A 5 day 50 mile backpacking trip with Boy Scout Troop 626 out of Bellevue. The first day was a summit up Monitor Route. We then took off from Climbers Bivouac campground and followed the Loowit Trail clockwise, stopping at the Toutle Glacier head. The trail was over large lava rocks and navigation was moderately challenging but fun. We had to descent and ascent a couple of deep ash valleys which was challenging, and finally to a long descent to the campground. We woke the next day to fog but beautiful moss covered scenery as we steadily climbed up the ridge to the Castle Ridge trail junction. We had a long single push planned across the blast zone to the Plains of Abraham, eventually camping adjacent to Pumice Butte. The Plains of Abraham is like a lunar moonscape – high and desolate – large boulders the size of cars are randomly strewn about. Made for fascinating photography.
