[TR] Mt. St. Helens - Worm Flows 4/4/2016

[JKGrove]

Trip: Mt. St. Helens - Worm Flows

 

Date: 4/4/2016

 

Trip Report:

After 136 permits sold on Sunday 4/3, the two of us were the only people on the upper mountain Monday. The road to Marble Mountain SnoPark was completely clear, as was the first couple hundred yards of trail and we didn't get into our snowshoes until we were a good half-mile in.

Temps were just over freezing at the trailhead, cloudy and a light snow mix was falling as we left the truck about 6:30am, with a forecast of a 17 degree high and 30mph winds at the summit. After a week of warm temps a cool cloudy day with light snow offered a perfect climbing day.

 

Route finding was easy - nearly due N - with blazes, signs, and later above treeline poles, obvious markers (rocky ridges and weather station) and a few wands someone kindly left behind. We did see avalanche debris in a few places but the warm weather had already taken care of anything too concerning and it was smooth sailing up the route.

 

Shortly after leaving treeline the wind picked up causing momentary white-outs as it blew the newly fallen snow around, but while the (W) wind was consistent and substantial route finding - now primarily by map and compass - was quite do-able. However as we gained altitude the wind also increased out of the W-NW and the snow continued but increasingly as hard frozen snow. As we broke 6000' the hard frozen snow and ice began to replace snow, so about 6500' we switched to crampons.

 

However, by 7000' the wind was howling (sustained 30-40mph with higher gusts I'm guessing), temps were in the teens (at most) and my partner was deciding a beer sounded better than getting blown off the summit. Just as we decided to call it, there was a brief lull in the wind, and then a VERY quick and powerful blast out of the NW, followed by relative calm for another moment before the sustained wind returned.

 

While we'd both been leaning into the wind for the past couple hours, that blast knocked us both down and to our right enough that we decided we needed to get down quickly. The wind continued to increase making visibility really difficult and knocking me down a few more times - I'm a big, sure-footed, guy... this was unlike anything I've ever experienced.

 

Descending to 6500' we found a boulder to take some cover behind and with webbing (and everything) frozen, got out of our crampons and into our trashbags. With axes in hand we got some glissading in, but overall with 8 fresh inches of snow it was slow going and I was wishing for a decent sled before we'd gone far.

 

The wind chased us down to the treeline, and we found a somewhat sheltered spot to grab lunch before we descended further. As we dropped through 4000' the sun emerged for a bit on the lower mountain to offer a view of the beauty around us - almost helping us forget the torment we'd experienced up on the mountain.

 

Gear Notes:

 

Keys:

- Know when you're pushing the envelope, and when conditions are telling you to pack it in.

- Snowshoes, crampons, and ice axe - skis or snowboard if that's your style would make it a much quicker exit

- Lots of snacks/food to eat regularly, and at least 2 liters of water (minimum)

- It's spring but it can quickly become the dead of winter up there, be ready.

- Aloe for the wind burn you might get (I looked like a lobster the next few days)

- A celebration beer (and I like soda and chips) back at the trailhead makes that last hellish mile lots easier!

 

Edited April 8, 2016 by JKGrove

[Jim S]

To know the envelope you have to push the envelope, and be prepared. I watch the forecast, prepare accordingly, and go for it, often solo. About 80 percent of the time I have a glorious ski, climb, bike, whatever. Maybe 20 percent I have to duck and run. "They sicken of the calm, who knew the storm" Dorothy Parker