[TR] Mt. St. Helens - Worm Flows 3/18/2016

[Lucas Norris]

Trip: Mt. St. Helens - Worm Flows

 

Date: 3/18/2016

 

Trip Report:

Long time creeper first time poster.

 

I left the trailhead at 4:45AM on Friday, March 18th. My partners had bailed. I figured this may be my last window before permit season begins, so I went solo. The weather was perfect aside from some nasty wind from the north that (thankfully) subsided for only an hour as I reached the crater rim. SW slopes had been eroded by the wind, but the lee slopes didn't feel particularly unstable (I'm new to these fancy terms so I'm probably misusing them).

 

I made it to the false summit directly east of the true summit around 9ish. First tracks up top (first ascent of MT ST HELENS... on March 18th what an honor) so I stayed well away from the cornice edges. I wanted to make it to the true summit, but the bench / low point between the false and true summit showed signs of recent natural slides, so I acted conservatively and didn't try messing with it. On the way down somebody mentioned that most folks hadn't reached the true summit recently because of that nasty slide zone. I took their word for it in an attempt at insulating my ego. Hopped in the trash bag for some glissading, made it to the wagon by noon.

 

Sunrise pic: http://imgur.com/Ceuxh3o

 

Gear Notes:

Crampons, ice axe, and chocolate.

 

Approach Notes:

Marble Mountain was full of snowmobilers complaining that hikers and skiiers took their spots. Yeesh.