Mt. St. Helens, Swift Creek-Worm Flows

Activity Notes

St Helens is a good climb if the conditions are right. There is no point climbing if there is no visibility at the summit or if it is raining or very windy.  Therefore,  although we have a fixed date on the calendar,  it might be necessary to change it to a later one. If I change the date,  you have the option to reschedule, or cancel with a full refund.  In addition to the climb fee,  you also need a climbing permit  from the  RECREATION.GOV website ($21).  This is now included in the Mazama climb fee,  so I will purchase them for the group.  Before May 14 and on weekdays there are 300 spots open, and they are  usually still available a day or  in advance.  I don't buy the permits until I think the weather will be OK of the climb day. Meet on the climb day at the Marble Mountain snow park at 6 AM.  This is where the Swift creek trailhead starts.   You need a NW forest pass to park here.  Plan to be on the trail by 630AM. If we are lucky, the  trail may be snow free for the first mile or  two. Depending on conditions,  the climb up takes 4-7 hours and the descent about 3. This should get us back to the cars by 5PM. The drive from Portland takes around 90 minutes (check your projected drive time with Google maps based on where you live), and no traffic issues at that hour. Gear: There is a list, but add whatever else you normally carry.  As it is long day,  you need  2-3 liters of water.  Note that on descent we will be glissading, which can be quite wet.  I usually bring a large trash bag to sit on to protect the bottom of my rain pants. Extra socks can be nice to have, as snow tend to get in the boots.     Find Activity Financial Aid Info here: https://mazamas.org/financialaid/