I got a late start Sunday afternoon and luckily had my overnight pack with most of my gear for a Mt. St. Helens climb next weekend, because I ended up spending the night in the shelter at the top of Pyramid Peak. I'm not even sure it's allowed, but there was no way I was going back across the washout in the dark, so...
I would not recommend staying at the shelter, though. There are no window panes or doors, and the wind and fog blew through all night. It was very cold, even with all my survival gear. It probably would have been warmer in the trees 200ft down, though there was some new tree debris from the wind on my return, basically no great options... In the shelter, there are plywood boards that can tip over, rusty nails on the floor and mouse poop in the corners. This is not Hidden Lake, Mt. Spokane or Pilchuck. It's really for emergencies only!!!
The trail is great up to the washout. The washout is also in good shape, thanks to the great work of the Gray Wolf Trail Crew. After reading the Jan. 27 report about rock fall and slip hazard, I took my helmet and ice ax and used them, but it may have been overkill.
Past the washout, the trail is great, but around 500ft from the top, it gets pretty muddy and slippery with some slushy snow. (I used microspikes to descend that part). Up at the top, the views are spectacular! This morning, the sunrise was like cotton candy and merengues. At 6 a.m. 3 high school or college guys showed up with headlamps and watched the sunrise.
As an aside, yesterday (Sunday) about halfway up, I met a young solo female hiker and near the top I met 3 young men. When I got to my car, there was a note from the young woman, looking to connect with the young men. I texted to tell her "wrong car," but if you're one of those guys, let me know and I'll try to help you make that connection. :-D
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