Mt. Saint Helens Volcano Adventure Day 2

wranglerbarn | July 10, 2010

Circumnavigate 8,365-foot Mt. St. Helens on the 28.6-mile Loowit Trail, and you'll scramble over old lava flows, witness recovering flora, and peek into the infamous crater. The rewards are not free: Tough detours around trail damage from 2006 storms increase difficulty, making the circuit best for fit and experienced backpackers.

From June Lake trailhead, hike 1.3 miles to the Loowit Trail junction. Turn right to commence a counterclockwise route ranging from 3,400 to 4,800 feet. In the next 4.7 miles, you'll cross the Muddy River and traverse Ape Canyon. Stay left at the Abraham Trail junction and set up camp near Pumice Butte, east of the trail at mile six.

Get moving early on day two to cross a 14-mile no-camping area to a tent site on the south fork of the Toutle River. The restricted area encompasses the 1980 blast zone that scientists still research. You'll cross the Plains of Abraham, a 2.1-mile moonlike expanse. Filter water just beyond—it's the last source for 10 miles. At mile 7.3, keep left and switchback up to 4,900-foot Windy Pass. See Spirit Lake and Mt. Rainier to the north. From here, it's 1.9 miles to a side trip option to Loowit Falls. (Turn left to hike .7 mile to its 150-foot, latte-colored cascade.) Past this junction, the trail is poorly marked and obstacle-packed, leading seven miles to the Toutle River. It runs fast and deep; head downstream to scout a shallower ford. Turn right on the Toutle Trail to hike .2 mile to your second camp.

Scree-filled gullies lie ahead on day three, opening to verdant, lupine-packed meadows with views of Mt. Hood 60 miles southeast. Go straight at a four-way junction with the Ptarmigan Trail. From here, it's 4.3 miles to close the loop and retrace your steps to the trailhead.


The Washington Trails Association plans to send five teams of backpackers to repair damage on remote stretches of the Loowit trail around Mount St. Helens this summer.

Ryan Ojerio, WTA regional coordinator, said the teams will work in four-day blocks from late June to mid-September.

Called Backcountry Response Teams, the crews will focus their effort on the southeast side of the peak between the junctions of the Loowit trail with June Lake trail No. 216B and Ape Canyon trail No. 234

Loowit trail No. 216 is a 30-mile loop around the mountain built in the late 1980s and early 1990s. It's a spectacular route, but crosses many headwater washes and ravines through extremely unstable soil.

"Severe storms and flooding in 2006 damaged sections of the trail making it all but impassible in places,'' Ojerio said.

The Gifford Pinchot National Forest has rerouted the trail around the worst washout, which was on the southwest side of Mount St. Helens between Sheep Canyon and Butte Camp.

But there are still bad stretches on the southeast portion of Loowit trail in the Muddy River vicinity.

Ojerio said the Backcountry Response Teams program has used experienced backpackers to service neglected trails since 2004.

"Volunteers pack in their own camping equipment, food and tools provided by WTA,'' he said. "Such a model is ideal for restoring the Loowit trail where the sections most in need of restoration are three to four miles in and stock use for carrying provisions is prohibited.''

This year, WTA got a grant from the Forest Service to hire a full-time seasonal crew leader and to buy more tools and equipment.

The association also will have a youth Volunteer Vacation at June Lake, where 10 young people ages 14 to 18 will camp near the small lake and then work on the Loowit trail.

The WTA efforts are only part of the fixing up of the trails around Mount St. Helens this summer, the 30th anniversary of the big eruption.

The Washington Conservation Corps will be restoring the Loowit trail through the blast zone on the north side of Mount St. Helens and the Mount St. Helens Institute will host volunteer work parties on the trails feeding to Loowit.