March 24, 2010, Mt. St. Helens Worm Flows

John, Pico, Dave from Maine (first volcano ski!), Ellie, Alex, Barb, Rachel and I lucked out with good weather on St. Helens yesterday. Snow still starts at about 1 mile from trailhead, continuously skin-able after about 1.5 miles. One bare spot up higher required ski removal on the way down (but not the way up- it is melting fast).

Significant and very cold winds up high. On the warmest day of the year so far the 1 pm descent offered  frozen snow for about the first 1,000', progressively better corn for 3,000', and slow wet mushy isothermal snow and a few "hisser" slides the last 1,000'. We skied a great series of bowls skier's right of the uptrack, felt almost like "drop-pool" kayaking.

Only a few more days for the hassle-free climb. You can still register and get a permit at the Lone Pine on the drive up. On April 1 the poorly designed expensive advance-only permit system takes effect. No snow park permit is required at the trailhead as of 3/18/10.