When it comes time to plan the next outing, there is nothing better than getting an enticing invite for adventure.
Ben shows up in my inbox, "
...interested in re-branding next Saturday or Sunday as Saint Helen's day and going for a 'you shouldn't be able to do this in February' run around the volcano on the Loowit Trail?"
What a silly question.
It was an amazing day with lots of solitude, elk and mountain goats.
Relevant trail conditions:
- Snow: patchy, maybe 1/2-mile total, mostly on the south, southwest and southeast sides; never needed the microspikes we carried all day, though.
- Blowdowns: maybe 10? Few new ones, no issues.
- Ravines: it appears that heavy rain runoff or ground saturation has caused real erosion and washout issues. Many of the descents and ascents into the valleys are more difficult than normal (according to Ben, his third loop 'round), with a couple being completely gone (and the ones that are OK are frozen dirt). The worst is the Shoestring Glacier valley which requires a long but straightforward detour (see GPS file at bottom).
Ben's photo album on Facebook.
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| Trail up from Marble Mountain Sno Park to the Loowit |
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| Patchy snow on the south side; Ben's photo |
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| Southwest side |
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| One of the early, and easy, ravine crossings |
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| Goats and Mt. Rainer, looking across the Toutle River drainage |
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| Looking across the Toutle at the trail climbing out |
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| Toutle River |
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| Descending to the Toutle |
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| The descent into the Toutle; Ben's photo |
You better have stopped at Burgerville!
ReplyDeleteWe stopped at the first place we came to: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Cougar-Bar-Grill/120127164665635
DeleteWe've worked that section of the Shoestring gully 3 out of the 4 last seasons including July 2014. I guess it just needs regular annual work to keep a tread on that slope! Thanks for the great pictures.
ReplyDelete- Ryan Ojerio, Washington Trails Association
Thanks for all the work Ryan! It seemed like maybe there were some heavy precipitation events as almost every gully was washed out (and some of the flat, dusty sections too). Thanks for reading!
DeleteGood work on what is now one of the classic trail loops in the nation! For those attempting it in late season especially, be aware that water is not as abundant as on Hood's or Rainier's loop trails. In fact due to all the loose volcanic detritus, your filter may get clogged, as mine did, making you get quite thirsty! Get good water when you can.
ReplyDeleteGood work on what is now one of the classic trail loops in the nation! For those attempting it in late season especially, be aware that water is not as abundant as on Hood's or Rainier's loop trails. In fact due to all the loose volcanic detritus, your filter may get clogged, as mine did, making you get quite thirsty! Get good water when you can.
ReplyDelete