The drive to this trailhead was the most packed my car has ever been for a hiking trip, mostly with unnecessary items. I had all my clothes, a desk, monitor, and office equipment with me because I was moving back to California after living in Seattle for two months. Luckily for me (unlucky for him), my roommate Anton was also in the car. Instead of taking a plane from Seattle, he had kindly agreed to accompany me on this adventure to climb Mount St Helens, and then take turns driving all the way back to San Francisco in the same day.

We woke up super early in a motel somewhere along the I-5 in Southern Washington. Anton and I were both still tired from moving out the day before, but we hopped in the car and began the drive through Gifford Pinchot Natl Forest to a trailhead known as Climbers' Bivouac. Since the sun had not risen yet we strapped on headlamps to start the 5 mile, 4500 vertical ft hike to the crater rim.

A couple miles in, we started to feel the fatigue, yet the sky was still dark. Anton decided that he didn't want to continue, so we parted ways. He went back down to the car for a nap, and I didn't blame him for not wanting to be awake at this hour. I kept going for what felt like forever along a rocky ridge until finally a sliver of light appeared on the horizon.The best part about climbing Cascades volcanos is the feeling that nothing else is around you, and you are the highest person for miles and miles.The trail was faint, but the forest service had erected tall poles at intervals along the route to guide climbers up the slope. As I got higher up the hill, the ground turned softer with volcanic ash and fine dirt.As the sun rose I passed a weather station and some boulder fields, eventually cresting the final few hills to the crater rim. At the last hundred feet of the climb, my feet kept sliding down the ash and loose crumbs. Each step took more effort than usual.At the crater rim I spotted smoking fumaroles down below. In 1980 the volcano had erupted in the same direction I was looking, so I could see a huge path of destruction stretching far and wide from the summit. Clear skies revealed many peaks including Rainier, Adams, Baker, and Hood in the distance. Technically the real summit was another few hundred feet to the left of where I stood, but I was too tired to keep going for essentially the same view.

I ate my sandwich and descended down, skiing and sliding down the loose gravel to the car. We stopped for lunch at Nong's in Portland for some of the best chicken and rice I've had. Anton was a legend for helping me drive and stay awake for the rest of the journey down to the Bay Area.