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Topic: Mt St Helens tour (Read 1506 times)
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doc_i
5Member
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Posts: 20
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Hi all -
A friend and I are considering skiing Mt St Helens next weekend. Neither of us have done this tour before. Just wondering if anyone has been in that area recently and could share any observations (snowpack etc), or has general advice about anything regarding the trip... route suggestions, camping spot suggestions for the night before the climb, etc...
I am aware of past incidents involving cornice collapse at the crater rim and will be extremely cautious about that.
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...some of my best friends are flakes.
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OldHouseMan
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Posts: 227
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The best advice I can give in regard to Mt St Helens is wait for clear skies and give it a few days to settle after a storm has blown through.
I have had some of the best and worst trips on Mt St Helens over the years. The best trips were always corn skiing under clear skies. The worst were always under clear skies immediately after a storm and several thousand feet of breakable crust.
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doc_i
5Member
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Posts: 20
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Thanks for the heads up - maybe we'll pick a different tour if the sun doesn't come out - a distinct possibility.
Anyone else? Here's your chance to actually give *solicited* advice on TAY. 
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...some of my best friends are flakes.
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Pete A
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Posts: 713
WWW
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TAnyone else? Here's your chance to actually give *solicited* advice on TAY.
couple weeks ago i was up on the muir snowfield and it was a really unpleasant mix of ice and heavily wind affected snow... it wouldn't surprise me if high on St.Helens was a similar mixture of ice, crust, sastrugai given the wicked winds that have been in the Cascades over the past few storms. My two cents would be to wait on St.Helens when its springtime and your objective is to catch it in corn snow conditions.
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Scotsman
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Posts: 3174
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In addition to the excellent advice regarding snow surface conditions, the other variable that effects enjoyablity of this tour is visibility.
No trees so in bad viz its like touring in a bubble( I know, I have done it)
I would ensure that good visibility is forecast for the ENTIRE day before embarking on this tour no matter what time of year I did it.
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Chief Etiquette Officer of TAY and TAY's #1 Poster
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Don_B
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Posts: 281
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Usual route this time of year is from Marble Mount sno-park up the Worm Flows.
At the sno-park, it really sucks to buy the pass then get a hefty ticket, just because you didn't see the sign for snomobile only area (trailers, trucks, all that) when arriving late.
You can camp in the lot. We've "circled the wagons" to avoid being run over by late arrivers or snomos, who sometimes like to high mark the roof of the shelter there if snow is high enough. Or bivy nearby. You can use the shelter with its massive stove. Not supposed to sleep there, and impossible if there are many visitors equipped with many cases of beer, but it has been known to happen.
Ditto on the weather unless you really enjoy skiing by braille. I've been blown back by rain and stinging snow than once in February, and sumitted once in winter by compass/altimeter (on crampons not skis) just seeing a slightly darker gray above a lighter gray announcing the rim, with my companion dropping ice pellets on the ice to see which way they'd roll, to find the fall line. Descended into sun and semi-tropical warmth. It's a lot nicer if there is a big high pressure system firmly in place. Like probably in May.
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Robert Connor
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Posts: 193
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I have had great trips in April and May. You are getting close to the right time of year, but I would probably give it another few weeks. In fact, that is exactly what I am doing. I will be heading down at the end of April. It is most fun when you can ski from the Marble Mountain Sno-Park, but a short hike to the snow isn't too bad. The exposure and aspect is a combination that can yield challenging winter snow conditions, but great spring conditions.
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doc_i
5Member
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Posts: 20
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Thanks everyone for the replies.
At this point, I suspect we'll check it out, bivy, give it go, what the heck... Can't be worse than a day in the office, and maybe we'll get lucky with the weather. If not, we'll schedule a return in a month.
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...some of my best friends are flakes.
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richdr
1Member
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Posts: 3
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Thinking about St Helens on Sunday May 8. Does anyone have GPS waypoints for the Worm Flows route? Or thoughts about advisability of attempting this route given the weather forecast (currently "Snow showers likely. Cloudy, with a high near 38. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New snow accumulation of less than one inch possible.")
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Scotsman
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Posts: 3174
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Thinking about St Helens on Sunday May 8. Does anyone have GPS waypoints for the Worm Flows route? Or thoughts about advisability of attempting this route given the weather forecast (currently "Snow showers likely. Cloudy, with a high near 38. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New snow accumulation of less than one inch possible.")
The beauty of the Worm Flows Route are the views as one ascends and the view into the crater at the top. Without the views, it it a slog up a treadmill in a snowglobe that doesn't allow a fast thrilling descent as you can't see anything. My 2 cents... wait for good visibility. You could get lucky( and I hope you do if you go) but I'm saving it for a high pressure day.
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Chief Etiquette Officer of TAY and TAY's #1 Poster
Poet Laureate of TAY.
Chairman and Founder of FOTAY( Friends of TAY)
Moderator of the moderators.
"Most Brilliant Move" of the 11/12 ski season
" Knows what he is talking about"
Expert Typist.
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Koda
Member
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Posts: 221
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Or thoughts about advisability of attempting this route given the weather forecast...
^^^ I agree with what Scotsman said. A friend emailed me about climbing Helens this Sunday for Mothers day tradition, and I declined. I've been up there in a similar forecast and a whiteout ensued and it was miserable, rain below, sleet and snowing sideways at the top. no views. Skiing by braille. You could get lucky, but I would wait for a better day.
If you go, wear a dress in honor of Mothers day
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lightweight, cheap, strong... pick 2
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