I completed the Mt St Helen trail via monitor ridge route starting from Climbers Bivouac today. It was a damp and disappointing start as I was driving up to the trail head since it was very foggy and the visibility was low. But once I reached the trail head my spirits were brightened by the cheerful hikers around. It took me around 6.5 hours round trip (including one hour at the top). 3 hours 15 mins to climb and 2 hours 20 mins for the descent. Good news is, the trail was in fantastic shape. Although the visibility was low sometimes due to fog I had not difficulties navigating the trail. I did not encounter any rain or snowfall on the trail. No ice/snow on the trail until the very last patch very close to the summit. I had to cross a snow patch of about 20 feet very close to the summit but it was very firm and not dangerous at all. The summit of course was snow capped so had to walk through ice, but there are markers on the summit indicating what areas are good to walk and what areas might have a cornice.
This hike is strenuous but certainly not dangerous. I will say though that the hike is not for the weak of heart (literally and figuratively), particularly the second half after you reach the 4800 feet marker. The first two miles are a breeze until you reach the boulder fields. It took me about 45 mins to reach the boulder fields on the way up. Boulder fields are more like boulder mountain. You climb pretty much the next 2 miles through rocks where it is a combination of scrambling and some pushing up your body with your shoulder / hiking poles. The last section is deceptive as you keep seeing the peak but it takes much more time walking through the sand than you think it would take. The trail is very well marked and if you don't see a trail marker every 5 minutes you are most likely on the wrong route
The view at the summit was gorgeous. Unfortunately it was a foggy day so I couldn't see too far. But I waited long enough for the clouds to clear a few times to reveal the crater as well as the view of the glacier and mountain that I had climbed. All in all it was a nice trail and certainly can be done by anyone with intermediate hiking skills and a drive to keep going. Hiking poles are an absolute must have and help immensely on the hike. Apart from that another useful thing to have maybe a ski jacket and ski pants. These are not necessary for the hike itself but if you like you can slide down the glacier on your way down to shorten the hike time and have some fun in the process. I saw a lot of people do it and seemed like fun and safe. I did not bring my ski clothes so I could not partake unfortunately.
