Mazamas — For the Love of Mountains
Activity Notes
From Summit Post (mostly): Mount Whittier is the highest point in the Mount Margaret Backcountry at 5883 feet and is part of the Mount Saint Helens National Volcanic Monument. It is part of a ridge system located just north of Mt. St. Helens and Spirit Lake. The views of the St. Helens crater from atop the ridge are some of the best anywhere in the Monument. The easiest trail approaches eastwards from Norway Pass. Visitors may also be deterred by the Forest Service warning: "The Whittier Trail #214, in particular, is very narrow and crosses steep cliffs; it is not suitable for hikers that are uncomfortable with heights." The old trail is largely unmaintained but has several sections of easy class 3 scrambling along a narrow ledge.
Mt Whittier, in the Mt Margaret Backcountry, is classified as a climb due to the trail conditions. The Whittier Trail is shaped like a lollipop starting at Norway Pass Trailhead. We will hike the loop counter-clockwise and will encounter beautiful lakes, ascend to views of Mt Adams and Mt Rainier, and then go off-trail to traverse Whittier Ridge. We'll see lots of Mt St Helens and Spirit Lake.
Anyone considering this climb should first study https://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/whittier-ridge-lakes-loop. Successful applicants to this climb will have Mazamas profiles with strong summer 2024 conditioning and a background which includes scrambles in high terrain.
We will start out at 8 am on August 2 from the Norway Pass Trailhead and should be back to our cars by late afternoon. Due to road closures it is over a three hour drive to the Norway Pass Trailhead. Folks can either drive up the morning of the climb or opt to sleep in your car at the Norway Pass Trailhead (Northwest Forest Pass required). Another option is to camp at the Green River Horse Camp which is five miles north of Norway Pass.
