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Pure fun. Not much more you can ask for in a moderate volcano route. Little to no crevasse danger, an easy grade to the summit, and ample room for tons of party skiing. The Worm Flows are typically people’s first volcano ski route. However, it’s still a moderately long day and does require some fitness. You’ll have to fend off the crowds near the summit but from the top, it’s one of the cooler views you’ll ever see. The exploded crater truly makes you feel incredibly small. It’s a shame the crater is closed (but understandable) to skiing as I’m sure there are plenty of enticing lines that have yet to be skied. Keep that in mind for the future… You’ll descend the way you came up, never really skiing anything more than 30 degrees in steepness.
Begin the day at the Marble Mountain Snow-Park and work your way towards Chocolate Falls. From the falls, you’ll break through the tree line, weaving your way through old lava flows until the summit is in sight. The final push to the summit is probably the most technical of this non-technical route in the sense that you may need to dodge incoming glissaders descending from the top.
Avoiding the oven that is the midday heat. The low angle of this mountain means that the entire slope has increased sun exposure. Lather up on that sunscreen!
Don’t stand too close to the edge on the weekend. The last time I was on the summit, I watched as almost 40 people stood a mere four feet from the edge of a massive cornice. Stick to the weekday attempts.
Jonathan S
10/18/2021 3:47pm
Agreed with the write-up here: easy access, minimal below-treeline approach, lots of relatively mellow terrain (and can work out the timing to get in two full laps above treeline), and spectacular views from the crater edge (as shown in my picture). Concerns: - Season is relatively short for a volcano, so more for winter & spring than summer. - Lots of people, but given all the wide-open terrain, not a factor for safety or smooth canvases. - The gov't permitting makes late May timing a challenge. - Definitely bring the ski crampons. - The efficient skintrack route is always a bit of a puzzle ... to the extent that I've skinned up through the same canyon shown in the picture with the rockfall, all while wondering if I was placing efficiency over safety.