Sheep Canyon — Friday, Jul. 9, 2004

South Cascades > Mount St. Helens

Road between Blue Lake trailhead (Toutle Trail #238) and Sheep Canyon Trailhead is washed out & closed. It's an additional 6-mile round trip hiking to Sheep Canyon Trail #240 along Toutle Trail...if you hike the road instead, it's much farther. Flowers are blooming along the Loowit Trail, loop hike of #238, #216 and #240 approximately 13 miles and took me 5 hours with several short breaks. Bugs weren't bad at all, didn't wear a drop of repellant and was never bitten. Most of trails maintained, although portions of Loowit trail were much like dirt path tunnels through the brush. Some blow-down, most easily negotiated.