Because I couldn't have hiked any further up that damn volcano. Mt. St. Helens is most famous for its violent eruption on May 18, 1980, which was the deadliest and most economically destructive volcanic event in the history of the United States. On Tuesday, I woke up at 3:30 a.m. to join Scott, Courtney, Claire, Walker, Ellen and Dan for the 2.5 hour drive south to hike that beast.
We were up against a five-mile hike to the top and a 4,500-foot elevation gain. It looked something like this...
As you can see, this scramble included a lot of rock climbing.
What does it feel like standing at the top of an active volcano?
Pretty damn awesome.
Fohawk in the front, volcanic debris in the back.
You can also see Scott's pictures here.