We're heading to Ape Cave this Saturday. Here's some info:
From: U. S. Forest Service, Volcano Review: A Visitor's Guide to Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument: Summer/Fall 1995
"Ape Cave: Named by members of an outdoor group called the Mount St. Helens Apes, this cave is the longest continuous lava tube in the continental United States. Cavers should wear warm clothes, sturdy shoes and have at least two sources of light. Lantern rentals are available at Apes' Headquarters.
Two different routes of exploration exist inside the cave and an above-ground trail (Ape Cave #239) connects the main and upper entrances. The lower cave is a relatively easy 0.75 mile hike that takes 1 hour round trip. The challenging upper cave is 1.5 miles long, requires climbing over large piles of rocks and takes 2.5 to 3 hours.
Trail Difficulty: Easy to Most Difficult"
Based on my prior experiences, I'd also recommend bringing gloves. Really be sure you have enough warm clothes. It's 42 degrees and damp in there pretty much all the time. Also not a bad idea to bring some clean clothes. Your sturdy shoes should have good traction. You'll be happy if they're waterproof and have some kind of shank in the soles too.
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3 comments:
Please tell me that we are taking the "Most Difficult" trail !
Certainly!
Funny you should say that. I was first attracted to Lava Canyon (which we're not going to because of the road washout) when I was about your age by a newspaper article which spoke of high difficulty and "slick rocks and steep drops." Now I have to be more like responsible, though. :-(
I don't understand why...
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