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12.5 miles of hiking • 3000' elevation gain •

The report is at: http://www.portlandhikers.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=11966 Edit: edited elevation and miles to the numbers measured by a hiker who did it with a GPS http://www.portlandhikers.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=13269

View the resource page used for this triphttp://www.summitpost.org/boundary-trail/520135

Staticmap?size=254x125&zoom=4&maptype=terrain&markers=icon:http%3a%2f%2fwenthiking.com%2fimages%2fmarkersmall.png&key=aizasydt2ewyqnn42qqnrpazuysi2dtyerccchw&center=46.3002,-122 This shows my approximate route - I kept closer to SW side since there was much less snow than on east side where the trail goes The slope below third rock wall was steep, it almost stopped me. Had to get into "snow well" and was able to get around It wasn't as clear day as promised, but got the view of Mt. St Helens Antennas on the top (not very top, actually) Mt. Whittier (the ridge at left) and Margaret (extreme right) View to NW Coldwater Lake valley (only the small portion of the lake is visible) Spirit Lake On the way back: rime frost on the trees Rock Arch In no particular order yet... View of Coldwater from the beginning of the hike, from Johnston Ridge There were some tracks for the first 3 miles of the trip Wildlife St. Helens from Devils Elbow There's something eerie in the eruption blast zone... even 30 years later Once past Harry's Saddle, all tracks ended and I was on my own. Getting to Coldwater requires going over the summit of a smaller mountain (steep terrain doesn't allow to go around). I call this unnamed butte a Stump Hill for the obvious reason Looking up Stump Hill - still a while to go (Coldwater Peak just shows from behind it on the left) Had great views of Spirit Lake almost the entire time In a couple of weeks there'll be lots of glacier lilies in bloom Past the Arch Ridge, I changed to crampons and went past Arch Ridge to a lower saddle - where the final steep ascent began. On the way, had a great view of Snag Peak (my toponyms). Stump Hill just shows to the left of it After traversing a tricky Arch Ridge and gaining a saddle between Coldwater Peak and "Snag Peak", you get on SW side which has very little snow. Here is Wall 2 from just past Wall 1. Other than a few snowdrifts, this part was pretty straightforward Summit block comes into view (the 3rd rock wall) - that's where the things get interesting again. The only way to go around it was on snow-laden and steep east side Same, from the other spot Frozen St Helens Lake and Spirit Lake (upper right corner from my snow balcony Mt Whittier zoom-in from the summit Mt. Margaret zoomed in (rounded summit on the right). The Dome rock can be seen just left of Margaret Arch Ridge and my tracks Back side of "Stump Hill", as seen from Arch RIdge. Note a huge snowdrift at the saddle The lake finally turns blue Down at Harry's Ridge junction. Pre-sunset light really warmed everything

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Comments

jon, Shane, Nat Turner, Kyle Meyer, and Mileage Mike heart this trip.
Kaiuhl-2015

Kyle Meyer
June 7, 2012

This is awesome.

Gg

Nat Turner
June 7, 2012

Gg

Nat Turner
June 7, 2012

Plus one that is.