December 2, 2006, Mt St Helens
12/2/06
WA Cascades West Slopes South (Mt Rainier)
4309
12
When there was talk St Helens would reopen last spring from its 2004 closure, Aaron and I, excited to see the new dome, decided we were going to try to be one of first parties to ski it. Unfortunately the USFS didn't open it until the summer, when there was no longer adequate snow; not to mention, permits were virtually impossible to get. Finally we got our chance today. The storms over the last few weeks produced enough low elevation snow to make St Helens skiable, the permit quota system ended in November (and permits are free too!), and the road to the Marble Mountain snowpark opened for the first time since the recent storms a few minutes after we arrived this morning. We were excited.
Aarong skinning up:
After a lot of skinning we arrived at the crater rim. The new dome was really neat. This photo doesnt do it justice.
After enjoying the smocking crater, it was time to descend. The first 1500vft consisted of very nice winterish snow. Aaron:
Unfortunately after that was variable breakable crust that seemed like it was never going to end. We carefully picked our way down and eventually got back to the parking lot. Even with that bad snow, it was still worth it.
Edit to add:
I second that!
What was the time commitment of your tour?
This was indeed an excellent trip. The views and the weather were perfect and seeing the new crater was awesome but both Jeff and I vowed to never ski St Helens in the winter again. The breakable crust was brutal.
Aaron
I think we left a bit after 9 and got back around 3:30ish, though we took our time with the crust and enjoyed gawking into the crater. The summit is 5500vft above the parking lot, so plan based on that.
As brutal as the crust was, I have a feeling if conditions are right, we might someday not live up to that vow ;)
We got to the Cougar Snowpark around 8:15. The gate to Marble Mtn opened a few minutes after that. I think we might have seen your guys first few turns from the top. Did someone in your party stop a bit short of the summit, and then you rode down to him?
It was a great day. Glad to share it with other TAYers.
Aarong skinning up:
After a lot of skinning we arrived at the crater rim. The new dome was really neat. This photo doesnt do it justice.
After enjoying the smocking crater, it was time to descend. The first 1500vft consisted of very nice winterish snow. Aaron:
Unfortunately after that was variable breakable crust that seemed like it was never going to end. We carefully picked our way down and eventually got back to the parking lot. Even with that bad snow, it was still worth it.
Edit to add:
![12/2/06 8:30pm stimbuck Excellent effort!! 12/3/06 8:49am tophervw author=Stimbuck link=topic=5678.msg23723#msg23723 date=1165149022]Excellent effort!!I second that!What was the time commitment of your tour? 12/3/06 9:51am oldhouseman author=Tophervw link=topic=5678.msg23732#msg23732 date=1165193360]I second that!What was the time commitment of your tour?This was indeed an excellent trip. The views and the weather were perfect and seeing the new crater was awesome but both Jeff and I vowed to never ski St Helens in the winter again. The breakable crust was brutal.Aaron 12/3/06 10:24am jeff-huber author=Tophervw link=topic=5678.msg23732#msg23732 date=1165193360]What was the time commitment of your tour?I think we left a bit after 9 and got back around 3:30ish, though we took our time with the crust and enjoyed gawking into the crater. The summit is 5500vft above the parking lot, so plan based on that. author=OldHouseMan]both Jeff and I vowed to never ski St Helens in the winter again. The breakable crust was brutal.As brutal as the crust was, I have a feeling if conditions are right, we might someday not live up to that vow ;) 12/3/06 11:28am tophervw Great thanks for the info! 12/3/06 12:03pm springer The variable breakable crust was not peculiar to St. Helens -- the south side of Mt Hood offered similar conditions today, especially below 7000 feet. MSH can be an excellent winter ski trip. 12/3/06 2:17pm boot Jeff,We boarded off the summit on the west side of Monitor Ridge and found very little crust about mid-way with wind pack powder above and powder below. I wonder if your more easterly facing slope took in more direct sun and then cooled off in late afternoon. It was a spectacular day on St Helens!Boot 12/3/06 2:45pm jeff-huber Thanks for the info boot. I hope we're not exaggerating the crust too much here. We did find better snow in protected gullies that we maximized as much as possible. BTW, did you come in from marble mtn? 12/3/06 2:58pm boot We snomo'd from Cougar Snow-park to Climbers Bivouac. Was that you who pulled in behind us about 7am?Boot 12/3/06 3:11pm jeff-huber author=Boot link=topic=5678.msg23752#msg23752 date=1165215510]We snomo'd from Cougar Snow-park to Climbers Bivouac. Was that you who pulled in behind us about 7am?We got to the Cougar Snowpark around 8:15. The gate to Marble Mtn opened a few minutes after that. I think we might have seen your guys first few turns from the top. Did someone in your party stop a bit short of the summit, and then you rode down to him?It was a great day. Glad to share it with other TAYers. 12/4/06 1:18am boot Yeah, that was us; we were the only ones over that way. Must have been someone else who pulled up behind us earlier and had a bit of a wait; sounds like you timed it better. 12/4/06 10:23am joedabaker Jeff,To bad about the crust, but a fabulous report.Very creative trip considering the road washout of your normal stomping grounds. >:(Its like a mini cascade mountain in the middle of the crater.Good job.Joe Reply to this TRPlease login first:](http://www.jeffwhuber.com/photos/skiing/sthelens_20061202/beforeAfter.jpg]I've photoshop'd together a 2003 and 2006 crater photo here</a><br /></div></div>
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Excellent effort!!
author=Stimbuck link=topic=5678.msg23723#msg23723 date=1165149022]
Excellent effort!!
I second that!
What was the time commitment of your tour?
author=Tophervw link=topic=5678.msg23732#msg23732 date=1165193360]
I second that!
What was the time commitment of your tour?
This was indeed an excellent trip. The views and the weather were perfect and seeing the new crater was awesome but both Jeff and I vowed to never ski St Helens in the winter again. The breakable crust was brutal.
Aaron
author=Tophervw link=topic=5678.msg23732#msg23732 date=1165193360]
What was the time commitment of your tour?
I think we left a bit after 9 and got back around 3:30ish, though we took our time with the crust and enjoyed gawking into the crater. The summit is 5500vft above the parking lot, so plan based on that.
author=OldHouseMan]both Jeff and I vowed to never ski St Helens in the winter again. The breakable crust was brutal.
As brutal as the crust was, I have a feeling if conditions are right, we might someday not live up to that vow ;)
Great thanks for the info!
The variable breakable crust was not peculiar to St. Helens -- the south side of Mt Hood offered similar conditions today, especially below 7000 feet. MSH can be an excellent winter ski trip.
Jeff,
We boarded off the summit on the west side of Monitor Ridge and found very little crust about mid-way with wind pack powder above and powder below. I wonder if your more easterly facing slope took in more direct sun and then cooled off in late afternoon. It was a spectacular day on St Helens!
Boot
We boarded off the summit on the west side of Monitor Ridge and found very little crust about mid-way with wind pack powder above and powder below. I wonder if your more easterly facing slope took in more direct sun and then cooled off in late afternoon. It was a spectacular day on St Helens!
Boot
Thanks for the info boot. I hope we're not exaggerating the crust too much here. We did find better snow in protected gullies that we maximized as much as possible. BTW, did you come in from marble mtn?
We snomo'd from Cougar Snow-park to Climbers Bivouac. Was that you who pulled in behind us about 7am?
Boot
Boot
author=Boot link=topic=5678.msg23752#msg23752 date=1165215510]
We snomo'd from Cougar Snow-park to Climbers Bivouac. Was that you who pulled in behind us about 7am?
We got to the Cougar Snowpark around 8:15. The gate to Marble Mtn opened a few minutes after that. I think we might have seen your guys first few turns from the top. Did someone in your party stop a bit short of the summit, and then you rode down to him?
It was a great day. Glad to share it with other TAYers.
Yeah, that was us; we were the only ones over that way. Must have been someone else who pulled up behind us earlier and had a bit of a wait; sounds like you timed it better.
Jeff,
To bad about the crust, but a fabulous report.
Very creative trip considering the road washout of your normal stomping grounds. >:(
Its like a mini cascade mountain in the middle of the crater.
Good job.
Joe
To bad about the crust, but a fabulous report.
Very creative trip considering the road washout of your normal stomping grounds. >:(
Its like a mini cascade mountain in the middle of the crater.
Good job.
Joe
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