Volcano climbers crash Mount St. Helens permit website
UPDATED: Sat., Feb. 3, 2018
LONGVIEW, Wash. – A website for Mount St. Helens climbers crashed when more than 10,500 people attempted to buy one of the $22 climbing permits.
Mount St. Helens Institute Executive Director Ray Yurkewycz said the website crashed Thursday morning due to overwhelming demand.
He said two-and-a-half times more people tried getting permits this year in the first hour compared with 2017.
He said more people are heading outdoors and are being made more aware of opportunities through Facebook groups.
The institute said it expects to have the permitting problems fixed by late Monday.
The permits are needed for anyone planning to ascend above 4,800 feet on the 8,363-foot volcano.
Local journalism is essential.
Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. Gifts processed in this system are not tax deductible, but are predominately used to help meet the local financial requirements needed to receive national matching-grant funds.
Subscribe to the Coronavirus newsletter
Get the day’s latest Coronavirus news delivered to your inbox by subscribing to our newsletter.