wonderful page! Congratulations! But do there exist only the both routes you describe in the Routes-section? Or are there still other routes? In this case, I would like to know a little bit about those routes, their difficulty and their length.
I'm not familiar with any other routes than those posted here. There were many more routes before the eruption that were far more interesting from a mountaineering perspective. I'm hoping that someone with experience on the other routes will finally describe them here. There are several mentioned in the 1987 Beckey that I have, but I don't know what he says in his latest edition because I haven't bought it yet! :-)
>I'm not familiar with any other routes than those posted here. There were many more routes before the eruption that were far more interesting from a mountaineering perspective. I'm hoping that someone with experience on the other routes will finally describe them here. There are several mentioned in the 1987 Beckey that I have,
Well, that was just my thought that you perhaps could add some information which you find in literature. I did it myself as well with my mountains. I think it is useful for the readers of the pages if they have an overview about the routes. So why don't you just put something from this book on your page?
>but I don't know what he says in his latest edition because I haven't bought it yet! :-)
You can mention it, that you have made the overview of the routes on the basis of the old book (1987; it is already published after the eruption in 1980) and that there exists a newer one.
Thanks! Actually, I should be counting the hits per day or something, but I haven't done so. So much is happening that it's hard to keep up, so IMO the best thing to do is provide the links. -Bob
I suppose this page has attracted some attention recently. Great work keeping it updated with the recent events, and I like the sig photo selection showing the pre-1980 St. Helens.
Thanks Ryan! Yeah, I'm just nostalgic enough to include some of those pre-eruption pix. Here are two of my other favorites from those days:
Mt. St. Helens from the south slopes of Mt. Adams at sunrise.
St. Helens and Adams on Feb. 11, 1980, the last time I saw St. Helens "whole", taken out the window of the jet that took me to live in Juneau, AK for two years.
Too cool... Thanks for linking me to those pics, as I never would have found them among the 200 on this page! Did you climb St. Helens before it blew its top?
Oh yes, I climbed it on June 15, 1975. It's one reason that I responded so emotionally to the eruption - a place that I had stood wound up somewhere else, maybe under Spirit Lake?? I was going to give you a link to my summit log entry, but realized that I never signed the summit log for that climb. Hmmm?? We had high winds and it was very cold. Climbed the Forsyth Glacier route, just west of the Dog's Head. Of course that glacier contributed mightily to the massive floods in the N. Fork Toutle after the eruption. Well below the summit we hit freezing temps to go along with the high winds, so the snow slope was frozen solid and we had to put on crampons. To get to the summit from where we hit the rim, we had to walk directly into the wind, and walking side-by-side our climbing rope acting like a sail holding us back. We estimated the wind gusts were over 75MPH, and it was very difficult to keep our footing, even though it was essentially level and smooth. On the way back from the summit a gust knocked me down and the rope "sail" drug me along the level ice. I finally stopped by using a self arrest! (Bear in mind that the ropes we used back then were very different from today's ropes. This one was one of the old gold line ropes). Two guys in our party skiied down from the summit rim, side-slipping the icy section near the top. Most of us glissaded the deep trough below the Dog's Head - fantastic ride. After the eruption I was SO glad that I had been able to climb the glaciered cone. It was such a gorgeous mountain! -Bob
Rahel Maria Liu - Jan 19, 2002 11:03 am - Voted 10/10
Untitled CommentHi Robert,
wonderful page! Congratulations! But do there exist only the both routes you describe in the Routes-section? Or are there still other routes? In this case, I would like to know a little bit about those routes, their difficulty and their length.
Regards, Rahel
Bob Bolton - Jan 19, 2002 11:55 pm - Hasn't voted
Untitled CommentHi Rahel,
Thanks again for your kind comments!
I'm not familiar with any other routes than those posted here. There were many more routes before the eruption that were far more interesting from a mountaineering perspective. I'm hoping that someone with experience on the other routes will finally describe them here. There are several mentioned in the 1987 Beckey that I have, but I don't know what he says in his latest edition because I haven't bought it yet! :-)
Bob
Rahel Maria Liu - Jan 20, 2002 7:47 am - Voted 10/10
Untitled CommentHi Bob,
thanks for your mail!
>Thanks again for your kind comments!
You are welcome.
>I'm not familiar with any other routes than those posted here. There were many more routes before the eruption that were far more interesting from a mountaineering perspective. I'm hoping that someone with experience on the other routes will finally describe them here. There are several mentioned in the 1987 Beckey that I have,
Well, that was just my thought that you perhaps could add some information which you find in literature. I did it myself as well with my mountains. I think it is useful for the readers of the pages if they have an overview about the routes. So why don't you just put something from this book on your page?
>but I don't know what he says in his latest edition because I haven't bought it yet! :-)
You can mention it, that you have made the overview of the routes on the basis of the old book (1987; it is already published after the eruption in 1980) and that there exists a newer one.
Regards, Rahel
Fred Spicker - Aug 10, 2002 2:54 pm - Voted 10/10
Untitled CommentGreat page!
OBIJUANKENOBI71 - Oct 11, 2002 3:36 am - Voted 10/10
Untitled CommentGreat page!
Cheers.
Juan
William Marler - Nov 11, 2002 6:22 am - Voted 10/10
Untitled CommentVery good. Cheers William
Dean - Jan 1, 2003 12:45 pm - Voted 10/10
Untitled CommentNice page
Dave K - Sep 26, 2003 5:38 pm - Voted 10/10
Untitled CommentVery good page, Bob!
vertx - Sep 30, 2003 10:32 am - Voted 10/10
Untitled CommentGreat Page! I love the pre-eruption pictures. Having been there recently, its amazing to see what used to be!
Grant - Jan 3, 2004 8:31 pm - Voted 10/10
Untitled Commentvery nice.
Johan Heersink - Jan 9, 2004 4:31 am - Voted 10/10
Untitled CommentA page like it should be!
Don Nelsen - Sep 29, 2004 11:38 pm - Voted 10/10
Untitled CommentHi Bob,
Looks like you may have even more work to do on this page!
Nice update and links.
Don
mtwashingtonmonroe - Oct 1, 2004 5:04 pm - Voted 10/10
Untitled CommentWatched the minor eruptions today and it was pretty awesome! At least they hopefully won't be near as bad as 1980. Very interesting page and thankyou!
-Britt
skiing311 - Oct 4, 2004 12:34 am - Voted 10/10
Untitled CommentThis page was updated with information about the eruption. Excellent work to make updating this page a priority!
Erik Beeler - Oct 4, 2004 1:38 pm - Voted 10/10
Untitled CommentWell done. The hits must be flying in right now!
Bob Bolton - Oct 4, 2004 3:51 pm - Hasn't voted
Untitled CommentThanks! Actually, I should be counting the hits per day or something, but I haven't done so. So much is happening that it's hard to keep up, so IMO the best thing to do is provide the links. -Bob
RyanS - Oct 5, 2004 1:03 pm - Voted 10/10
Untitled CommentI suppose this page has attracted some attention recently. Great work keeping it updated with the recent events, and I like the sig photo selection showing the pre-1980 St. Helens.
Bob Bolton - Oct 5, 2004 11:45 pm - Hasn't voted
Untitled CommentThanks Ryan! Yeah, I'm just nostalgic enough to include some of those pre-eruption pix. Here are two of my other favorites from those days:
Mt. St. Helens from the south slopes of Mt. Adams at sunrise.
St. Helens and Adams on Feb. 11, 1980, the last time I saw St. Helens "whole", taken out the window of the jet that took me to live in Juneau, AK for two years.
Bob
RyanS - Oct 6, 2004 1:12 pm - Voted 10/10
Untitled CommentToo cool... Thanks for linking me to those pics, as I never would have found them among the 200 on this page! Did you climb St. Helens before it blew its top?
Bob Bolton - Oct 6, 2004 1:59 pm - Hasn't voted
Untitled CommentOh yes, I climbed it on June 15, 1975. It's one reason that I responded so emotionally to the eruption - a place that I had stood wound up somewhere else, maybe under Spirit Lake?? I was going to give you a link to my summit log entry, but realized that I never signed the summit log for that climb. Hmmm?? We had high winds and it was very cold. Climbed the Forsyth Glacier route, just west of the Dog's Head. Of course that glacier contributed mightily to the massive floods in the N. Fork Toutle after the eruption. Well below the summit we hit freezing temps to go along with the high winds, so the snow slope was frozen solid and we had to put on crampons. To get to the summit from where we hit the rim, we had to walk directly into the wind, and walking side-by-side our climbing rope acting like a sail holding us back. We estimated the wind gusts were over 75MPH, and it was very difficult to keep our footing, even though it was essentially level and smooth. On the way back from the summit a gust knocked me down and the rope "sail" drug me along the level ice. I finally stopped by using a self arrest! (Bear in mind that the ropes we used back then were very different from today's ropes. This one was one of the old gold line ropes). Two guys in our party skiied down from the summit rim, side-slipping the icy section near the top. Most of us glissaded the deep trough below the Dog's Head - fantastic ride. After the eruption I was SO glad that I had been able to climb the glaciered cone. It was such a gorgeous mountain! -Bob