I want to climb Mount St. Helens. The Monitor Ridge Route is a 5-mile climb/hike that gains 4,500 feet. It's steep all the way, but it's not a technical climb, so it doesn't require specialized climbing gear.
I'd love to climb it in late June, if the trail is clear of snow by then. Later in the summer, it would be more difficult because it would be hotter. I have to decide ahead of time, because I have to get a permit, but then you never know for sure about the weather. Hmmmm...
But over 13,000 people climb it every year! So it's difficult, but not impossible, right?
The website says that it is a strenuous climb that is "suitable for people in good physical condition who are comfortable scrambling on steep, rugged terrain." (Haha - "comfortable"??) The website goes on to say that most climbers complete the round trip in seven to twelve hours.
That's all. It's just something I want to do. Mark isn't sure if he wants to do it with me or not. My son-in-law Eric says he would do it with me. (No surprise. He climbs anything he can--trees, mountains, big rocks, etc.). I wanted to make the climb last summer, but it was just too much to figure out with the family reunion and Mark's surgery. I haven't forgotten about it though. The mountain is still there. And I want to climb it.
5 comments:
I think Eric is still interested in climbing it with you.
You ought to chat with Ken about it. He has climbed it several times and could tell you exactly what to expect. :)
Thanks Dorothy - I will do that.
That sound like a lot of fun, but I will not be joining you!
I would love to join you if I had better balance and was in better shape. But I'm afraid that the paramedics would have to follow us the entire route.
It would be truly amazing to hike it and just look around from the summit.
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