There is something to be said about climbing a 10,000 Ft. volcano. While ascending these mountains you have to deal with some of the most rotten rock in the world. It can be compared to hiking in a sand trap for 8 hours of continuous incline. Add in falling rocks, sharp lava rock, fumaroles, ash, and the fact that the volcano could explode in the not too distant future makes you wonder a bit. So why do we climb them, most simply because they are there. Climbing one of the northwest cascades has become a rite of passage for many of the people that call the great Pacific Northwest their home.For many climbing the cascades is best done in spring during the months of May-July. This season I got quite a late start on climbing and my first summit was Mt St. Helens on June 30, 2009. I took my buddy Grant up as he had yet to climb a mountain. As an outdoor adventurer one of the pleasures that I love is sharing the experience of with some one that has never had before. To see someone’s face at the top of the summit that has never climbed before, can elicit pure joy and appreciativeness.
Mt. St. Helens is in my opinion the most beautiful of the cascades, due to its amazing geologic history. The view to the north was quite spectacular as you could see Mt. Rainer and the destructive power of the pyroclastic flow that swept through there. The May 18, 1980 eruption was quite immense as the mountain belched 0.67 cubic miles of dirt into the air and released over 1.5 million metric tons of sulfur dioxide. To put that in comparison with other volcano eruptions, the Yellowstone eruption 2.1 million years ago was 2,500 times as powerful as Mt. St. Helens.
During this climb I felt the Cascade Volcanoes beckon me to resume climbing them. That June climb sparked a desire to resume climbing again. Since then I went on a bit of a climbing spree, but that is another story. I know climbing, hiking, and life in the mountains will always be a part of me. For some reason the view from up top has a way of making all those worries and problems that society has, seem sooo small. That to me is worth all the rotten rock and sweat these amazing Cascade volcano’s have to offer.
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