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Norway Pass to Spirit Lake

Posted by jaimito (2007-09-04)

Originally I was going to make a trip to Elk Meadows with my mom who was visiting this past weekend, but at the last minute I changed my mind, and I'm glad I did. The Mount Margaret backcountry and Spirit Lake have been high on my list of places to explore.
The trails have narrow tread, are steep in places and can climb over 2,000 feet in elevation. Some portions of this trail were very narrow and crossed steep cliffs, if you are uncomfortable with heights, this loop is not for you.

We left Portland around 5am Friday morning and got to the Norway Pass trail head at about 9am. The approach to the trailhead is very surreal, your still in your car and already feel like you are in another world.

I haven't been able to find an official name for this loop that we did anywhere, but you start at Norway Pass Trailhead and follow Boundary Trail No 1 from the parking lot. As you continue you come to a trail junction where you turn left onto the Independence Ridge Trail and head towards Independence Pass. Slowly working your way up hill towards the south the views continue, the devastation is all around you and as far as you can see.

The trail turns westward at a junction with the Independence Pass Trail on the left, you stay right and continue along the dusty trail until you come into awesome views of Mount St. Helens and Spirit lake below you. After taking in the views you continue along a narrow path where you can walk out onto a great view point of the crater (great spot for lunch). After a rest and some lunch at the crater view point, continue along the narrow (and I mean narrow) path for the next 2 miles passing the 100-foot spire of welded ash called Tephra's Pinnacle. The views and scenery get better and better on your way to Norway Pass. Follow the boundary trail a mile or so and keep right till you you come to a connector path that will lead you back to the parking lot.

(NOTE: in W. Sullivans - 100 best hikes 3rd edition you can see the loop on page 80 listed under Spirit Lake - I want to warn everyone that along the Independence Pass Trail he makes note of a land slide, this land slide isn't below the trail it actually took out a 3 foot section of the trail that you have to make a rather small but sketchy leap over - so be fore warned.)

I would give descriptions of each shot but there are too many, so sorry for all the photos and the blown out skies, the blue sky didn't decide to show up until the end of the day, but as you can see it was a surreal experience that I think each of you should put on your list.

Enjoy�

Re: Norway Pass to Spirit Lake

Posted by jeffstatt (2007-09-05)

Great report. I love seeing trip reports from the Mount Saint Helens area. Is that Loowit Falls in that one photo?

Why aren't people more dumbfounded by all the floating logs Spirit Lake? Isn't that just the wildest thing? Honestly I can't get over it even to this day.

In the (now closed) Coldwater Visitor's Center there was a movie about how life came back to Spirit Lake -- particularily how it was thought that it would take 25 years for life to return, but the rabid growth of a particular bacteria rid the lake of most of the toxins that would prevent life from re-ermering. Here is a link that has some interesting info about the return of life to Spirit Lake:
http://www.fs.fed.us/gpnf/mshnvm/education/teachers-corner/library/life-returns03.shtml

I love that sixth photo! What peak is that?

Re: Norway Pass to Spirit Lake

Posted by drm (2007-09-06)

Yeah - me too! I've been interested in visiting the blast zone and checking it out. But it seems a bit of a trek for a dayhike. Is there car camping in the area? I didn't see any on the map. I'm also wondering if the Mount Margaret backcountry is open for backpacking at some of those lakes.

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