The Climb

Last week Cody and I got the amazing opportunity to climb Mt. Saint Helens. We went with Cody's family and their close family friends the Levanen's (Lee, Debbie, Lindsey and Trevor). Not just anyone can go climb this awesome mountain. Only 100 per day are allowed on the mountain and you have to purchase passes several months ahead of time. We spent the night up at Cody's parent's because Yacolt (where they live) is only 45 minutes to the trail head. Another reason we spent the night was we were to start on the trail at 5 am and we didn't feel like waking up any earlier than we had to. There are few feelings that come close to waking up in the wee hours of the morning and submerging yourself in nature and especially going on a such a great adventure. We were pretty tired but I think we were all psyched to accomplish this great feat.
When you ask if we had a good time/how was it I have to split our journey into two parts.
My answer for the way up: Awesome, challenging, fun, beautiful, hard. Overall it was an amazing climb and the payoff was more than words (and even the few pictures we got) can capture.
My answer for the way down: The hardest thing I've ever had to do. Being an athlete for most of my life I have never had to endure so much pain and push myself harder than I had to for the journey back to the car.
This climb (yes I say climb because this is not classified as a "hike" it is a legit climb that no one should underestimate) took us a total of thirteen hours, gallons of water, and two sacrificial legs to complete.
The climb up is really broken up into three parts. Part one is the woods (level: easy). I don't know if we were just tired and out of it or we were just excited but this part on the way up was fun relaxing, even though it was a steady up hill it really didn't feel like it. There were pretty flowers lining the trail and cool trees to look at. It was also twilight which gave a cool mystical feel to the woods. Part way up we already had a great view of the valley all the way to Mt. Hood in the distance and Mt. Adams is right there huge and staring you in the face. On the way up this literally felt like it took half an hour. However on the way back we honestly thought we had been enchanted by some pixies and had entered the "eternal woods of no return" while we were staggering with cramping feet full of pain and legs that couldn't carry us any longer. There were about 7-8 times when we thought right up ahead we'd run into the parking lot but nope it was still forever away. The way back honestly took us a good hour and some. I like to look back at pictures of us smiling and posing on our way up and laughing at how sad and naive they were at this point of the journey. Look at them being able to take a quick break in the nice shaded woods, without cramped pained feet and not being covered in dust and ash.

smile, while you still remember how

i love wildflowers

the sunlight just breaking over a ridge

sunrises are my favorite

this is probably my favorite picture out of all of them. Cody and his dad are just too cute for words.

 At this point we reach part two: rocks (level: moderate). Rocks for DAAAAYYYSSS. Of the whole accent to the top the rocks were actually my favorite. Even though they were hard and took a lot of energy they were actually pretty fun to figure out. Most of the way you could spot a gravel/ash dirt trail throughout the climb but really you could go any way you wanted (as long as that direction took you up). The whole way was marked by these wooden poles stuck between rocks to help guide you to through the side of the volcano. You didn't necessarily have to touch each one but just stay close around. It was nice to have the guides but it was also not so much fun to look up and see a eensy weensy pole way up the mountain the distance and have to tell yourself "crap, I have to go there." But you made it up faster than you thought. And the view got better and better the higher you got. It was crazy to reach the points where the icebergs were on the mountain that I had stared at for so long over the years having St. Helen's in view everywhere in Battle Ground at all times.
Now no matter how much I loved the rocks on the way up they were probably the most miserable things to have to climb down. The pictures I've posted are mostly at the beginning of the rocks where you can't even see the summit yet. You could walk/climb them. Later on there were rock faces were you had to go just straight up, none of this partially slanted business. So you can imagine how fun they were to try and climb down with legs wanting to give out at any second and feet that felt like they would feel better if you just tore them off your leg. 

Chelsey making her way up

Dave (cody's dad) just being the cool guy he is w/o even trying

st. helen's selfie! The sun thankfully is not hot at this point

 

Little breaks were an absolute must. This was a marathon, not a sprint

 

That's mount adams in the background

And finally part three: Pumice Fields of Death (level: EXTREMELY DIFFICULT). So once you gone a lot of hours of climbing up giant boulders the final challenge is upon you. If you are truly worthy of the bragging rights to say you stood at the top of an erupted volcano and the breathtaking view you must pass the challenge of the pumice stone fields. At some point on the journey up the boulders stopped being close together and it turned more gravelly and then at the point where you have the summit staring you in the face and seeing the little itty bitty people on the top that barely look like people they're so far away you get to deal with a huge incline of about a foot deep pumice stones. Cody's family had actually already done this climb before so I had been well fore-warned about the suckiness that was this part of the journey. Literally you took about 5 steps (sliding back half a foot for every foot you took) and had to just stop and re-catch your breath. I'm pretty sure this last stretch which looks like it should take you no more than 25 minutes took close to 45 minutes to do. All the while we had people who were starting on their journey down the mountain knowing what hell we were enduring and giving us nice little words of encouragement letting us know it was so going to be worth it once we got to the top.

this is the rockier bit before you get the pumice fields

I don't know why this picture turned out weird and grainy but it's the best depiction of the pumice death field

 Funny enough the biggest challenge up the side of Helen was one of the easier bits going down. We got a good tip from a fellow trail mate letting us know the best way to make it down was to dig your heel into the pumice and do a slide step. So ironically enough what took us close to an hour to climb up took us probably 15 to slide back down but what it did do was destroy our toes that were pressing up against the top of our shoes providing resistance so that we could go at an even pace down and not totally biff it.


















But finally the everything you've been waiting to see, or even the sole reason you're even looking at this post, the reason we even agreed to do this crazy thing in the first place, the reward that made every ache and pain sooo worth it (mostly):

The View From the Top:

Rainier on the left, St. Helen's in the middle, Adams on the Right

Facts about Mount St. Helens:

• It is an active "stratovolcano"
• Part of the Cascade Volcanic Arc, a segment of the Pacific Ring of Fire that includes over 160 active volcanoes
• Erupted on May 18, 1980 and was the deadliest and most economically destructive volcanic even in the history of the U.S.; What is unique about it's eruption is that instead of just blowing it's top it blew out the side wiping out the area surrounding. It was the largest known debris avalanche in recorded history
• The magma that burst forth flattened vegetation and buildings over 230 square miles.
• Prior to that eruption Mount St. Helens was the fifth highest peak in Washington
• The collapse of the northern flank mixed with ice, snow, and water to create volcanic mudflows. A total of 3,900,000 cubic yards of material was transported 17 miles south into the Columbia River by the mudflows
• The plume of ash that erupted lasted for nine hours and reached 12-16 miles above sea level

  

  Before and After May 18, 1980 Eruption

Mt. Adams

I borrowed one of Cody's dad's lenses to get close ups. There are cracks/vents in the crater where you can see steam coming up.

A helicopter kept circling the volcano (probably giving tours) outside and inside the crater

This is the view out the backside of the crater. We don't see the side where the volcano blew out the side of the mountain so this was really neat. Also seeing how close another giant (mt. rainier) is looming ahead.

Dave taking a well deserved rest

Trevor cheesing for the camera (Chelsey behind and Debbie (mom) to his right)

A more zoomed out view of the inside the crater

There wasn't much room at the top. One side you fall in, the other you slide back down the way you came up.

I never knew the sides of St. Helen's were so rigid. I think I liked that the most. It's just so interesting to see.

 

 

I've never taken for granted the fact that we don't just have mountains around us we have volcanoes. And not even one but we at least have two in sight at all times. It's just cool that something I've always seen growing up in Battle Ground a long ways away I got to not only see up close but got to stand on the top of it. I'm just lucky that I got to have such a once in a life time experience and get to awe at a chunk of what God's created.