I made an unofficial decision last year that each Memorial Day weekend would mark the beginning of my backpacking season with a hike around Mount St. Helens via the Loowit Trail. Mother Nature forced her hand on me last year to where I saw the mountain only once due to low hanging clouds, but this year I swore would be different. As Memorial Day weekend approached, I checked the weather reports and was disappointed to see rain in the forecast. Not wanting to hike another 30 plus miles in the clouds, I postponed until the following weekend which would turn out to be on the opposite end of the spectrum. For three days, a friend and I hiked in 80 to 90-degree heat. But hey, I could easily see the mountain! DAY 1: JUNE LAKE TO THE TOUTLE RIVER We began our three-day hike at the June Lake Trail Head on the south side of Mount St. Helens. Walking clockwise, this would provide us balance hike of roughly 11 miles the first day, 11 miles the second, and 6 miles the third. My estimate of the first day turned out to be off by about 2 miles, but I suppose it could have been worse. Still, it made me wonder if I was going crazy or not when my GPS told me we should have been at the camp site already. Day 1 was just over 13.6 miles in total and I think it was likely the hardest section of the trail. Trekking to June Lake is a breeze but after that, it's either up hill, over boulders, or for us in this case, through snow. There was one section of snow that had a slight pucker factor to it because if I slipped, I was going to end up on a pile of rocks 75 feet below. We made great time given the conditions of the trail and soon found ourselves on the downward side of our first day. The first day was filled with snow crossings that at times were a little sketchy. We took our time and made certain of each step. Some slopes were steeper than others but nearly all of them had piles of large rocks at the bottom. The first day was filled with snow crossings that at times were a little sketchy. We took our time and made certain of each step. Some slopes were steeper than others but nearly all of them had piles of large rocks at the bottom. On the far west side of the mountain, there was one washout that required an unassisted drop of about 10 feet that we had to take our packs off for. When we climbed back out of it, we found ourselves walking up hill for what seemed forever just to get back on the trail. Looking back now, I think the original trail was washed out and this was the new route. It was a surprise, but we did just fine with the rerouting. The upper meadows on this side of the mountain are beautiful and they're remote enough that you have them all to yourself. This was where we first saw the Mountain Goats on Mount St. Helens and in this case, a family of six that were feeding way up on the hill. The last couple miles were straight down hill toward the Toutle River. I began to thank the heavens we chose to hike clockwise because this was probably the worst hill on the mountain. The trail was fine, but the grade was steep and didn't offer many switchbacks. After about a 1000 ft drop, we were on the Toutle River looking for our camp site. It was hot so we decided to camp just steps away from ice cold snow melt that forms the Toutle River. The scene was incredible and Chris decided he was going to take a polar plunge to cool off from the day. He made it look easy enough that I decided to give it a go and nearly froze my ass off. You know that thing your body does when water is so cold that you can't breathe the right way? I kept gasping for air and finally had to call it a day before I hyperventilated. It was cold but refreshing! That night in the Seek Outside Redcliff tipi was excellent. I'm in love with camping this way and am going to be a sad man if I ever go back to a normal tent. DAY 2: TOUTLE RIVER TO APE CANYON The following morning we were on the trail around 7 AM and began our climb up to the blast zone. For fear of not doing it justice, I'm going to simply say that the blast zone is one of those memorable places you'll ever see. It's a mix of Land Before Time and something out of the book of Exodus. Elk sign was everywhere and just about every quarter of a mile, the landscape changes. Rocks, desert, grass, ash, rushing creeks. You name it, Helens has it. We bumped into a Nanny Goat and her Kid about halfway across the blast zone along with a bachelor herd of bull elk grazing through an open field at about 100 yards away. I thought for sure we'd see someone on the backside at some point, but I think the hot weather kept everyone in on this particular weekend. If you plan to cross the blast zone, make sure you bring enough water to get you to where you need to be. There is only one fresh spring on the far east side that is worth grabbing water from so we did just that. After taking a nice long break we headed out to the Plains of Abraham. One big climb after hiking through a desert all day was the only thing separated us from our future camp site. Having just filled up on water, our legs were a little tired going up the the Windy Pass, but before we knew it we were going back down the other side and headed to the Plains of Abraham. One thing to note, this hill going up to Windy Pass is basically a cliff. Steady feet are required. Welcome to the blast zone. Hard to believe this was once a dense forest filled with life. By the time you finish crossing this portion of the trail, you'll never want to step on another plant again. Welcome to the blast zone. Hard to believe this was once a dense forest filled with life. By the time you finish crossing this portion of the trail, you'll never want to step on another plant again. I had originally planned to camp at a spot I'd camped at last year, but when we came across a clear stream with a grand view of Mount Adams in the distance, we decided we'd forego the next 1/2 mile and make camp for the night. We were both tired from the heat that day, so we pitch the tipi, grabbed dinner, and ate while we soaked our feet in the ice cold stream. Chris felt the urge yet again to take a dip in a perfect pool of water, but this time he wanted to wash his hair. How he stayed in there so long is beyond me. I was only able to last but a few moments. As we sat there in silence eating dinner and taking in the view, Chris spotted a mountain goat down below us bouncing around on a cliff. We grabbed the binoculars and for the next few hours watched as this goat took a nap. Not long after we spotted her (I think it was a her), another goat appeared above us on the hill and eventually made its way down below us and over to the other goat. I was lucky enough to snap some pictures of him (yeah…I'm thinking it was a him) as he passed below us at about 60 yards. I'm officially a huge fan of Mountain Goats. These creatures are by far the coolest animals out there and have practically no agenda at all. They climb, eat, nap, and do it all over again. How they pick their way across what seems to be impossible terrain is beyond me. I loved every moment of watching them! DAY 3: APE CANYON TO JUNE LAKE The following morning, we woke up a little earlier than usual and made our way down the trail to the truck. We had two big washouts to manage before the home stretch and if it was anything like last year, it was going to be a little sketchy. I can't say for sure, but I think Chris and I may have been the first ones through these washouts this year as there were no prints at all to be found on this section. The first one wasn't too bad going through the Muddy River, but the second one had a bit of a pucker factor to it. The trail going down into the washout was nearly gone and the grade was so steep that we had to find our own way down without falling. Going up the other side proved easier than it looked at first until the last twenty feet or so. The pictures don't do it justice. The earth was unstable, the grade was REALLY steep, and there was one point where I told myself just to keep my feet steady and try not to lean out too much. We made it through without taking any spills, bounced over to a nice meadow, and on down towards June Lake for the final mile. By Land, Emory Ronald www.byland.co

We got a permit to hike to the rim on Sunday, but wanted to avoid the crowds at the trailhead the night before. Thus, we hiked in and spent the Saturday night at June lake, and hiked the Pika Ski Trail (244D) to join up with the winter worm flows route to the rim. The flat area near June lake still had snow on the ground, though there were several snow-free areas that were nice places to put tents. We started our hike at 5:30 am from June Lake on the Sunday, heading up to the rim of St Helens. The first bit of the trail (244D - June lake to the winter climbing route) was mostly snow-free but reqiured scrambling over a rock slide area. Once we reached the actual winter climbing route, the snow remained soft the majority of the way up to the rim. We saw a number of people camping on the flat areas before the trail meets up with the loowit trail (and even some after that). The snow near the rim was harder (at 9am), and the views were great. We made it down and back to June lake by noon. We saw quite a few people glissading down, but decided to stick to walking this time (the snow was quite slushy by that time).

Guided trip with husband and wife team Bob and Katherine Appling, both naturalists with the Mount Saint Helens Institute. Met at Marble Mountain Sno-Park and proceeded along the snow covered road to the June Lake Trailhead, we could just walk with boots on the road until we got to the trailhead at which point we donned our snowshoes. Snow was falling at this point but not too heavily, trail was clear and we must have been the first group of the day judging by the lack of prior tracks. Mountain was socked in so we didn't get to see the peak itself. No wildlife to report, not even any Gray Jays at the lake where our party had lunch before returning.

Had a beautiful day snowshoeing to June Lake and logging my first trail miles of the year. A couple of things to note up front. 503 East is snow free all the way to FR 83. However, shortly after making the turn on FR 83, the road is covered with snow and ice. Either a ranger or the sheriff drove past and let all the low clearance, non-all wheel drive vehicles know that they should turn around unless they had chains. It looks like someone had already made that mistake that morning and had to be pulled out. I had my Subaru, and, in hindsight, I probably could've made it to the Marble Mountain Sno Park without a problem, but I chained up out of an excess of caution. It was my first time using them, and they are awesome. No slippage at all. Probably a good thing I used them as I saw several large trucks fishtail on the ice. The other thing to note is that the area is heavily used by snowmobiles. I arrived at the Marble Mountain parking lot (which is the second Sno Park - the first one is Cougar) close to noon and it was almost completely full. The trucks and trailers for hauling snow machines take up a lot of room. I managed to snag one of the last spots. The snowmobiles shouldn't deter you though as there are plenty of quiet snowshoe/XC ski trails that veer off from the road and offer peace and quiet. The trail to June Lake was obvious, easy to follow, and well packed down. It almost looked like it was groomed, and I bet I could've gotten away with just wearing my boots. Most of the trail is through the snowy trees, but there are a few spots where you'll catch a glimpse of the mountain, and it is glorious! Even just admiring the powdery snow on the trees was fun. There is so much of it right now! The trail ascends gradually at a rate that would be suitable for all fitness levels. Once you reach June Lake, which is mostly snow covered right now, continue walking along the shore to the end of the lake (a couple hundred feet) to catch a glimpse of the beautiful, partially frozen waterfall. It is stunning and covered in shimmery icicles. The lake area is also buzzing with grey jays. If you stand still enough, they will land right in your palm. One landed on my arm and my trekking poles after just a couple of minutes. When you're ready to call it a day, you can head back to the parking lot the same way you came or make the hike into a loop by taking the Worm Flows route. I opted to do the out and back, but not before continuing a little further north and west to see the unobstructed view of Mt. St. Helens. There were some obvious tracks to follow. Less than 1/4 mile from the lake you'll find yourself on pillowy snow with spectacular views of the mountain. Trust me, you don't want to miss it. Happy trails in 2016!