Boundary West, Mount Margaret — Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2002

South Cascades > Mount St. Helens

We set off for a couple of days backpacking in the Mt. Margaret backcountry during one of the most beautiful fall weather weeks in the northwest! Unfortunately, we discovered the hard way, that we had driven to the east side of the mountain for our trip when the only place to obtain backcountry camping permits is at the monument headquarters in Amboy, Wa. (few miles from Longview off of I5), or at the Coldwater and Johnson visitor centers on the westside of the mountain. This would have been a long trip back out to the interstate and back in again since the east and west side is not connected. We elected to camp at the Norway Pass trailhead for a basecamp and day hike. The night sky was brilliant the air crisp and cool. An unusual silence aroused our curiosity as we anticipated exploring this remarkable place. We headed up the lakes trai toward Norway Pass planning on what looked like a perfect 12 mile loop. A fine frost glistened on the pumice and ash that defined our trail. It didn't take many yards to realize my legs would react to this thick sandy track! There were no trees in this landscape, save for the scattered ghostly white towers of the forest this once was. Huckleberry, salmon berry, pacific willow, pearly everlasting and fireweed carpeted the forest with vibrant color. Huckleberry season was coming to a close but we managed to collect and consume handfuls of the delicious fruit, discovering that the somewhat leathery older berries were scrumptious! The deep sandy trail was a freeway for the wildlife that now inhabits the monument. We saw bear tracks and quite alot of sign, as well as elk,cat,coyote and other prints that we couldn't name. Looking for wildlife is one of our passions but we were struck by how this environment was so foreign to our senses( we travel mostly in the Olympics), the smells, the movement of the foliage, shadows, all played tricks on us. Listening to bugling elk is truely one of the most wild and thrilling sounds to hear in nature, but watching bugling elk is an awesome adventure. We were also treated to the musical calls of the cow elk, gathering calves and collecting themselves to cope with this season. A couple of hikers met us and told us of their harrowing rock clinging ledge time on the Whittier section of the loop. So we hiked up to Obsurity lake one of the many lakes in near Mt. Margaret. On the way back a couple of coyotes serenaded us, one on each side of trail, unseen, but warning each other of our passing through or maybe just to arrange a meeting place to spend the evening The day was magical. We experienced the gift of the renewal of this land, and mourned the loss that created it. The National Monument requires backcountry permits for the Mt Margaret backcountry only. All other areas are open for backpacking. Campsites are few and far between and not marked on many maps, so check with the rangers before venturing out. We discovered in a monument paper that the Whittier section of the loop trail was actually closed. There was no sign at the traihead. There is limited campgrounds close to the monument, but dispersal camping and many turnout areas off the main roads is allowed. These are more available on the south side. The monument has different protection rules than the parks, so checking with a ranger with your itinerary is a good idea.