Home > Trip Reports > April 9, 2017, Mt Saint Helens

April 9, 2017, Mt Saint Helens

4/9/17
WA Cascades West Slopes South (Mt Rainier)
3758
4
Posted by cchapin on 4/10/17 8:18am
Sunday, April 9, 2017

Mt St Helens was one of our first ski tours. What a difference 7 years make! This time, we skinned car-to-summit and skied summit-to-car. The first time, we booted it with our skis on our packs, we didn't even know what ski crampons were, and had $20 ski boots that resulted in a lot of pain. For the most part, ski crampons were not needed today, but definitely useful for the final 10 minutes of rime ice to the true summit.

Conditions were not the reported corn from the previous weekend. Instead, 2-6" powder, with 1" falling overnight while we were sleeping in the car. I had low expectations, thinking the new snow would be windboard or mush. Up high, the new snow had very slight wind effect (except the final 200'). Down low, wet fluff over a supportable base. A real treat top to bottom!

Despite almost losing my face on the 40-50mph wind summit, the following facts made this one of the more memorable ski trips: today was my birthday, new powder, great weather, and skiing a volcano right back to the car with no walking. A great return to a great mountain.

P.S. Follow the detour for 503 washout starting in Woodland.

Lines


Birthday boy on ascent


ice art


more ice art


approaching the true summit


deskinning in 50 mph wind


selfie in the wind


cornice making machine


Mt Adams says hi


Birthday party













TR: Chris
Pic: Radka & Chris
DARN IT!  I mean good on you guys betting the right hand.  I agonized over the decision to go up there yesterday but folded the Helen's hand and played Hood.  I thought the decision was the right one because the Palmer was a mixed bag of scoured, wind packed, and struguri.  Then we reached Zig Zag glacier and found a very stable ankle deep layer of light to slightly consolidated well bonded snow in the wide shallow veins of the glaciers face that skied really nicely.  Zig Zag was fun but thankfully it didn't dawn on me that day that I had folded the wrong hand but seeing your results leaves no doubt now.  Great pics BTW.  Were you guys alone up there?

Love the "Deskinning in 50mph wind" pic!

Probably 30-40 folks were on the mountain Sunday. A good split between sliders and climbers.

Some road infoz for the curious

http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/news/2017/03/22/rockfall-risk-will-keep-sr-503-east-woodland-closed-through-spring
https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/giffordpinchot/alerts-notices

If you are visiting sites along FR90, (from south) take SR502 or (from north) Cedar Creek Rd.

Reply to this TR

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april-9-2017-mt-saint-helens
cchapin
2017-04-10 15:18:12