Worm Flows of Mount St. Helens

Rory King
May 1, 2017
2 min read

It feels good to start things. To stop dreaming (or worrying in my case) and to start doing. This climb had been on our minds for months - no so much because of its own significance, but because it represented a definite starting line to our ambitions in the Cascades.

We left the Sno Park with Laura and Kodak, and moved pretty casually through first couple miles of trail to the foot of the mountain. It was a perfect morning with great visibility and intense sun. It was crowded. The 500 permit quota had sold out and I wouldn't be surprised if everyone was on the mountain. As a result, navigation was a breeze. There was no mistaking the tracks of hundreds climbers and skiers.

I began warming up very quickly. We were still at lower elevations, but the morning was getting on, and I got hot. I was really wishing I had worn a thinner base layer and had skipped the long underwear. A quick stop at the base of the mountain sorting things out.

We started up the Worm Flows and not long after stopped to put on crampons. The snow had a hard layer of icy crust and while there was a well-worn boot pack, we frequently found ourselves passing people to the left or right of it. The spikes felt good, our legs felt better, and before we knew it Michelle and I were off. We felt strong and it was satisfying to see how high our legs could take us - and how quickly. We stopped after bit and hoped that that Laura and Kodak would catch us. We at some food, stretched and soon began to get cold. We didn't see any sign of them below and opted to press on.

The next couple thousand feet were my favorite. We were climbing strong, communicating well, and just cruising up the mountain. A couple sections got steep (enough to give me pause if I were skiing), but the axes and spikes gave a lot of confidence as climbers. We rode that high a little too long - pushing until our legs a got a wobbly with low blood sugar. I accidentally spiked my leg and under all the layers had no idea what the damage was - naturally my imagination presumed the worst. A lunch stop sorted everything out though and closer inspection revealed only a scratch. Phheewww. I happy to learn that lesson with such minimal consequence.

The last 1500' to the summit felt like we earned. I had plenty left, but no longer any spring to my step. We backed off our pace some and casually wound our way up to the top. Conditions had deteriorated some, but the summit was still comfortable and though the clouds you could see all the way to Mt. Jefferson. The crater is really dramatic, but difficult to see over due to the cornice danger. That part is frustrating. Still, a cool summit and a rewarding climb!