Latest MSH Update from Mike

MSH=Mt. St. Helens, by the way.

It is getting VERY tight on the permits for May 30th. I checked the website tonight and there were only 18 left. I say ‘were’ because I ordered 6 more, that gives us a total of 18 for our group. We have 13 confirmed climbers, that leaves just 5 permits left! So, please don’t dealy, let me know straight away if you want to secure yourself a spot for May 30th.
Here’s the list of confirmed climbers (either they have paid the $22 fee or have confirmed they are a definite):
Gretchen W.
Anne H.
Yvonne Q (2)
Chris C (2)
Rod Z.
Sylvia A (2)
Deanne M (2)
Jennifer D
Mike R

The permits can be picked up either the day before the climb or the morning of the climb from the Lone Fir Resort in Cougar, WA. I will take care of this since I have to take in the email confirmation sheet to get the permits. However, each climber must sign in at the resort and also sign out once complete.

Received this email from Sylvia and I am forwarding on to the group. Some good info and links to another great resource.
Regarding boots/footwear:

It really depends on conditions. If it is hard ice (which I doubt this time of year) you would probably want plastic mountaineering boots (and potentially crampons…i.e. spikes to attach to your boot). Low probability that you would need though. These can be rented at REI and will keep your feet very warm, dry, and have excellent traction. An ice axe is also not a bad idea depending on conditions. These rent for ~$4/ day, can function as a walking stick, and would help you out if you hit icy conditions where it is hard to stop if you were sliding down (Again probably very low risk, but in the Northwest mountains the weather really needs to be watched as it can be very unpredictable at times).

Light weight hikers (trail shoes I assume) may be ok, assuming you do not need the additional ankle support. They key thing may be how water resistant your shoes are, so you feet do not freeze. (Also whichever shoes you choose, you want to make sure you have traction). I did a quick internet check so you may want to look at these websites. You may also want to do a few training hikes as well that involve at least several hundred feet of elevation gain as St Helens definitely requires training. The gorge has several scenic and enjoyable hikes, so that could be a place to start although maybe you have already been doing some conditioning.

One other note…I looked at one of my books…’Climbing the Cascade Volcanoes’, and they estimate a St Helens summit will take ~5-7 hours+ round trip (not including rest stops).

http://www.mazamas.org

Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument - Climbing Mount St. Helens

Mike Rudolph