Mount St Helens, Worm Flows, May 12, 2019 (Mother’s Day)
Garry Stephenson and Ellen Gradison—co-leaders
I think it is good to start the climbing season with a climb that does not allow anyone to take themselves seriously. There is no better climb for that than Mount St. Helens on Mother’s Day.
Our crew began gathering at the Marble Mountain sno-park the Saturday evening before Mother’s Day, some straggling in throughout the night as work and home commitments permitted. A noticeable change was a row of clean porta-potties to augment the powerfully distasteful outhouse. The interior doors of the portables held a thought provoking question: If you won their Instagram contest, would you choose a Honey Bucket (hopefully new) or $1000.00. Think about it.
The Honey Bucket challenge led us to our “before” photo in front of said Honey Buckets. Instagram next. Big decision after that.
Back at the climb: The historic Mother’s Day event began in 1987 when Kathy Phibbs, co-founder of the all-volunteer nonprofit Women Climber’s Northwest, started the gala event. In 2014, over 900 people ascended St Helens on Mother’s Day. As a result, in 2015 the Forest Service began limiting the number of permits to 500. For 2019, our Chemeketan group was 12 of the chosen 500.
The Worm Flows route starts at 2800 feet and spends way too long getting out of the woods. It is gentle but long, gaining 5,500 feet in about six miles. Longer with 500 climbers on the route. The weather was near perfect and we took luxurious breaks in the sunshine and views.
Perfect weather and an easy pace allowed plenty of time for the coiffeur to intervene.
We followed a line of climber steps up passing glissade chutes—some active some ancient—taking breaks each hour. We summited in calm, sunny conditions and joined the party. The glissade down was long (even tiring) and worth the climb. I even tested out tyvek painter overalls as a glissade device. More on that another time.
Left: The party on the summit that would make any Mom happy.
Right: Could it be La Siguanaba* from Central American folklore or our own Heather Rojo
- * A shape-changing spirit that takes the form of a woman who lures bad men into danger before revealing her face to be that of a horse.
Summit panorama
Summit pandemonium
From left, Chris Shaw, Chris Leesman, Kim Sangster, Ellen Gradison, Billy Bob Davis, Heather Rojo, Sorcha O’Connor, Garry Stephenson, Aislinn Adams, Ben Scandella (collapsing), Patrick Harkins, and Bill Saur.
Welcomed to the Chemeketans through the madness were Chris Shaw, Ben Scandella, and Patrick Harkins; finding a new meaning to Mother’s Day were Heather Rojo, Aislinn Adams and Sorcha O’Connor; and those who cannot get enough laughs Chris Leesman, Kim Sangster, Billy Bob Davis, Bill Saur, and Ellen Gradison (co-leader) and Garry Stephenson (co-leader). Most of whom—but perhaps not all—would take the $1000.00.