Descend into St Helens crater?

Some local skiers descended a line into the crater a few years ago and got avalanched while trying to climb back out. None were hurt but they had an epic return skiing around the mountain to get home.

Another party circled the mountain to enter the crater in spring and tried climbing one of the chutes to return more directly to their car. They were peppered by stone fall in the couloir and retreated.

Bottom line: The crater of Mt St Helens, besides being off-limits, can be a hazardous place.

Not only avalanched, but punched through a shrund on the lower face they descended. It was epic that the names have been changed to protect the innocent...

So it looks like no one with any good sense has tried it....

I think people have picked out a line or two in there that should not necessarily be more dangerous or difficult than many other of the commonly skied slopes around here, under ideal conditions. However, there is almost definitely heightened cornice and avalanche hazards in there whenever there is enough snow, due to consistent heavy leeward wind deposition, and the prospect of become buried, injured, trapped or isolated in the crater zone without a safe way out is not to be taken lightly (i.e. it would be extraordinarily committing). That's a several thousand foot bootpack back up steep snow slopes, or a several mile traverse exit around the north shoulder of the crater. Nevertheless, I think unrestricted climbs/descents inside the crater could be often successful, but this could be accompanied by an increase in the number of serious accidents and/or rescues. And then you might even end up with sledders inviting themselves in there to highline right next to you.

The way I read it, the crater is Restricted Area #1, closed to all public entry.

Nevermind, you're right it's zone 1. Will correct above. Someday maybe...