Loowit trail conditions?

[Chazz]

I'm planning on a two-day trip around St Helens on the Loowit trail next weekend. I understand that there was still some larger snowbanks on the trail at the beginning of June by my hope is that they will have shrunk considerably over three weeks.

Can anyone speak to the conditions of the trail, especially around the descents down to water crossing?

[K.Wagner]

Chazz,

See my reply here:Butte Camp Dome

[Chazz]

Thanks Kelly. I am saving up the west and south sides of the mountain for the shorter day. Saturday will be counter-clockwise from June Lake to the south fork of the Toutle (~20 miles). I've always heard that the west side is the gnarliest so the remaining 10 miles will be on that.

[kepPNW]

Can anyone speak to the conditions of the trail, especially around the descents down to water crossing?

The three miles between the Monitor Ridge and Worm Flows climbing routes were problematic yesterday. A few large downed trees, which weren't too bad, but some rather steeply banked snow in some ravines and maybe 1/2-mile that was completely buried through a featureless forest.

[Chazz]

Thanks for the update on the south side.

[nsutherl]

Any updates after this weekend? Thanks in advance.

[Chazz]

I wish I could offer you an update but my party decided that a less uncertain route would be preferable. We did a PCT section instead (TR pending).

[Schrauf]

I circumambulated over the last two days out of June Lake. No snow concerns, just patches near Monitor Ridge, and two on the east side near the Muddy.

My first time on the loop and a bit more adventurous than I expected, but it was a grand time. The five rope climbs/descents all looked tougher than they actually were. As any hiker knows, slopes always look steeper from a distance, and most of these looked like walls until one gets close.

I had more trouble with several loose slopes with exposure. Actually, the only "trouble" was on the east side of Windy Pass, that was a SNAFU, trying to stay on the trail that disappeared into loose pumice, but I think it would have been easier to hike down the "creek" bed. Not sure. Otherwise, the long pumice slope above South Fork Toutle, and several others here and there, were a little intimidating for anyone with a slight fear of heights, but I would not call them "trouble". You just have to walk and not fall.

I haven't done the entire Timberline Trail so I can't compare to that, but I've looped Mt. Adams and I would call this loop tougher, technically. And Adams has an off-trail section. But maybe the experience is still fresh, so that's why MSH seems harder. Not to say it wasn't super fun!

Pictures in random order (I hiked Monday/Tuesday and had showers the first day and sun the second):