Mt St Helens - Hummocks to Johnston Ridge Observatory - YES IT'S OPEN, Scott!!!

A landslide has closed the road to the Johnston Ridge Observatory, but the trails are still open, so let's take advantage of the situation and get a moderately easy/difficult hike to the Observatory and have it mostly to ourselves. The beginning and end of this hike we'll stroll through the hummocks, piles of pyroclastic debris that cover what was once an old growth forest. Then we'll hike up the ridge through the recovering blast zone to get spectacular views into the crater.

• Start/End point: Hummocks Trail
• Hike type: In and out with a 2-mile loop in the Hummocks
• Distance: About 10 miles
• Elevation gain: About 1500 feet
• High point: 4300 feet
• Permits: To be safe, NW Wilderness Pass
• Dogs: No
• Difficulty: Moderate due to distance, elevation gain, sun exposure
• Driving Distance: 220 miles round trip from Gateway Transit Center
• Gateway Garage Location: Ground floor on the West side.

Please arrive at Gateway by 7:20 so that carpooling can be organized and we can hit the road by 7:30. I will be driving and can accommodate 3 additional hikers. If there is a desire, the carpooling can make a stop at the Salmon Creek Transit Center at 7:50. I always encourage carpooling as it's the best way to decrease the meetup groups carbon footprint. A carpooling donation of about 12cents/mile is suggested.

• Bring: Lunch, sturdy shoes or boots, water, snacks, warm layers, a rain jacket, and a camera

It is also recommended that hikers always carry the 10 Essentials:

1. Navigation (map, compass, and an awareness of our route)
2. Sun protection (sunglasses and sunscreen)
3. Insulation (extra clothing)
4. Illumination (headlamp/flashlight and extra batteries)
5. First-aid supplies
6. Fire (waterproof matches/lighter/candles)
7. Knife/tools
8. Nutrition (extra food)
9. Hydration (extra water)
10. Emergency whistle and general preparedness in the event that you become separated from our group and/or have to spend the night in the wild.

PARTICIPATE AT YOUR OWN RISK; NW Wilderness Group organizers are volunteers. We come prepared to lead you on a trail or off trail hike but assume no liability for your safety getting to or from the trail-head or on the hike. In case of accident, illness, or other incapacity, hikers must pay for their own medical and/or evacuation expenses, whether or not the hiker has specifically authorized them.

The end time is an estimate and may be wildly off!

Important Weather Notice:
Long-range forecast as of 05/07/2025

• Temps: low 50s
• Sky: Possible low clouds obscuring views of the mountain.
  Another forecast has it as only partially cloudy.
• Wind: 5-10mph
• Precipitation: 0%

I will be keeping up with the weather forecast for the hike area and posting updates here. There is no shelter from rain on this outing. If the view of the mountain is going to be obscured by rain and clouds, this hike will be postponed for another day, but I will try to locate a alternative hike we can do.