Mt Saint Helens

Well, here’s a new one to add to my list of accomplishments.  I climbed a mountain.  A friggin’ mountain!! For a lot of people I know this isn’t really something out of the ordinary- but for me it’s a pretty big deal, especially after a year of sitting in an office chair day in and day out!
Interestingly enough I actually never really had the desire to take on such a thing until I was reading the book “Mountain Rescue Doctor” by Christopher Van Tilburg.  Most of the book made me very much NOT want to climb a mountain as I read about people in all kinds of grisly search and rescue scenarios.  But as the author recounted the Native American myths about Mt. Saint Helens I became intrigued.  From a cool volcano myth website I found:

Northwest Indians told early explorers about the fiery Mount St. Helens. In fact, an Indian name for the mountain, Louwala-Clough, means “smoking mountain”. According to one legend, the mountain was once a beautiful maiden, “Loowit”. When two sons of the Great Spirit “Sahale” fell in love with her, she could not choose between them. The two braves, Wyeast and Klickitat fought over her, burning villages and forests in the process. Sahale was furious. He smote the three lovers and erected a mighty mountain peak where each fell. Because Loowit was beautiful, her mountain (Mount St. Helens) was a beautiful, symmetrical cone of dazzling white. Wyeast (Mount Hood) lifts his head in pride, but Klickitat (Mount Adams) wept to see the beautiful maiden wrapped in snow, so he bends his head as he gazes on St. Helens.
(http://www.crystalinks.com/volcanomyth.html

Van Tilburg posited his own continuation to this myth that I just loved- the idea that when St. Helens, full of powerful and long-contained female energy, blew her top on May 12th, 1980, that all that female energy was once again released into the world.  That story resonated with me so much, along with the fact that the explosion happened a mere 6 weeks after I was born, that, well, I felt drawn to it.  Then Van Tilburg said that it was one of the easiest mountains to climb, can be done in one day, and that it would be the first he would take his young daughters on.  Perfect for a beginning mountain climber like me!

Well, the climb was FAR from what I would call easy, and all things told it took Robert and I about 9 hours (including breaks and playing at the top and stopping every 50 feet to catch my breath.  Robert could have done the climb in probably half the time, but my lame ass lungs are what set the pace).
There is really no trail or switchbacks, so you’re climbing some 5,000 feet straight up through giant boulders and then slick and slippery ash.  It was intense and I could hardly walk for about 3 days after that I was so sore!  But I felt such a sense of accomplishment at even having done it at all, and yes, being on top of a mountain (even a little one) is an incredible feeling.  We literally climbed through a cloud layer and then poked out the top- as though the rest of the world disappeared and it was only us at the top surrounded on all sides by other peaks (and we actually were alone at the summit! Pretty awesome).
From the top of St. Helens you can see Mt. Adams, Mt. Hood AND Mt. Rainer.  And look into a still steaming volcanic mouth. Truly amazing.

There she is.. the shiny parts are snow fields

some foreshadowing…

almost to tree line..

entering the fields of boulders right below the first cloud layer

in the middle of the clouds.. it was like being in a Kurosawa film..

Look! Mt. Adams! (I think…)

the long lonely trek up the ash.  3 steps forwards, 2 steps back..

officially above the first cloud layer..

and… wait for it…

the crater rim!!!

 

volcano guts!!!

 

cute lil’ summit flag

 

 

 

it was ridiculously windy up there..

and then we started the long descent..  we promptly re-entered the clouds where it was very chilly and very wet.  We didn’t actually get rained on though, we got misted on.  This was a new weather experience for me!

brrr.

back at tree line…

and FINI.  This picture does not accurately depict the amount of pain my body is in.  However, it’s slightly fuzzy which shows that Robert’s arms were tired too..

We drove back to Portland and ate giant cheeseburgers.  I love it when you really earn a big fatty meal

~ by dreamofgreen on October 28, 2010.