Sheep Canyon (South Cascades)

Baaaah! A tributary of the Toutle River that drains a small section of the western slopes of Mt. St. Helens. The canyon begins just below the bridge where the Toutle Trail crosses the creek. The area was scoured out by lahars (super-heated mudflows) in the 1980 eruption. Sheep Canyon has a moderate pay-to-play per the hike in and out. Despite the distance, the hiking is relatively mellow. Keep an eye out for elk in the area.

From the Blue Lake trailhead, hike north on the Toutle Trail for ~3mi (800ft gain) to the bridge over Sheep Canyon. The trail crosses a low pass above Blue Lake, but the approach is relatively easy.

Walk downstream for 0.4mi. If the flow is high, it's possible to escape up the forested slopes DCL. You can also bypass R4 and R5 by following elk trails along the rim DCR and rappelling back in below R5.

After the final waterfall, head downstream a short distance before crossing the creek one final time, and follow an elk trail up onto a bench above the creek. This is a good place to change out of wetsuits. From here, follow elk trails (numerous and divergent) south up the slopes about 500ft to the old Sheep Canyon trailhead. (If the road is ever repaired, one could park here, turning Sheep Canyon into a canyon one could run in a few hours.) From here, turn left/east and follow the old Sheep Canyon Trail about 0.5mi back to the original junction near the bridge. There are some nice old-growth trees along the way. Hike back the way you came to the Blue Lake trailhead. (Make sure you take the correct trail on the way back; it's easy to get confused. If you cross a creek and pass a large campsite, you are going the wrong way.)