Mt. Fitzherbert
News Update
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Mount St. Helens officials consider permitting climbs to crater rim
2006-Mar-15
from The Vancouver Columbian
There aren't many places on Earth where it's possible to climb an erupting volcano and peer over the crater's edge.
Soon, adventure-seekers may be able to do just that at Mount St. Helens. A year and a half after the volcano stirred to life in September of 2004, U.S. Forest Service officials are deciding whether to reopen the volcano to climbers.
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Mount St. Helens trail to the rim of the crater may reopen
2006-Mar-16 07:43
from The Seattle Times
VANCOUVER, Wash. – A trail to the south rim of the crater of Mount St. Helens, closed since the start of a domebuilding eruption in late September 2004, may be reopened this year, officials say.
No decision has been made, but National Forest Service officials began accepting conditional climbing reservations last month, Tom Mulder, manager of the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, told The Columbian of Vancouver.
"The public is interested," Mulder said. "It's a recreation niche, a learning opportunity, and we want to serve the public well."
The climbing season traditionally begins on May 15, and the number of permits historically has been limited to 100 a day, half by reservation and half by a daily lottery.