Nesmith Point in the snow(!) First tracks on Nov. 3rd.

[Don Nelsen]

Good for you getting that thing done in the wind! I was planning to do Wyeth again yesterday but wussed out when I looked at the wind data from Crown Point. I don't know if Nesmith or Wyeth has the worst wind in this weather pattern, but I didn't want to find out the hard way.

[Charley]

I'm bummed to see those two trees didn't make it. I had wondered about their fate, because to me they were about the most interesting features of the trail last time I hiked it.

By the way, William Sullivan mentioned a viewpoint somewhere downhill of the summit (lookin North, if I recall correctly). Has anyone every found it? I couldn't find it or any other views when I was there.

[Bosterson]

By the way, William Sullivan mentioned a viewpoint somewhere downhill of the summit (lookin North, if I recall correctly). Has anyone every found it?

Downhill from the Nesmith summit had a variety of viewpoints I visited along the face of the Gorge, but I would need specifics from Sullivan (or one of his sweet hand drawn maps!) to know which one he might have been referring to. I think the entire edge of Nesmith burned in the fire, so presumably the whole place is viewpoints now. But it's a crumbly area and probably moreso now if the trees anchoring it are dead - not somewhere I'd recommend poking around.

[bobcat]

William Sullivan mentioned a viewpoint somewhere downhill of the summit

Last week, we stopped at the normal viewpoint ("Nesmith Point") where, without snow, the red cinder heart of the volcano is exposed. Because of the very fierce and cold winds, as well as untracked snow, we decided not to slog past the site of the collapsed outhouse and over the summit to the north viewpoint, but I assume it's still there. The forest around Nesmith Point experienced only light ground fire.

Because the burn went all through the defile, mostly crown fire, many views have opened up on the ascent. We could see Adams, St. Helens, and the tippy top of Rainier.