For the more difficult and longer drive to the upper TH, follow gravel FR-030 for ¼ mi, turn right on FR-8117 for 3 mi (unmarked, gravel, potholes) passing FR-040 on the right just past FR-030. Then briefly is a left turn, then quickly a right turn to stay on FR-8117. Fork right (at about 2700 ft) to stay on FR-8117 for 1¾ mi to the end (also unsigned), turn right on narrowing FR-470 almost ½ mi to a nondescript saddle before the road becomes completely overgrown (few parking spots but not much competition (72 mi, 1¾ hours from Portland). No fee at either TH, and there is an outhouse at the horse camp.
ROUTE: From the primary TH on the S side of the Kalama Horse Camp lot, find the narrow path only a few feet left of the wider Toutle Trail 238. Follow it a hundred yards then begin to work left (N) on any solid path briefly to FR-81. Cross the road to the TH and a small, old sign for Fossil Trail 242 and continue ½ mi NE on the narrow, but easy, path to an old closed roadway (FR-550). Take the wide gravel road left another ½ mi a bit steeper to a solid switchback. After a second turn you begin to see the sheer granite cliffs S of Goat Mountain through the trees. The view only improves as you ascend another turn, then take 3 easier switchbacks through the big, old noble and silver firs, western hemlock, and huckleberry patches to the thin saddle at a faint three-way intersection (2¼ mi from TH). To the left is the slightly overgrown path down the narrow rise SW 125 ft to the upper TH on FR-470.
Foxglove is brilliant with the goal in sight up the ridge and a corner of Merrill Lake coming into view.
From the quiet wildflower-surrounded upper TH and saddle (with a look down to part of Merrill Lake) the first feet of the trail are nearly impossible to locate and there is no signage. When driving up you would look and then walk left (NE) at the saddle through a thicket of trees and bushes only a few feet before the more solid spur becomes discernible a hundred feet or so up to the Fossil Trail.
Turn left on Fossil Trail from the upper TH spur only 40 ft, or the same distance if you are coming from the primary TH to a faded path on the right. Leave Fossil Trail (continuing N around the base of the mountain) and take the bushwhack path a few feet to the nearby W ridge where the true scrambling begins. The super-steep yet surprisingly solid path has scant but very helpful flagging more than ½ mi E before the final ¼ mi or so N along the rocky and fairly slender high ridge (still tree-covered but less so). See Mount St. Helens instantly once you attain the high ridge. Steep ups and downs exist but are minimal, making you pay attention past pines and over the larger boulders comprising the summit block.
Be careful to the top where there is a USGS benchmark and a forested twin peak farther N. Even with a few trees, Mount St. Helens is in your face with Mount Adams behind to the right, and part of the reservoir system to the S can be seen as well as Mount Hood. On a clear day you see N of Mount St. Helens into the Mount Margaret Backcountry to the pointed Coldwater Peak with Mount Rainier in the background. Return mindfully down to the three-way intersection at the saddle above the upper TH on the Fossil Trail and fork to the left for the easiest descent by the same route to the horse camp as most people do. Fork to the right (down briefly) to the upper TH if you parked there or are hiking the counterclockwise loop to the Kalama Horse Camp TH area.
From the upper TH continue right (SW) along the overgrown narrowing road (FR-470) N of several little ridge bumps on a fairly level but tough traverse less than 1 mi. The road is badly overgrown in spots where it narrows too, but finally widens and eases to a vague flat area in the trees on a bend. Walk diagonally across the flats left finding the rough bushwhack path again left of a tiny bump (3200 ft) and continue SW down the rise steeply a couple hundred feet. The route tapers and becomes overgrown the final feet to dirt and gravel FR-040.
Follow the wide road down to the left as the remainder of the route is a cakewalk. There are two turns followed by an easy traverse as you look back through the trees NE to see Goat Mountain and the very top of Mount St. Helens behind to the right. Reach FR-8117 less than 2½ mi from the upper TH. Turn left (S) on FR-8117 then left (E) on FR-030, and finally turn left (NNE) again on paved FR-81 less than ½ mi to either TH near the horse camp.
| 9 | SHEEP CANYON LOOP |
ELEVATION: 4835 ft, with about 2150 ft vertical gain total
DISTANCE: 12 mi round-trip loop
DURATION: 5–7 hours round-trip loop
DIFFICULTY: Strenuous. Several trails, fairly accurate signage, never too steep, slightly overgrown at times, ups/downs, minimal poison oak, long
TRIP REPORT: Open late June through October, this is without a doubt one of the very best day hike loops on the volcano itself, here from the lower western slopes of Mount St. Helens. Check the websites for road and trail conditions (www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/giffordpinchot/alerts-notices, wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/trafficalerts/) as snow melts late and the region surrounding Mount St. Helens is continuously changing throughout our lifetimes. This will be abundantly clear even from the TH located SW of the summit, which gets moved farther S with every major rock- and mudslide. No fee or restroom.
TRAILHEAD: Blue Lake TH. Take I-5 N from Portland to exit 21 (Woodland/Mount St. Helens), turn right on Lewis River Road (WA-503) 27½ mi, turn left (N) on Merrill Lake Road (FR-81, Kalama Recreation Area, milepost 35½) 12 mi (gravel last miles) into FR-8123 for 1½ mi to the end with plenty of parking on the sides (75 mi, 1½ hours from Portland).
Upper Sheep Canyon Falls off the beaten path on another delightful day hike.
ROUTE: Walk past the sign a long ½ mi N to Blue Lake over the rocky Toutle Trail 238 through the slide area; try not to lose your way as the route meanders up the drainage then left (NW) toward Coldspring Creek just below Blue Lake without much elevation gain. Find a suitable log crossing before the lake as it can be a bit tricky to the more solid trail traversing a steeper hillside and ridge directly on the other side of the creek. See Blue Lake through the woods from its left (W) side and continue 2 mi N without difficulty to a juncture with Blue Horse Trail 237 on the right (E). Stay N on Trail 238 as you continue to descend more than ½ mi to the next intersection at the beginning of the lollipop loop.
Turn right (ESE) on Sheep Canyon Trail 240 to take the loop counterclockwise and save the spur path to Upper Sheep Canyon Falls for the end of the loop for better lighting later in the day or visit them now if curiosity killed the cat. For the falls you would turn left (NW) on Trail 240 down a few hundred feet as the (main) Toutle Trail crosses the creek to the N over a bridge. The old road (Trail 240) opens up nicely to a great overlook of the 101-ft, two-tiered, thin waterfall in a narrow amphitheater. Be careful near the lip of the ravine.
Back to the four-way intersection, hike steadily steeper on Sheep Canyon Trail 1½ mi ESE to the end at the next juncture (Loowit Trail). You cross a cool creek over the bridge to begin up through several varieties of pine and fir. There are good shots of Mount St. Helens through openings in the woods that drastically improve ahead. Turn left (N) on Loowit Trail 216 (encircles entire mountain for around 30 mi) 1 mi; the route dips down the first ½ mi crossing a small open gully near tree line then ascends to the high point of the day on Crescent Ridge. Begin to head down the ridge left (WNW) on the same trail as it narrows and is somewhat brushy