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ST. HELENS MONITOR RIDGE ROUTE
2009 Scheduled Climbs May 8 (2 signed-up / 8 spots available)
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 | Orientation (#26950) - 6:30-9 PM, May 6, 2009. Climbs - May 8 and 22, 2009 |
| Orientation (#26954) - 6:30-9 PM, June 3, 2009. Climbs - June 5 and 19, 2009 |
Register Online or call PCC at 503-788-6265.
Price - $150 (Lake Oswego Resident)/$165 (
Non-Resident)
ORIENTATION LOCATION:
Lake Oswego Parks And Recreation
West End Building, 4101 Kruse Way, Lake Oswego,
OR 97035
DATES:
| Orientation (#3361850) - 6:30-9 PM, May 4, 2009. Climbs - May 8 and 22, 2009 |
| Orientation (#3361851)- 6:30-9 PM, June 2, 2009. Climbs - June 5 and 19, 2009 |
| Orientation (#3361852)- 6:30-9 PM, July 14, 2009. Climbs - July 17 and 31, 2009 |
Register Online, or call 503 675-2549. Detailed information on this class is available in the Lake Oswego Parks And Recreation Summer 2009 Catalog.
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Price - $179 (Tualatin Hills PRD Resident)
ORIENTATION LOCATION:
Tualatin Hills Nature Park Interpretive Center, 15655 SW Millikan Way,
Beaverton, OR 97006
DATES:
| Orientation (NP16522)- 6:30-9 PM, July 13, 2009. Climb - July 17, 2009 |
| Orientation (NP16524)- 6:30-9 PM, July 13, 2009. Climb - July 31, 2009 |
| Orientation (NP16525)- 6:30-9 PM, August 10, 2009. Climb - August 14, 2009 |
| Orientation (NP16526)- 6:30-9 PM, August 10, 2009. Climb - August 28, 2009 |
Register beginning April 18, 2009, Online, or call 503 439-9400.
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Give us a call at 877 965-5100 to discuss scheduling a climb. For non-scheduled dates, check the active.com link to see if permits are available (Monday through Friday only, April through October) and we will see if a guide is available also.
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Go to Sign-up Form, call
(877) 965-5100, or e-mail to make your reservation. A 50% deposit is required.
For cancellations, we will
retain $25.00 of the deposit to cover the non-refundable permit charge if
the spot is not filled.
| From May 15 to October 31, there is is an 100 person per day quota for climbing St. Helens. Permit reservations must be made in advance and must be pre-paid. If you wish to climb on dates other than listed above, please call (877) 965-5100, or e-mail us immediately to confirm that permits and guides are available. |
View from the rim of Mt. St. Helens (Prior to October 2004)
View from the rim of Mt. St. Helens (21 July 2006). The old lava dome (photo above) is visible just to the right of the smooth face of the new dome.
The Monitor Ridge route is the most popular route on Mt. St. Helens.
The route was closed between September 2004 and July 20, 2006. It is named
for the two tripod mounts that used to have laser monitors installed on the ridge that measured any swelling
of the mountain. As of July 2006, the tripods have new sensor packages
mounted on them. It's mostly a snow climb in early season , gradually becoming a
trail with some rock scrambling by mid-summer. It is a non-technical climb, but we
carry crampons and an ice axe when there is snow. We provide basic instruction in
the use of the ice axe and walking with crampons as we start the climb.
Monitor Ridge
We typically leave Portland about 4 AM and drive to
Cougar, WA, where we pick up
our permits and register. We then drive to the Climbers' Bivouac at 3,800', and head up the
Ptarmigan Trail for about two miles. At about 4,700' we reach the base of Monitor
Ridge and begin our climb. Following large posts marking the route, we hike and
occasionally scramble up the ridge, reaching the rim at 8,365'.
The view from the rim is fantastic as we look down 2,000' feet into the crater with the
constantly growing lava dome below. The USGS estimates that the equivalent
of about a dump-truck load of lava per minute is being extruded out of the
crater. The rocks on the dome make constant tinkling sounds as they slide
down the base of the dome and steam billows from several vents around
and on the dome. Mt. Rainier and Sprit Lake are framed in the gap to the North. In
early season, we will, of course, be careful to not venture out on the overhanging snow
cornice unless we are securely belayed.
Approaching the Rim
We have lunch at the rim as we take in the wonderful views in all directions.
After about an hour, depending on conditions, we will descend the same route. When there is enough
snow we
can glissade down a significant portion of the ridge. Returning to the Climbers'
Bivouac, we can change clothes and have a refreshing cool drink. We then take a last
look at the mountain and return to Portland, knowing we've had an experience we will
remember for the rest of our lives.
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| Natalie Gold and the only known sighting of SpongeBob Squarepants on the summit of Mt. St. Helens September 2002 |
| Leather or plastic (Spring Snow Conditions) climbing boots |
| Wool or polypropylene socks with liner socks (help prevent blisters) |
| Polypropylene or equivalent thermal underwear tops and bottoms |
| Warm sweater, fleece jacket, or wool shirt |
| Warm pants |
| Gore-Tex (or other water-resistant material) Parka |
| Gore-Tex (or other water-resistant material) Wind pants |
| Sun hat |
| Gloves/Mittens with windproof shells |
| Warm hat |
| Gaiters to keep scree/snow out of your boots |
| Trail shorts and t-shirt |
| Ten Essentials
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| Two and 1/2 Quarts of Fluids (Four on warm days!) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Toilet Paper | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Small insulation pad for sitting on | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Handkerchief | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Dark Sunglasses with side shields/Goggles (It can be bright and gritty on the mountain) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Camera and Film/Memory Card |
Climbing Gear
| *Ice Ax (Spring Snow Conditions) |
| *Crampons (Spring Snow Conditions) |
| *Trekking Poles |
We will monitor the USGS reports on volcanic activity on St. Helens and will not climb if there is the expectation of hazardous activity. Current assessment is that internal pressure is constantly being released and the potential for an eruptive event is very low. We will carry the above gear as a precaution in case an event should occur when we are on the mountain.
*OPA will provide this equipment as appropriate, if you do not have your own. We can rent packs and other gear to you.
