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Cloud Chasers

Mount St. Helens

Climb through volcanic rubble to the crater rim and look into a reshaped mountain.

8,363 ftWA • Cascades / Monitor Ridge • Volcanic summit hike

Quest challenge 5/10 · Bold Ascent

Quest estimate for the described approach: endurance, altitude, and technical terrain combined. Conditions can change the difficulty. This is not an AllTrails or climbing grade.

A summit story waiting to happen.

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Meet the mountain

The approach: Summer Monitor Ridge from Climber’s Bivouac via Ptarmigan Trail

Summit finish: The standard summit crater-rim finish, staying clear of cornices.

An iconic volcanic climb with a view into the mountain’s transformed crater. The summer Monitor Ridge route crosses lava blocks and loose pumice, with an unmarked upper section. The normal rim finish counts as summiting here; there is no need to pursue a higher rim point. Snow-season approaches require different preparation. Check the climbing permit and access rules for your date.

TRAILCRAFT TO PRACTICE

Prepare for loose terrain, navigation, and changing weather; keep away from corniced edges.

A SUMMIT QUEST TALL TALE · FICTION

The cloud haircut

A cloud opened a salon in the sky and offered the horizon a trim. The horizon asked for “just a little off the top.” Both parties now insist on written instructions before booking.

Explore the Field Guide’s peak legends →

Before you set out

Every good quest starts with a little map time. Explore these route guides and check the latest updates before setting a date.

Sources reviewed 2026-09-08. Check the links for current conditions. The approach above explains our challenge rating; logging this peak does not assign that route to your outing.

USFS Monitor Ridge route ↗

Official summer summit-route description.

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“Find AllTrails routes” opens a Google search restricted to AllTrails trail pages, not a selected route. Completion is tracked in Summit Quest and does not sync with AllTrails.