COUGAR, Wash. -- If you were offered a ticket to peer into the center of the earth, would you take it?
The US Forest Service announced in July that it would offer permits -- 100 a day through October -- to climb Monitor Ridge on the south face of Mount St. Helens , an active volcano in Washington State.
The trail, closed since 2004 because of seismic activity, allows hikers a rare opportunity to witness the ancient processes of a mountain rebuilding itself from the inside out.
But there's a catch. To reach the edge of this magnificent crater at 8,364 feet above sea level requires an arduous, 5 -mile climb on a trail that rises 4,500 feet. It's a trip that, on average, takes hikers seven to 12 hours. It's neither a simple hike nor a technical effort, but a steep and difficult climb with relentless elevation gain. Climbers are advised to carry a dust mask and helmet in preparation for unexpected volcanic hazards.
Is it worth it? Absolutely. But be prepared.
Mount St. Helens exploded on Sunday morning, May 18, 1980. A magnitude 5.1 earthquake caused the northern flank of the mountain to slide away in a torrent of water and rock debris.
This in turn unleashed a violent explosion, akin to shaking a bottle of soda and popping the top. Mud, rock, and hot water swept down the river valley, leveling miles of trees and killing 57 people. A plume of ash (pulverized rock) shot more than 15 miles into the sky. Streetlights were triggered at midday as communities in the path of wind-borne ash turned dark. Ash rained down, covering cars, houses , and lawns in a blanket of fine silt.
When the eruption ended nine hours later, more than 1.5 billion tons of ash had been blown out of the mountain, dramatically altering one of the most beautiful mountains in the Cascade Range .
Climbing a mountain with such a recent violent past is thrilling and a little unnerving. But having a chance to see firsthand what's happening in the crater is an opportunity of a lifetime. Even in this relatively ``quiet" period, the lava dome in the crater delivers a steady stream of new rock -- hard, gray magma that has cooled on its way up through the earth, said Tom Pierson, a geologist with the US Geological Survey.
The route to the crater over the Ptarmigan Trail and Monitor Ridge can be roughly divided into thirds -- forest, boulder fields, and scree, a mix of ash and pumice. The Ptarmigan Trail begins at Climber's Bivouac (3,700 feet) and rises 1,100 feet in 2 1/4 miles to timberline at 4,800 feet .
