|
July 2008: Nearly to the top of South Sister |
South Sister is a 10,363ft volcano in the central Oregon Cascades. There is a trail to the top of this mountain, but for a good part of the year, it's covered by snow. This year, the snow pack was especially thick - a solid blanket covered much of the route. This is a view from the 7000ft level, where many people spend the night before heading up the mountain. |
A lot of people come to climb South Sister. This duo heads into the clouds, hoping things will clear up as they begin their ascent. |
Broken Top is an older eroded volcano just to the east of the Three Sisters. The top is 9,175ft in elevation. Here, clouds roll over mountain in the early morning. |
I believe these are Western Anemone (slightly more pink than usual). These flowers turn into a bearded ball of fluff when they go to seed. |
This little guy was fast, friendly, yet a bit apprehensive just the same. He darted in and out of the rocks, hoping to find some morsel left behind by the steady stream of human visitors. |
To the south, a series of large mountain lakes were clearly visible. A couple of these are likely Elk Lake, Odell... and others. |
The skies briefly cleared on this day as we reached the lower part of the Lewis Glacier. As we continued up, the clouds returned - thicker this time - and we turned back around 9,500ft. As we descended, the clouds never did clear again. The summit view would have to wait for another day. |
Where is it? South Sister is located in the central Oregon cascades, just west of the town of Bend, OR. |
Before you go... This is a very popular climb, with a trail to the top. But, it's no cakewalk. Be prepared for conditions! |