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12 miles of hiking • 5500' elevation gain •

What better way to start a new week freshly unemployed but to stare into the gaping maw of a volcano to question your future? Today was a struggle with a 3 am start, every morsel of food I packed seemed completely unappetizing, and once the sun hit the snow our pale Portland skin was fried no matter how we covered up. My third summit of Mt St Helens but somehow the hardest.

I don’t know what I was thinking, but I way over packed for the day. I was concerned with being cold, as mountain forecast said the rim would be 35 degrees. I definitely needed those warm layers in the am, I just needed less of them. The skies were incredible, completely clear and so many stars. Right before sunrise we spotted the SpaceX Starlink Satellites, and it felt like a good omen for the day. The snow was hard and icy, so we put on our crampons under the light of the passing satellites.

Once the sun hit, I switched to my sun shirt, which I hate because it makes me look like Violet Beauregarde in Willy Wonka. My black tights which seemed like a good choice for the am cold suddenly became almost unbearable combined with my gaiters. However, I didn’t dare pull them up for fear of my legs becoming lobsterized like my face. The snow was still hard and icy, and without a good boot path. It seemed as if hundreds of people had stampeded down the mountain over the weekend, and then the snow froze leaving behind an uneven hellscape. It was slow going creating our own path.

Somehow, team comfort optional kept going, only taking brief breaks for snacks. I stuck to gummies because nothing else was appetizing. I actually gagged eating a gross 700 calorie bar that I thought was a good idea to buy days before. My turkey sandwich felt flavorless. The heat just made me not want to eat. I did however, go through a hefty amount of water. I don’t regret lugging up almost 4 liters as I went through most of it and still felt dehydrated when I got back to my car.

Something of note, almost every climber we saw in the am was female. I don’t know if it was just a fluke, being a Monday, but there was some serious feminine energy on the mountain that day. Very cool to see. My personal mission was to honor my friend Mo who passed from Cancer in 2020. Among my many possessions in my heavy pack was a guitar pic from Adam Ant of hers, and dog tags from a club in Chicago (Neo) that we used to dance at till 5 am when they would close. I didn’t want to deposit them on the mountain, but I did want the satisfaction of knowing that I was honoring her by struggling up there. I’m not a religious person, but I think I may bring those tags to all summits from now on. She was given 1 year when she was initially diagnosed, and she made it 5. Her punk rock attitude and tenacity will live on while I huff and puff and battle in her memory.

There was a moment taking a break between glissading on the way down, when we looked up at the climbers still heading up, and everyone seemed to be at a standstill. It was surreal. We were not alone in understanding what a serious undertaking getting to the top of that mountain was yesterday.

Once past the boulders and to Chocolate Falls, the snow was a sloppy annoying mess. We tried to go fast, and the mountain gods decided on one more insult, breaking my pole in half as I descended. I finished out the trek through the forest sliding around like a drunk person, but eventually we made it to our cars where pickles awaited us. I drank one celebratory beer and gave some beta to some ladies heading up in the am. I switched back to water for the drive back to Portland where a much deserved dinner awaited.

Comments

Woodswalker and nuizontann heart this trip.