May 11, 2013, Mt. St. Helens, Wrm Flows-Monitor Ri

On Saturday May 11 started up from Marble Mount snow park at 5:30 AM with Sugaree (worlds best tele-Chocolate Labrador). Snow was skinable after about 300' of elevation gain, although above tree line there has been a lot of melt out over the past few weeks and it looked like a totally different approach than in April- skis off about half a dozen times before reaching the ridge where the real ascent up the Worm Flows route began. I put my skis on my pack at that point and kept them there until reaching the crater rim- steps had been kicked in so well and we were not post holing so I just kept on climbing. It was a wonderful day under the clouds during the ascent- kept the temperature reasonable- then the sun broke through right before we reached the crater rim just under 5 hours after leaving the car. I wanted to lounge as it was a very festive atmosphere with most people in Mother's Day finery but after a few minutes Sugaree started the barking that it was time to do what we came for. I had planned on descending a line on the skier's right of the worm flows, but the snow put me into a trance like dream state of corn fed bliss where it seemed to make sense to keep heading further and further right- seemed steeper, we had the mountain all to ourselves, and I was just in tele-heaven the corn was so tasty. Kept descending to 4600' more or less at the base of monitor ridge. From there I began a slowly rising traverse ('cuz I didn't want to lose any potentially skiable vert, right?) back to the Worm Flows. the traverse couldn't have taken more than an hour, and involved a little scrambling, a little down climbing, even some good tree skiing en route back to the worm flows. Worm Flows to trail and back to car was fairly uneventful. Sugaree ran after me the whole way down until the car- she seemed ecstatic to nail her 9th volcanic summit. It was a perfect day. No action shots as Sugaree really can't use a camera very well. Some great pics of her though- PM me if interested and I will gladly share.