Trail recommendations - Portland/Vancouver area

Trip recommendations, current conditions, and other trail related Q&A
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musicman
Posts: 1
Joined: June 21st, 2008, 6:23 pm

Trail recommendations - Portland/Vancouver area

Post by musicman » June 21st, 2008, 6:25 pm

I will be in the Portland/Vancouver area July 9th - 19th. Some buddies and I have rented a cabin within GPNF and would like some day hike recommendations. Our cabin is near the Peterson Prairie Campground. I know we want to see Panther Creek Falls and the Guler Ice Cave. Any other must see areas?

Also 2 of us have our permits for St. Helens on the 11th. Neither one of have ever done anything like this. We've always just backpacked. I think we're both smart enough to turn back if we don't feel safe. Will snowshoes with cleats be enough or should we consider crampons? Are we in over our heads given the current conditions and our inexperience?

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Jane
Posts: 3639
Joined: May 28th, 2008, 10:03 pm

Re: Trail recommendations - Portland/Vancouver area

Post by Jane » June 21st, 2008, 6:48 pm

Welcome musicman! Sounds like you have some ambitious plans, and I'm sure you are checking condiitons and researching preparedness (I've not done that climb yet, but my understanding , especially in winter, is to be EXTRA careful, make sure you practice with crampons and glisading gear beforehand, as well as being in decent condition for the climb.) Just checked your campground, hopefully this is OLD news but as of June 12 was still closed for snow: http://www.fs.fed.us/gpnf/recreation/cu ... unds.shtml
The website also offers tips on the climb:
http://www.fs.fed.us/gpnf/recreation/mount-st-helens/

I hope experienced snow climbers chime in and give you some hands-on advice, have a great and safe time!

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