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jeffreyking - Jul 15, 2002 12:02 pm - Hasn't voted
Untitled CommentThe Climber's Bivouac has somewhat of a noteriety for being one big party on evenings during the summer. If you plan on getting some sleep and want an early start, I recommend camping about 100 yards down the approach road or perhaps off the Ptarmigan Trail.
millsb40 - Sep 29, 2004 10:30 am - Hasn't voted
Untitled CommentMeasurements taken by GPS stations recently placed on Mt. St. Helens show the lava dome is expanding and earthquakes continue yet more frequent. Odds are, this Mountain will be closed to climbing for a while...
Update 07-12-06. The Mountain will be re-opening to climbing, see the Gifford Pinchot web page http://www.fs.fed.us/gpnf/recreation/mount-st-helens/ for more details.
mutant1 - Oct 20, 2004 10:47 am - Hasn't voted
Untitled CommentA good view into the active crater is available from Goat Mountain.
D Smith - Feb 9, 2005 12:28 pm - Hasn't voted
Untitled CommentJust as a side project, I recently started a Website that makes time-lapse movies of still-image Web Cams in the PNW and abroad. Mt. Saint Helens is a really fun one to watch when it's letting off steam:
http://www.zeitcam.com/showcam.php?cam=sainthelens&day=20050209
(click on previous days links if nothing interesting shows up initially.)
Let me know what you think! (still a work in progress...)
-Dave
Bob Bolton - Feb 9, 2005 9:40 pm - Hasn't voted
Untitled CommentAwesome Dave!! Thanks a million. I'll make a new section on the main page and include the link. Will this thing automatically adjust for changing daylight hours?
Bob
D Smith - Feb 10, 2005 12:04 am - Hasn't voted
Untitled CommentThat's feature is "in the works"...right now I just have a cron job run from 9 to 5 PST -- works well for St. Helens in Winter, but not summertime or European cams.
Angela - Jun 12, 2007 8:21 pm - Hasn't voted
PermitsPermits are now issued exclusively on line. A confirmation is emailed to you and you stop in at Jack's where you sign in and recieve your climbing permit.
Bob Bolton - Jun 12, 2007 10:21 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: PermitsThanks Angela - you're right, I need to update that information. -Bob
Redwic - Aug 30, 2008 12:45 pm - Voted 10/10
Permit Pickup Location...After ordering a climbing permit online, the receipt needs to be taken to Lone Fir Resort (in Cougar, WA) to receive the actual climbing permit. As of June 6 , 2008, the Mount Saint Helens Climber's Register was moved to the Lone Fir Resort. The Lone Fir Resort is located on State Route 503 in the town of Cougar, WA at 16806 Lewis River Rd. Phone (360) 238-5210.
The Climber's Register is self-service and is located outside the Lone Fir Resort. For your safety, please be sure to sign in and sign out at the register.
Bob Bolton - Sep 3, 2008 2:28 am - Hasn't voted
Re: Permit Pickup Location...Thanks -- appreciate the note! I changed the text to reference the Lone Fir Resort and included a link to their website. The other links on the page will lead to the pickup location. That should suffice I'm thinking. -Bob
Summiteer - Aug 19, 2015 12:09 pm - Voted 8/10
Great beginner climbNot the toughest climb but very good for the beginner. I would recommend climbing it in early spring as the snowy views are much better for pictures. Also, in the summer, the volcanic dust can be a bit unbearable.
kw - Sep 19, 2020 5:11 pm - Hasn't voted
New Permit WebsiteThe page listed under Red Tape is a dead link, the updated link for Permit Information is https://www.recreation.gov/permits/4675309
deeph2o - Jan 18, 2021 11:20 am - Hasn't voted
Permit Info-and-the mountain.I should have posted this more than a year ago, but here is my experience:
1. Got a permit for July 2, 2019. If I recall, the permit site was originally supposed to be handling requests in early February, but then was postponed until early March, 2019.
2. The permit was emailed to me, and I just printed it out. Very important, since I was on a 2-day road trip from the Midwest, and I had to make sure I had a printout of the permit, AND that I not lose it-but it made things easier, in that I didn't have to go to any other location, before climbing.
3. Got to Cougar @ 6:00 on 7/1, went to Ape Cave, then got out and went to Climber's bivouac.
4. As others mentioned, it was a bit of a party place, it seemed. There was a large group, and a number of 2-person groups camped out. As it turns out, the large group was a Boy Scouts group, but regardless, the sound travels through all the campsites very easily.
5. Summit day was pretty straightforward. On the trail by 6:30, and we took our time, got to the summit around 11:30. It was cloudy and cool all morning, and there was about a 30 minute window where we could see Adams on Monitor Ridge.
Gloves are recommended-I had garden-type rubber palm gloves-they protected my hands from scraping on the rocks, but they got cold, as I exerted enough to sweat in my hands.
The route is marked with wooden poles which are staggered along the trail. Still, it is easy enough to lose track of them, if, as happened to me, the mountain got clouded-in. Take it slow, and be sure to re-orient as necessary.