South Sister 10358' - South Side (09-16-11)

The South Sister stands at 10,358'.

On my second attempt for a "big summit" I found myself down in the Three Sisters Wilderness sizing up the largest and youngest of the three. At 10,358' the South Sister is the safest and most climbed. There is no technical ability required to reach the summit in the summer, only determination, patience, and strong legs.

On the day before attempting South Sister we set up camp at the Devil's Lake Campground. Admittedly, we were so set on climbing mountain's that we forgot to look at the lake itself! We decided to take a nice short day hike over to "The Wife" (will write something on this later) where I snagged the picture above.

Headlamps are the way to go.

The next morning at 4am our alarms went off and we woke up and got ready. Frost lay upon the ground and the tables as it dipped down to about 34 degrees (in the middle of September). Headlamps adorned to our heads we ate a quick meal and set out on the trail. Within about 3 minutes we ran into our first issue, a large stream. We hunted around and found a few downed logs to use as a bridge. Back on our way we ran across the highway and began on the trail. This portion was surprisingly steep, especially considering we were no where near the mountain. If you struggle too much on this portion, you may consider turning around as the mountain is much more difficult.

Broken Top during sunrise.

After about 1.5miles you reach a plain and are faced with a crossroads. Stay heading towards the South Sister Summit. This was one of the most awesome parts of the hike. The sun was just beginning to rise behind Mt. Bachelor and you could see the outline of Broken Top. I fell in love with Broken Top and plan to reach that summit in 2012/2013. We were also able to see the South Sister in all her glory just waiting to be climbed. A pink, rosy hue illuminated the summit for about 15 minutes, something everyone should experience at some point.

Our hike up continued  and members in our party were having a difficult time so while it slowed us down, it also gave us time to appreciate our surroundings more. I couldn't help myself and kept turning around to see Mt. Bachelor and the valley getting further and further away.

Mt. Bachelor above the blanket of fog in the valley.

Fresh lake near Lewis Glacier

 We reached the saddle near Lewis Glacier and admired the fresh lake that was formed. I have been told that if you wanted to go ultra-light you could filter water from this lake instead of packing too much water all the way up. Either way it was beautiful and we stopped to eat/drink before the mile of cinder ridge.

10,000' and loving it

 This is the steepest portion of the trail and as you reach altitude you may start feeling it's effects. We happened to get ahead of the rest of our party so I figured I would celebrate crossing the 10,000' mark for the first time by posing for a shot.



Once you reach the false summit, you have another 1/4 to 1/2 mile left. You can cross the glacier or walk around the ridge to the true summit. You will notice rock structures made by climbers to deal with wind. I was really hoping to see Teardrop Pool, which forms in the crater, but it never showed in 2011 so we weren't able to see "Oregon's Highest Lake". From the summit you can enjoy views of Middle and North Sister, Broken Top, Mt. Bachelor, Mt. Washington, Mt. Jefferson, Mt. Hood, Mt. Saint Helens, and Diamond Peak.

Final Stats:

Summit: Yes
Elevation Gain: ~5000'
Round Trip Distance: 12.4 miles
Round Trip Time: 12 hours