Mount St. Helens Summit

Josh and Nick summit Mt St Helens on a Wednesday.

Mount St. Helens, like many volcanoes, holds significant spiritual and mythological importance to Indigenous cultures in the Pacific Northwest. For the Cowlitz and Klickitat tribes, the mountain is part of a rich storytelling tradition.

One of the most well-known myths involves a love triangle between the sons of the Great Spirit, Pahto (Mount Adams) and Wy’east (Mount Hood), who fought for the affection of a beautiful woman named Loowit (Mount St. Helens). According to the legend, Loowit could not choose between the two suitors, leading to a fierce battle that shook the Earth. The Great Spirit, enraged by the destruction, transformed all three into mountains. Loowit, who had been known for her beauty, became the symmetrical and serene Mount St. Helens, but after her eruptions, she was left scarred.

This mythology reflects how the tribes saw the natural world as interconnected with human emotions, with the volatility of volcanoes symbolizing passion, conflict, and the power of nature.