Mt. St. Helens Area South
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Start date: 06/28/2022
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Start time: 12:00 AM
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End date: 06/30/2022
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End time: 11:59 PM
Description:
This is an exploration of some highlights of the southern side of Mount St. Helens. This trip begins at the Cougar Park & Campground on Yale Lake, Washington.
Here is the location of Cougar Camp where the trip begins:
46.05473855631972, -122.28760091134596
June 28:
Arrive at the Cougar campground late that afternoon or evening (sites, 22, 23, and 25 are reserved). The trip leader should be arriving there by 4pm.
June 29:
In the early morning, we drive about half an hour to Lava Canyon for a 5.5-mile out-and-back hike along a mudflow scoured chasm with 1,400 feet of elevation gain. There will be waterfalls, ancient lava cliffs, and some ladders that will need to be climbed. The suspension bridge is closed, but apparently, we can still see the other side of the canyon by backtracking about 0.3 of a mile. Depending on time and weather, we might visit June Lake that afternoon (shorter loop of 2.6 miles with 410 feet of elevation gain), or if time allows, hike the longer loop (5.4 miles with 1,000 feet of elevation gain) over to an ash-choked waterfall called Chocolate Falls. In the evening, we relax back at the campsite.
June 30:
In the early morning, we pack up camp and travel to the Ape Cave Interpretive Site. Ape Cave is the longest lave tube in the western hemisphere. We will explore the easier 0.8 (one-way) lower cave first. Then later, the 1.4-mile long upper cave where will need to scramble over rock falls, several 8-foot lava walls using hand/footholds, and exiting via a metal ladder. Refer to Bill Sullivan's Ape Cave description of this hike for more information. There is the option to visit the Trail of Two Forests Interpretive Site, a short .25 mile-long boardwalk trail that leads you over 2,000-year-old lava flow from Mount St. Helens where an ancient lava flow solidified around the trunks and trunks rotted away, leaving tree wells, voids in which the impressions of the bark. The plan is the be on the road by 2pm and through Portland by 4pm to avoid major traffic, returning to Eugene by 6pm-ish.
Trip fees total $30 total per person: this includes the $2 Obsidian trip fees and $28 payable to the trip leader (first day of the trip) for two nights camping, up to 4 vehicles for the group, and two bundles of firewood. Bring all your meals, tent, camping stove, hat, sun gear, etc., and all your food. There is a shower and restroom where we are staying. BRING TWO LIGHT SOURCES for the cave. The cave is 42 degrees so come prepared with a warm hat, jacket, and some good foot protection. Bring your all-in-one Federal public lands pass for vehicles. The possibility of a campfire will be determined at that time. Bring your swim trunks, but the lake we are staying near is prone to algae blooms and the lake might be closed to swimming. Parking space at the campground is limited, you are highly encouraged to carpool with a friend who is also going on this trip. We are limited to 1 car and 2 tents per site. Any extra vehicles, beyond our budget 4 total, will be charged $5/day. Covid protocols will be in place. The trip leader is vaccinated and boosted.
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Event Leader: Hougardy Mark
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Assistant Leader:
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Event category: Trips
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Area Type: Mountain
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Departure Location: See Trip Description
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Rating: Moderate
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Roundtrip total drive miles:
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Season: 2022
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Permits Required:
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Event Status: Passed
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Supplies and Equipment Required:
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participant prerequisites:
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Conditions:
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Total Distance: 12
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Member Fees: 2
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Elevation Gain: 2800
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Non-Member Fees: 10
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Committee: Trips
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Junior member fees: —
Members & Guests signed-up & waitlisted
- Number of spots on trip: 6
- Number of spots available: 0
No. | Status | Full name | Phone | Transportation Needed? | Trip Fee | # Can Take? |
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1 | Signed-Up | Carpenter, Kathie | 541-505-2370 | N | 2 | |
2 | Signed-Up | Hougardy, Mark | 541-206-9532 | N | 2 | |
3 | Signed-Up | Bryan, Keiko | 541-342-1240 | N | 2 | |
4 | Signed-Up | Nagy, Evelyn | 541-514-4110 | N | 2 | |
5 | Signed-Up | Rice, Emily | 541-517-0757 | N | 2 | |
6 | Signed-Up | Brown, Ben | 214-930-6394 | N | 2 | |
7 | Signed-Up | Bennett, Brad | 541-359-5198 | N | 10 | |
8 | Signed-Up | Masin, Rachelle | 541-547-4742 | N | 2 | |
9 | Signed-Up | Grant, Elizabeth | 541-514-1176 | N | 2 | |
10 | Signed-Up | Rice, Cindy | 541-513-0131 | N | 2 | |
11 | Signed-Up | Parks, Linda | 607-244-4194 | N | 2 | |
12 | Signed-Up | Cuevas, Lorraine | 509-904-5222 | N | 2 | |
13 | Signed-Up | Gould, Whitney | 510-368-8941 | N | 2 | |
14 | Signed-Up | Nease, Mike | 541-514-6538 | N | 2 | |
15 | Signed-Up | Eubanks, Charla | 541-505-0256 | N | 2 | |
16 | Signed-Up | Cosby, Barbara Kay | 458-210-7604 | N | 2 | |
17 | Signed-Up | Gomez, Consuelo | 713-366-1199 | N | 10 | |
18 | Signed-Up | Stewart Smith, Meg | 541-913-5464 | N | 2 | |
19 | Signed-Up | Gerdes, Marti | 541-337-3659 | N | 2 | |
20 | Signed-Up | Arreola, Joshua | 830-370-0653 | N | 10 | |
21 | Signed-Up | Tsyrkun, Olya | 541-912-7742 | N | 10 |
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