Mt St Helens is a volcano on the south part of Washington state. 30 years ago it was close to 3000 meters of heights (2950 actually), but in 1980 it violently exploded and now we have only 2550 meters of mountain and mile wide crater that demonstrates volcano activity in everyway. After last eruption volcano territory was announced National Volcanic Monument. I wanted to climb Mt St Helen long ago, but climbing permission is very limited, only hundred per day, and they all are bought up for weeks before day. And you never know what weather would be in the day of your climb! But for photographer it is very important. But decision is always exist. From November to March climber permits are free and unlimited, so we decided to do in in winter. The most difficult part is choose the day, because West Coast winter is not very sunny season. But finally we were granted by one sunny day at the end of February and decided to use it. I lived in Vancouver, BC in those day, so travel to mountain required about 7 hours one way of one way drive, so we decided to combine summit climbing and exploration of Ape Cave. It is huge lava tube that was former during St Helens eruption about couple thousand years ago.
Map of St Helens:
We started early morning on Sunday and at 1 pm arrived at the parking near lava tube. Sing told us that cave is closed, but we did not believe. It is impossible to close this cave. Actually it meant that road to the cave was not cleaned from snow. Well it is only one mile hike in knee deep snow. Even at such conditions some people were in cave. In summer, especially at weekends, amount of people in cave is enormous, I would bear to go in this cave in summer. But in winter it is pretty empty. Despite the name apes never lived in the cave. The name is from hikers group Mount St. Helens Apes.
Walking to the cave though snowy forest.
The cave is somewhere ahead.
Whole cave headquarters.
According the signs we are on the Planet of Apes.
Entrance
Ape Cave is the longest lave tube on the continent – 3.9 km. Lave tubes are formed during the volcano eruption when lave flow harden outside, but inside steel warm and continue to flow. Size of APe Cave lave tube is comparable with subway tunnel; a little train easily can be fitted.
Main entrants is a break in cave ceiling.
From main entrance you can go down to the Lower Cave (0.75 mile one way and you would return by the same rout) мили в одну сторону, для возвращения надо вернуться обратно) or up to the Upper Cave (1.5 mile one way and you can use the entrance on the far end). Altitude difference between ends of the cave is 200 meters.
We started from Lower Cave.
There are little springs of the floor.
Sometimes you can find holes in the smooth walls.
Shelves and bridges also can be found.
Upper Cave is not so straight as Lower.
It is more looks like as fossil intestine.
Springs also present. And it becomes foggy.
A lot of complicated shelves appear.
Floor is not smooth any more and goafes have places from time to time.
Here the ceiling fell down.
Tunnels become more narrow.
Lave drops on the ceiling.
Color simetimes are really bright.
Fog become thicker.
Hole to the world. And wet snow from the hole.
Another exit from the cave.
And we ran back to the car. We need rest before tomorrow mountaineering.
To be continue…
