Mount St Helens Institute

10/20/2026

You may have seen the news about a missing hiker believed to have been going to the south side of Mount St. Helens. The family's focus is locating her vehicle to narrow the search.

Sharing here for any folks who will be out on the mountain to keep an eye out - full description in the original post.

‼️Vancouver Police Department is asking the public’s help locating missing woman Kaylee Swanson. Kaylee is a white female who stands 6'0" tall, weighs around 163 pounds, and has hazel eyes. She was last seen wearing a burgundy winter coat. Kaylee enjoys hiking by herself and is believed to be heading toward the Mt. St. Helens area, covering Clark, Cowlitz, and Skamania counties. She is likely driving a 2009 Toyota Tacoma with Washington license plate NP18704. Anyone with information on Kaylee's whereabouts or who spots her vehicle is asked to please call 311 or 911 immediately.‼️











Vancouver Police Department

10/20/2026

Spotted something steamy at Mount St. Helens? When snow melts off active vents faster than the surrounding areas, and the air is colder, the steam becomes more visible, but it’s just business as usual for the mountain.

This gas and steam vent on the 1980-86 lava dome is so consistent that the USGS Cascade Volcanoes Observatory (CVO) set up a monitoring station there to track the gases!

You can learn more here: https://www.usgs.gov/volcanoes/mount-st.-helens/science/volcanic-gas-monitoring-mount-st-helens

Thank you to MSHI Volunteer Ralf Wiegand and the CVO for sharing these insights!

Photo credit: Ralf Wiegand & Andy Goodwin

10/19/2026

What a difference a few months makes! From lush summer vegetation to crisp autumn views, we love how every season brings a new perspective to the volcanic landscape.

What's your favorite time of year to explore Mount St. Helens?

Photo credit: MSHI Volunteer Jim Waigand

10/18/2026

I spy with my little eye... hydration at Mount St. Helens (and beyond!) Special thanks to Hydro Flask for supporting our volunteers with these awesome water bottles!

Can you spot the odd ones out? TWO of these pics were NOT taken at the volcano 🤔 Let us know your guesses in the comments!

: On this day in 2004, there was a 22-minute-long steam and ash emission (to an altitude of 3,700 m). The vent area was a bubbling lake, Crater Glacier had been uplifted by tens of meters, and monitoring indicated shallow magma that could soon reach surface...

10/16/2026

Weekend conditions updates are back! Check out the forecast below, keep an eye on the weather via our webpage, and tell us about your climb!

Saturday 10/17: Possibly a stormy start with a summit high of around 32 F, winds up to 50 mph (wind chill 14 F), and rain at lower elevations transitioning to light snow higher up. No significant snow accumulation is forecast, but freeze-thaw conditions are anticipated, and traction devices could be handy.

Sunday 10/18: Sunny with high clouds, a summit high of 37 F, and 10-20 mph winds.

Monday 10/19 into the week: Turning colder with highs in the late 20s (16-21 F with wind chill), winds of 15-25 mph, and some clouds.

Note: Travel with care along the road to Climber's Bivouac due to potholes, and especially when arriving at the trailhead, as there's a rough transition to the paved lot.

Don't forget to snag a permit if you're heading up before November 1st. There's still availability for Halloween! 👻

https://www.mshinstitute.org/current-conditions
https://www.recreation.gov/permits/4675309.

Photo credit: Dieter Cohrs

10/16/2026

Our Volcano Cam capturing another interesting weather event at Mount St. Helens!

Big kudos to Seasonal Operations Staff member Ian Reed for putting this all together - you can watch the live feed here: https://www.mshinstitute.org/volcano-cam

10/16/2026

Since completion of the Sediment Retention Structure (SRS) on the North Fork Toutle River in 1989, biology and hydrology have been vying for control of the sediment plain accumulating upstream.

It’s taken a while, but satellite images show that, since 2011, biology has got the upper hand! This may be related to construction by the Corps of Engineers (in 2010) of pilot wood structures, including 14 large Engineered Log Jams (ELJs.)

Every year, floods due to spring snowmelt and atmospheric rivers either bury or wash out plants (use the QR code to watch a video), but the plain is still gradually being taken over by shrubs and trees.

Vegetation is known to trap and retain additional sediment, and it turns an unstable, braided river into a more stable ‘anabranching’ planform.

So, biology is improving the trap efficiency of the SRS and lengthening its useful life. Well done to the Corps for building the wood structures and Go Nature, eh!

Thank you to Colin Thorne, Josh Townsend, Matthew Stothard, Harry Noon, and Liam Clark of the University of Nottingham, UK, for sharing this ongoing research at Mount St. Helens.

10/15/2026

10/15/2026

Wow, what a time we had at Boots & Bow Ties! The venue was buzzing, the outfits were sparkling, and the dessert dashers moved like lightning!

Thank you to everyone who came out to celebrate science, education, and stewardship at Mount St. Helens. We are deeply grateful for your support - because of you, even more kids will get to experience the magic of outdoor school.

A special shoutout to our sponsors for making this extraordinary evening possible. Thank you for powering our mission!