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Ravenclaw_14 t1_iwdzxlk wrote

finally someone posts a picture of it when it's snowy. It looks so much better when it's snowy but everyone prefers showing its (personally rather ugly) crater side during the summer or spring. And I don't go up there often enough to get pics of it, and when I do go up I rarely even pass it because I'm going to Bremerton or Seattle!

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StatusSea5409 t1_iwextb9 wrote

Curious question can you sled and ski down it from the crater?

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mrs_leek t1_iwf0jdj wrote

The inside of the crater is off limits. You can climb to the summit using the south route and some people ski down back to the trailhead.

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bozeke t1_iwfi3mx wrote

St. Helens was the first mountain I ever climbed when I was 12 or so. 4th of July in 1993 or 1994 or something. Best part was glissading down after. Ripped a huge hole in my pants. Worth it.

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Ariadnepyanfar t1_iwg0pmc wrote

Scientists are conducting an observational experiment watching an ecosystem regrow from scratch so the crater and south face is off limits.

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ian2121 t1_iwgec7b wrote

Huh? The crater is north facing. The south face is the most popular climbing route.

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[deleted] t1_iwf2xgu wrote

[deleted]

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StatusSea5409 t1_iwf4s1e wrote

It isn't the first or only active volcano people climb and go near the crater of, we even go to erupting volcanoes and take pictures of lava running. You should be able to find a few in the subreddit.

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Its_0ver t1_iwgm2uk wrote

When climbed helens there was no snow but when there is you can absolutely ski or sled down portions of it. I would honestly be great because it would save a ton of time and wear and tear on your body as well.

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satanshand t1_iwgsgac wrote

Glissading from the summit after a climb is a huge bonus. It’s fun as hell and you’re also super tired from the climb.

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EspressoVagabond t1_iwfwlqz wrote

Sledding wouldn't end well because you can't really control a sled in the same way you can control skis (things like slowing, stopping, turning...), and it's a very long way down. If you were to hike up you'd carry an ice axe with you, which would help you stop in case you started slipping down. One common way of descending peaks like this is called glissading—which is just a technical term for sliding down on your butt and using your ice axe to control speed.

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ian2121 t1_iwgek9s wrote

Sleds aren’t allowed above 6000 feet I believe. I’ve seen people go to the top though.

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TheOneCommenter t1_iwfl6vp wrote

I mean… most tourists visit in summer/spring, and most go to the mountain based on where you “should” go, so head to the viewpoints and the visitor center. This will give you the same photo from everyone. There aren’t many people going around the mountain, nor in other seasons.

So yeah, this is a rare look, and I like it

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underbite420 t1_iwg6370 wrote

I liked it better when it was more pointy at the top

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