snow made for good glissading on the way back down. The trail through the forest is generally easy to follow, just look for the blue diamonds on trees.

[graefjon]

As for being prepared for Monitor Ridge...Would you recommend just an ice ax and good boots? Are crampon's necessary?

 

I have a trip planned there in two weeks and will be taking some less experienced friends. Please advise.

 

[Shankar]

We are planning via Monitor Ridge on Aug 1st. We are not experienced climbers, and after reading the snow report on the Ptramigan Trial - did get little worried. So, to be better prepared, what would you recommend for the current conditions apart from good hiking boots and gaiters ?

 

 

[Jeff W]

I would recommend wearing good hiking boots and gaiters. Crampons and ice axe are not necessary. A pair of trekking poles are great for balance when hiking over snow and rugged terrain. I also suggest a backpack to carry the 10 essentials and 3-4 quarts of water. Although it was warm and sunny at the parking area, it was windy and cool at the summit. That amount of water may seem excessive, but it is a rigorous climb and about 10 miles round trip.

[rstreicher]

I agree that the Monitor Ridge route doesn't require crampons and an ice axe. Hiking poles are definitely an asset. In fact, I think I'll be taking poles along on every hike and climb in the future.

 

For anyone taking the route I took up through Worm Flows, take crampons, helmet, ice axe and rope & harness. The upper snow field/glacier is steep and could be icy even in summer, given the right conditions. I don't know if there are any crevasses under that snow, but I did see one crevasse much higher up that I definitely wouldn't want to fall into unroped.

 

- happy trials

[godskid5]

there are quite a few crevasses to the right of the worm flows climbing route. if you stick close to the ridges you will avoid them. if you wander out onto the swift glacier you will find them for sure.

i have never seen anyone use ropes and harness on this mountain. that said, i usually carry them, just incase someone on another team wanders to close to those holes in the snow!

up to you what your comfort level is.

should be good with just good boots (waterproof), and gaiters. ice axe and crampons are always a good idea. that way when you get tired of ridge scrambling you can get down into the snow.

remember to take off crampons before you decide to glissade down!

we're heading down to middle sister the 2nd and 3rd. you should try that one! pretty fun.

[rstreicher]

I'll check that out sometime. My next trip is up Adams within the next few weeks. Have fun on mid-sis.

[godskid5]

if the south side opens up by next weekend, we'll be heading there instead. we changed our plans because of the stupid fire! we want to do mazama glacier route on adams, but unless that happens, we'll be down south.

good luck

[ketch]

I was on Monitor ridge the 26th. Good times were had, good boots definatly help with the snow. I didn't find gaitere to be needed as it is well consolidated snow. However it is good glissading if you take an axe to help in control and some rain pants and gaiters to help staive off the soggies. You only need to hike down a total of about 800 ft from the top to timberline. Just look for the right fall line and go for it. A couple of them get pretty fast near the bottom so be sure you can arrest.

 

Saturday was good enough glissading that coupled with partners that bailed on another climb I did this one twice just to enjoy the snow play in july

[jonhimes]

i was the guy at the sesimic station with the huge pack and gators

 

here is a pano i took after you guys headed up. I have some picks of you guys going on i will post later

 

corrected link

 

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3241/2716275432_2958e1e18b_o.jpg

Edited July 30, 2008 by jonhimes

[jonhimes]

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3018/2715573537_b351dd5484_b.jpg

 

here is your pic zoomed in and not highenough shutter speed

[RonS]

Hey, Bob, thanks for sending this link to me via my mom. Good to hear that you like this method of getting high.

 

When we went up S. Helens it was that trip where we got whited out and turned back before the summit, right?

 

I remember the first time I went up St. Helens, late summer 1969, before it blew its top. I was on my first ever backpack trip and had all the wisdom of a 19-year-old. I was camping on the Plains of Abraham, just above Ape Canyon, with friend John M, who had done 50-milers in the Boy Scouts and should have known better than to do what we ended up doing. From binoculars, it looked to us like you could hike almost to the summit on rock. So up we went one morning, with nothing but cutoff jeans, a t-shirt, hiking boots, and a sack lunch. About halfway up we discovered that the lichen stopped holding the rocks together and what had looked like an easy walk up rock turned into an impossible struggle up talus consisting of just pumice. So we ventured out onto the snow and progressed to the false summit. John stopped there, as he was feeling a bit sick due to painkillers from having just had his wisdom teeth removed. We lunched and I would later realize that I left my retainer sitting there (I had recently had braces on my teeth). While John rested, I did the most stupid thing I have ever done. I walked across the crater to the true summit and back. I later learned that the crater was full of crevasses and I am lucky to have not fallen into one. On the way down we discovered glissading, but couldn't stop as we didn't have ice axes. We ended up in the sitting position with the ice chafing the underside of our thighs where the cutoffs ended. I saw John dig in his heels and do a somersault twice. I thought he was doing it for laughs but later he said he was trying to stop. Fortunately, there was a nice runout at the bottom before the glacier met rock. We were hours going up, but down in 45 minutes.

 

A couple of years later I took a climbing class through the UW Experimental College and came to fully appreciate what fools we had been in our final year as teenagers. I was on the summit two more times before it blew, with appropriate equipment, of course.

[rstreicher]

Good Lord - it's a wonder you lived to tell that story! You're right about the time we went up; it was a total whiteout near the top with what must have been 50 MPH winds. My biggest regret on that trip was not having polarized sunglasses. I could barely see for about 2 days afterwards because of snow blindness.

 

Thanks for turning me on to this crazy sport, and thanks for the note.

[pc313]

IT,S A FREAK'EN HILL!

 

 

[olyclimber]

they're all hills. some of them are steeper.

[pc313]

ON MY WALL I HAVE A 3'X 2' POSTER OF ME IN THE JUNE OF 2000

AT 8,000 FEET TAKEN BY MY CLIMBING BUD,HE'S 100 FT. ABOVE MY

IT'S ONE OF MY FAV'S,LOOK'S LIKE A ROCK MAZE!! HAD A PEMIT TO

CLIMB IT IN APRIL 1980 AND DIXIE LEE RAY CLOSED IT,ON JUNE 6

1980 AT 7:20AM. I WAS ON TOP OF MT. HOOD AND IT BLEW THE SECOND

TIME AND DUMPED A HALF INCH OF ASH ON MY HOUSE IN VANCOUVER,WA.

SHOULD HAVE CLIMB IT JAN. 1980 WITH MY FRIEND BUT HAD TO WORK!!