Adventure, Death & A Mother’s Day Tradition: Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument

Adventure, Death & A Mother’s Day Tradition: Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument

From National Park After Dark by National Park After Dark

May 10, 2026 · 1h 2m · Episode 373

About this episode

The episode explores the Mother’s Day tradition of climbing Mount St. Helens while reflecting on the legacy of climber Kathy Phibbs.

Every Mother’s Day, hundreds of climbers hike up Mount St. Helens wearing bright and elaborate dresses, a tradition that’s fun and easy to laugh at. However, behind this celebration is the story of Kathy Phibbs, a bold climber who helped create space for women in the mountains. When a winter climb on Washington’s Dragontail Peak goes wrong, a legacy that’s as inspiring as it is heartbreaking is left behind, and a tradition that celebrates the strength of women is carried forward. For a full list of our sources, visit npadpodcast.com/episodes For the latest NPAD updates, group travel details, merch and more, follow us on npadpodcast.com and our socials: Instagram: @‌nationalparkafterdarkTikTok: @‌nationalparkafterdark Support the show by becoming an Outsider and receive ad free listening, bonus content and more on Patreon or Apple Podcasts. Want to see our faces? Catch full episodes on our YouTube Page! Thank you to this week’s partners! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

People in this episode

Host: National Park After Dark

Topics covered

Keywords

Mentioned in this episode

Places: Mount St. Helens, Washington, Dragontail Peak

More episodes of National Park After Dark

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the National Park After Dark podcast page.