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onetwolaugh
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onetwolaugh
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PostSat Jul 21, 2007 2:06 pm 
We found that circumnavigating the Loowit Trail (trail 216) was not possible. The November storms washed out many stream crossings. Our trip started at the Marble Mountain snow park, we hiked the mile to the June lake trailhead as the road was closed due to a wash out. After hiking over several downed trees we made it to the Loowit Trial (216) and started a clockwise hike around the mountain. Most of the trail was in good shape and we did not encounter any snow. About ½ mile before Sheep Canyon trail junction, we encountered a massive washout about 100’ across and 50’ deep with near vertical walls. We went cross-country down hill following the gorge and caught trail 237 (East of Blue lake trail) and followed it North to the S. fork of the Toutle river where we spent the night. I did this hike last year and the differences at the Toutle were amazing. Last year the river bed had about a 6’ bank. This year the bank was split. You dropped about 30’ to the new river bed and then there was a second drop mid channel of about 70’. We followed the gorge downstream a mile or so and saw that there still were no crossing options. Rather than spend half a day continuing downstream to a crossing and going back up, and not knowing what crossing challenges lay ahead on the North slope we decided to turn back.
s. Fork Touttle - could not pass
s. Fork Touttle - could not pass
We returned via the Blue lake trail (238). The Blue lake trail was the new streambed at the outflow of the lake with heavy flood damage (part of the erosion that caused us to drop to the valley in the first place).
trail head map
trail head map
We then went cross-country through the flood debris field onto trail 231 and back up to the Loowit trail (216) via Butte camp trail.
debree field where trail should be.
debree field where trail should be.

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Magellan
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Magellan
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PostSat Jul 21, 2007 3:50 pm 
Thanks for the report. I would like to see the pictures a bit bigger. Pretty please. hockeygrin.gif

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crwdog
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PostSat Jul 21, 2007 5:19 pm 
Wow, when we did a nwhikers trip 3 years ago crossing the Toutle was a PITA. I can't believe what it looks like now. What a bummer. Edit: oh, and I second the "bigger pictures, please!" request.

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Flora
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Flora
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PostSat Jul 21, 2007 6:22 pm 
A group of us did the circumnavigation of St. Helens in 2003. It was quite a trip. I see the gullies have not improved any... It is a fascinating area. If you wish look for my old report on www.wta.org under "Flora", "Loowit Trail". Thanks for the report!

Flora
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onetwolaugh
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PostTue Jul 24, 2007 6:59 pm 
updated pictures.

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Rigafari
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PostTue Jul 24, 2007 8:59 pm 
Isn't it awesome the amount of damage done during that storm?

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Flora
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Flora
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PostTue Jul 24, 2007 9:11 pm 
The damage is made worst in this area due to the unconsolidated ash, pumice and rock deposits. Mt. Rainier has similar deposits, but covered by vegetation. However, even Mt. Rainier suffered great damage last fall due to the melting of her glaciers and the displacment of all that loose gravel, sand and rock. Mt. St. Helens is so new in her configuration...she barely has any forest on her slopes, so the erosion is quite phenomenal. It's really not a very good place to build a trail...at least completely around the mountain. Still, it's a great place to visit, while she gently hiccoups lava and steam. Flora

Flora
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Magellan
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Magellan
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PostTue Jul 24, 2007 10:04 pm 
Wow, what a tough go. I have thought about trying to get all the way around in a day, but I want nothing to do with that pumicey death ride down to the Toutle.

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Trailhead
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Trailhead
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PostWed Jul 25, 2007 1:48 pm 
Interesting report! My wife and I circled the mountain a month ago (6/19-20). We also went the same direction as you starting at the climber's biv area. Those big trees are still down at the June Lake/Loowit junction? When we encountered the Sheep Canyon washout we had to drop down the gully as you did until we found a reasonably safe crossing maybe 1/3 to 1/2 mile down. We were going to drop all the way down to the other trail. We crossed the S fork of the Toutle upstream where the Loowit crosses (well used to) and it did not look as treacherous as your photos. The damage looks worse lower down where you took your pics. How far would you estimate upstream to the Loowit from where your Toutle pics were taken? Boy, if we saw this we probably would have turned around as well. We crossed a little below the camping area west of the Loowit/Sheep Canyon? trail junction on the south bank. Not too bad but took a bit of a mantle move to gain the opposite (north) bank. The north side was in pretty good shape except Studebaker creek where one side wall was washed away taking the trail with it. We went upstream about 100 yards and follwed elk tracks down the south side and up to a large cairn. The trail is hard to find in a lot of places and a lot of posts were down. I have done this circut many times so it helped to know the general direction of the route. The south side of the mountain lost a lot of trail at the crossings - at the Muddy and the Shoestring the loose pumice/rock/ash walls had completely washed away so it was tricky there as well. It was a challange and we were willing to turn around at anytime if it got too dangerous. I must admit that we were inspired by the monument managers official statement and the Mazama's claims that the trail should NOT BE OPEN and IS NOT RECOMMENDED. Just because the tread is gone does not mean the route should be considered impassable. sorry - no pics since it was a foggy and soggy weekend. Paul(&Kate)

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summithound
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PostWed Jul 25, 2007 2:15 pm 
Looks like the makings of the Grand Canyon to me.

Pain is just weakness leaving the body.
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Brain
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PostFri Jul 27, 2007 4:10 pm 
Magellan wrote:
Wow, what a tough go. I have thought about trying to get all the way around in a day, but I want nothing to do with that pumicey death ride down to the Toutle.
I did that in 2004...physically, it was the hardest day of my life.

"It appears my hypocrisy knows no bounds." Doc Holiday (Val Kilmer) in Tombstone
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onetwolaugh
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onetwolaugh
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PostSat Jul 28, 2007 12:56 pm 
In response to where the pictures were taken. Pictures were taken about 1/2 mile downriver from trail 216. Since we came to the river via the lower trail, we hit the river about 1/4 mile from the regular Loowit trail (216) crossing. Tried to follow the trail upstream to the regular crossing area but trail was washed away into the canyon. -Dale

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greenknight
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PostTue Jul 31, 2007 2:21 pm 
My wife and I (50 plus and 60 plus) also completed a clockwise trek around St Helens 7/27-7/29 (two half days and one full). It was tough. If you are looking for an intense here-and-now experience, this could be it. Incredibly beautiful (herds of elk, marmots, bids of prey, flowers, constantly changing volcanic landscapes including the two minute long rockfalls within the crate at 3.00am) and adventure nonstop. There are plenty of washouts and barely defined trails in the northwest and north it's difficult to lose the way. However, Sheep Canyon, I agree with Paul & Kate - go about a third of a mile down canyon from the trail to a loose gully with about an 8 foot jump off. The other side is very loose, often flowing, but quite doable. South Tootle seems very daunting. Follow the Loowit almost to the point where it has been eliminated by falling cliff. You'll see a use slope down through alders that will take you to the next terrace. From there you go down two more 8-10 foot terraces and arrive at the creek. Walk upstream and cross dryly and walk along the rubble and ash until you see another obvious gully blocked by large chockstones. Everything on top of these is unstable and it's unclear how long these large rocks will hold before being released by the barely consolidated ash - probably the next severe rainpour. However, we cut a foot hold in the right wall, stood up on that and stemmed out widely to the left chockstone, edging the right foot up to a half emerged head size rock, brought the hand up and toward the left until there was the first hold (everything else sloped). From there bring both feet up in succession and climb out. I personally would not recommend mantelling just because there is no way of reverse climbing from that move and it is possible to fall or for rock to give way. Because the rocks held it was several moderate climbing moves but who knows when this will change. Anyway the next serious obstacle was the Muddy Canyon, beyond Ape Trail. It is possible but with a high risk of injury to go down the unstable cliffs close to where the old trail used to be. An alternative is to walk north, along the narrow ridge to its end, climb up to the east to another ridge, slide down the slope into the gully and come to loose scree that you need to angle traverse to a dry water drainage with larger rocks where you can walk down to the creek. Tootle, Muddy and Sheep are the most challenging spots. There are however plenty of other intense moments. A beautiful satisfying trip. We met three other hikers, two men and a solo runner/hiker going the other way and all were of similar age to us. Take care. Be prepared to turn back. But it is possible in both directions and with an acceptable level of risk, (just).

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Trailhead
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Trailhead
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PostWed Aug 01, 2007 8:25 am 
Good job Greenknight! (and your wife too!) Where did you start your hike? We did find the Toutle the toughest crossing and sounds like you did as well. We just did the Timberline Trail this weekend which is not "open". That was an adventure also. Paul (&Kate)

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greenknight
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PostWed Aug 01, 2007 9:38 am 
loowit and timberline
Thanks. We started at Climbers' Bivouac. Congratulations on completing this year's version of Timberline. I was hesitant after checking out the north side of Eliot about a month ago Where did you climb it or come down? We did the trail last year when the only hazard was the fierceness of Coe above the falls as it was at the height of the heatwave in July and everything was melting from 10,000 feet down.

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