<p class="ql-block">3/27/2021</p><p class="ql-block">早晨4:50分到达Trailhead, 没想到两个停车场全满，车已沿路边停到了一英里以外。很多人前一天已经来了，在车里或路边搭的帐篷里过了一夜。</p><p class="ql-block">这是三月的最后一个周六，<span style="font-size: 18px;">而且预报天气睛好。</span>每年四月一号起需登山许可证才能攀登圣海伦火山。于是，今天的爬山变成了赶集😁</p><p class="ql-block">原本约好5点开爬，排队登记后已经5:30。想着天黑人多，其他队友肯定已经开爬，我们三个伙伴就出发了。</p><p class="ql-block">雪从一开始就有，全程雪路。</p> <p class="ql-block">很快，我们三人就被夹在了浩浩荡荡的登山大军中间, 增加了不少安全感。拐弯儿时回头一看，黑暗中一长串行进中的头灯，看不到尽头。只听见滑雪板磨擦雪面的刷刷声。我紧盯地面跟着走，生怕踩到前面那位的滑雪板。</p> <p class="ql-block">不知走了多长时间，天渐亮，雾蒙蒙。</p> <p class="ql-block">走出树线，正赶上太阳从迷雾中缓缓升起。</p> <p class="ql-block">阳光下，沿着宽阔的山梁，开始了真正的攀爬。山梁上人流不息，恐怕今天有上千人来这里朝圣。山梁过后是山坡，爬过一坡又一坡😜 一坡比一坡更陡😿</p> <p class="ql-block">云海之上</p> <p class="ql-block">Mt. Adam 一路相伴。</p> <p class="ql-block">找个稍缓的坡或有石头挡一下的地方休息一下。</p> <p class="ql-block">看日出时追到另外三个女生队友，六名娘子军聚齐，党代表们无影无踪。</p> <p class="ql-block">帮女友把滑雪板扛上山的男生 is a keeper 😁</p> <p class="ql-block">这是最陡的一坡。不敢东张西望，也顾不上拍照，只有盯着面前最深的一串脚印，一步一步踩上去。这一刻，没有退路！</p><p class="ql-block">爬上这一坡，还有最后没那么陡的一坡，就到了火山口。</p> <p class="ql-block">经过7个小时的攀爬(包括休息和拍照), 终于登顶！</p><p class="ql-block">站在半圆形的火山口上，正对着的是Spirit Lake 和Mt. Rainier, 东边是Mt. Adam. 蓝天白雪，美不胜收☀️</p> <p class="ql-block">山顶集市</p> <p class="ql-block">全体队员</p> <p class="ql-block">飞滑直下三千尺😄 </p><p class="ql-block">第一次找到了坐滑的感觉，越滑越爽，解决了上山容易下山难的问题。中午雪已软，虽无冰斧，登山杖也可以用来煞车。代价是磨坏了一条新的爬山裤。</p> <p class="ql-block">Gaia 记录往返10.2英里(16.5公里), 爬升5500英尺(1680米)。历时11小时45分。 开心美好，痛并快乐着的一天。感谢小伙伴们在我犹豫不决时硬把我拉来，感谢经验丰富的全能队友在我腿抽筋时给我盐粒和止痛药。</p><p class="ql-block">山就在那里，继续在大山中，千锤百炼👊😸</p> <p class="ql-block"><b>About Mt. St. Helens</b></p> <p class="ql-block">Mt. St. Helens is an active volcano, which is located in the Cascade Range and is part of the Cascade Volcanic Arc, a segment of the Pacific Ring of Fire.</p> <p class="ql-block">Mount St. Helens is known for its major eruption on May 18, 1980, the deadliest volcanic event in U.S. history. Fifty-seven people were killed. </p> <p class="ql-block">The eruption reduced the elevation of the mountain's summit from 9,677 ft (2,950 m) to 8,363 ft (2,549 m), leaving a 1 mile (1.6 km) wide horseshoe-shaped crater.</p> <p class="ql-block">Mount St. Helens is a popular climbing destination for both beginning and experienced mountaineers. The peak is climbed year-round, although it is more often climbed from late spring through early fall.</p><p class="ql-block">The summer route (red) is the Monitor Ridge Route, which gains about 4,600 feet (1,400 m) in approximately 5 miles (8 km) to reach the crater rim. The winter route (blue) is the Worm Flows Route, which gains about 5,700 feet (1,700 m) in elevation over about 6 miles (10 km) from trailhead to summit.</p><p class="ql-block"><br></p> <p class="ql-block">The Worm Flows Route that we climbed today.</p>