Ptarmigan Trail

August 19, 2016


We began arriving at the Climber's Bivouac on the south side of Mount Saint Helens around noon. By the time the last of us arrived, we would number 15. As each of us arrived, we pitched our tents and began setting up our camp. From our site you could see our destination, the crater rim of Mt St Helens, just over the tops of the trees. Seeing it so close brought about feelings of wonder, excitement, nervousness and confidence. Of the 15 who would be climbing to the summit, only Stan and I were returning from last year.

As we sat in camp, the conversation stayed light but kept returning to the dominant topic - tomorrow's climb. Heads kept turning towards the trailhead, the call of the mountain distracting us all. I finally threw the group a bone ... "You want to go see it? The boulder field? It's just two miles up that trail. I need to check trail conditions anyway, since we'll be hiking it in the dark." I had two takers - Evie and Mark. So, leaving the rest of the group behind in camp, up the Ptarmigan Trail we went.

The south side of Mt St Helens was left relatively undamaged when she erupted in 1980; the bulk of the damage happened when her north wall blew out. The Ptarmigan Trail is an easy hike through the peaceful forest on the south side, gaining only 1,000 feet in two miles. It begins at the bivouac and two miles later intersects the Loowit Trail, which encircles the entire mountain. Just another half mile past that junction, it connects with the Monitor Ridge Trail, which is the climber's route to the crater rim. Climbing permits are necessary past that point.

The trail was in good condition, although I noted areas of considerable erosion since my trip the previous year. Some trail maintenance is going to be necessary in a few years, but we didn't encounter anything difficult or significant this year.

We hiked up to the tree line, which is the point where we caught our first glimpse of my nemesis - the boulder field. The reactions of Evie and Mark were at opposite ends of the spectrum ... Evie looked up there with reverence and maybe just a pinch of trepidation. She had, after all, heard my many stories about the field that lay just beyond. Mark, on the other hand, was beyond excited. I think he jumping up and down like a little boy at the ice cream counter inside! Through this year of preparation he has fallen in love with scrambling and mountaineering, and the sight of that wall of boulders set his heart a-flutter. As for me, I acknowledged the spirit of the mountain and prayed a quiet prayer that we would all have a successful and safe climb.
Giving them time to take in the view, I made note of the time it took us to hike to that point, added in the element of total darkness, and determined our morning start time. We then returned to the others in camp.

There was a certain comfort in hiking the Ptarmigan Trail to the tree line. It renewed my confidence and resolution. It quieted the fear and doubt in my heart, filling it with peace instead. That night I climbed into my sleeping bag and slept deeply, fully ready to face Mt St Helens for the third time.


Hike 42 of 52
Distance: 4 miles
Elevation gain: 1000'
Highest elevation achieved: 4,700 ft.