The North and Middle Sisters had been on my hit list ever since my Pacific Northwest trip of 2013. During that trip, I was able to ski South Sister. After my friend Zach and I skied Mount Rainier in May of 2018, a storm was hitting the northern part of the Cascades. But, heading south allowed for better weather. It looked like I’d be returning to Bend.

We drove from Seattle to Portland and then made our way over the mountains, making a detour to stop at Bagby hot springs along the way. We skipped going to Bend that night, ate dinner in Sisters, and set up camp at the trailhead nearby.

The weather had been cloudy and rainy most of the day, but as we headed toward our camp, the clouds parted and revealed our objectives for the next day. Middle Sister on the left, and North Sister on the right.

Home is where my camp is

All the gear that needs to fit on me or in my bag for the next day.

Knowing we’d have an early morning, we headed to bed shortly after the beautiful sunset.

We started in the dark, but it was not long before the sun rose. We made our way through the forest, which was dry for a ways. After a few miles, we left the trail and were able to start skinning. Before we knew it, we found ourselves at the feet of North and Middle Sisters.

North Sister was first on the list since we’d be skiing the south side. A view of Middle Sister on our ascent of North Sister.

I first laid eyes on Broken Top when I skied South Sister. She continued to beckon me from afar.

Mount Bachelor, the ski area.

A view of South Sister.

The east face of North Sister looked appealing, but not in the works for us since we also wanted to ski Middle Sister.

The ridge we used to ascend North Sister was rocky and loose, and took more time then we expected.

We reached the top of our south facing line and enjoyed some more views.

Now, Zach took pictures on that day. But, somehow I never got copies of them and at this point in time he doesn’t know where they are. So, this report is just going to have a whole lot of photos of Zach. Here, he’s dropping in to our line on North Sister with Middle Sister in the backdrop.

We skied down quite a ways before stopping and putting skins on for an ascent of Middle Sister. A view of our line on North Sister.

Zach ascending toward Middle Sister.

As we climbed the north ridge of Middle Sister, the snow became too firm to continue skinning, so we switched to booting instead. I do love a good bootpack

As we rounded the summit of Middle Sister, we gazed upon South Sister, and the clouds that were engulfing her, and headed our way.

Weather has a tendency to move in quick in the mountains, especially in the PNW. Before we knew it, we were descending in the ping-pong of the clouds.

Eventually, we descended below the clouds.

We skied a long ways down before putting the hiking shoes back on to finish out the trail back to our cars. Another successful outing among the volcanoes! North and Middle Sisters were fun ones to ski. It was another a long day – 14 hours, 14 miles, and 6600 vertical feet!

The post TBT: North and Middle Sisters Ski (17 May 2018) appeared first on 14erskiers.com.

After my solo day on Mount Bachelor, I headed down toward Oakridge in the afternoon to look for a campsite close to Diamond Peak. From Oakridge, there were over 25 miles of forest service road to travel before arriving to the trailhead. My partners would be coming from Bend, but due to other commitments, could not come the night before. We were to meet at the trailhead between 6:30 and 7 in the morning.

Along Forest Service road 21, there are a number of campsites. Some of them were crowded. But, the further I went “in to the heart of darkness”, the sparser the campers became. Finally, I pulled into a campground that was barely used. I found some friendly neighbors who invited me over to dinner. And I slept the night in the warmth of lower elevations and a canopy of thick trees.

I awoke at first light and was off fast. I was ready for an adventure.

The forest service road in the morning, canopied with trees.

I found the trailhead without much difficulty, except for the fact that the trail going up toward the west ridge is not labeled from the road. A view of the west side of Diamond Peak in the morning.

And there I sat, waiting for my partners from Bend. I waited. And I waited some more. I wondered if they had ditched me, or had some sort of car trouble along the way. I climbed the road higher to see if I could gather some cell phone reception and heard a message from Patrick, “We haven’t ditched you but we are wandering around on road 2154 and I think we are far far away from Diamond Peak.” 2154? Oh no! They were supposed to be on 2149!

I descended the road to try to see if I could find them. Finally, I saw a Subaru Impreza turning on to 2149. It was them. They’d made it. Long story short, they forgot the directions to the trailhead which I had given them two days before. While I was very thankful to have my partners, I knew our chances of reaching the summit were pretty low as they were over 2.5 hours late.

Eliza, Patrick, Ben and I (along with Eliza’s dog Dirga) began our hike through the forest along a trail for a little over a mile.

Eventually, after a little over a mile, the trail began to head more north instead of west. Here, we broke from the trail and gained the west ridge. A little before tree-line, we were able to switch from hiking boots to skins.

I always enjoy the views above treeline.

The west side of Diamond, looking white, but less so than all the other aspects.

Our climb continued.

The Middle & South Sister, as well as Broken Top, seen from a distance.

As we rounded out on a saddle gained by the West Ridge, we saw this northern subpeak, which we all agreed looked like fantastic skiing.

And then we looked at the summit.

It was big and white and awesome looking.

But, this day, was not the day for the summit. The 2.5 hour late start, plus some minor navigational issues through the forest, on top of a member of our group who was just plain tuckered out, and the fact that it was late in the day and the new snow was warming up quickly – all very good reasons to stick to a simpler plan. So, to the sub-peak we went.

But, even on top of the subpeak, we had concerns. The freshly fallen snow was gaining warmth quickly from the days sun and we knew it would slide on the old snow. The terrain on the northeast side of the subpeak didn’t allow for easy management of it. So, we opted for a fun-looking ridge line that went mostly north off of the subpeak. This ridge would allow us to manage the moving snow with little consequence. And it’s a good thing we chose that line, and the new snow moved easily and over some large areas. Ben on the ridge that we skied.

Lower down, the slopes lost some steepness and the new snow did not move. Patrick.

Eliza

As we skied, we gradually worked our way to our left, wrapping around eventually to the west ridge. We followed a west-facing ridgeline through the thick forest which popped us out on the trail.

Though it was a fun day, and worth the effort, we only tasted a small bit of what Diamond Peak has to offer. Though lower in elevation, this remote peak still offers plentiful ski lines on many aspects. I hope, in future trips, that I can return to this peak and get an encore. There is too much to ski on it to not go back

As I parted ways with my Bend partners and turned on my car, my heart turned heavy. My trip was over. Rain was once again lurking in the forecast and clouds were even beginning to pile up in the evening’s sky. It was time for me to head back to Colorado. So, I turned my car down the dark windy forest roads, beginning the 1000-mile drive home. And a sense of solace came over me. I knew I could come back, and would come back, to Oregon. But, after weeks away from home, and days of being largely alone, it was a warm feeling to be heading back to Crested Butte.

Check out other TR’s from this Pacific Northwest trip!
Diamond Peak
Solstice Ski on Mount Bachelor
Newberry Crater
Crater Lake
Mount Thielsen
South Sister
Volcano Travel Day
Shasta’s West Face
Lassen Peak

The post TR: Diamond Peak (22 June 2013) appeared first on 14erskiers.com.

Mount Bachelor is home to the largest ski area in the US Pacific Northwest. As a dormant strato-volcano with minimal glaciation, this peak is very skier friendly. The lifts usually spin well into summer, but this year’s snowfall was less than normal and the ski area closed early. Lucky for me, as I wanted to venture out on a nice solo ski.

The lower 1/3rd of the mountain had sporadic patches of snow and plowing. It was obvious that the management was preparing for summer activities.

I was able to put skins on fairly early, and the views kept getting better and better as I climbed. The southern side of Broken Top.

South Sister.

Looking down the highway toward Bend.

The volcanic rocks were covered in rime from recent snowfall.

The clouds began to thin as I climbed, and I was hoping it would pop out to blue.

But then the opposite happened

At the top, I took a picture of myself.

I was hoping to ski down the Cirque, but not having been to Mount Bachelor before, the thick fog left me with low visibility and little to reference. I wasn’t sure if I was even in the right spot. I considered retracing my tracks down.

But, as if it was meant to be, there was a 60-second clearing in the clouds. I could finally see down. Yep, I’m in the right place!

And then I gazed over my shoulder and realized I was not on the summit at all!

Well, dang it! I have to go there! Along the way, I passed by some fumaroles.

And, alas, a true summit shot

By the time I started skiing, the clouds had socked in again.

I found the rock that marked the Cirque and began descending.

But, I was completely “in the white” after passing this rock. I had nothing for reference and could not tell which way was up and which way was down.

I was very happy when I finally found the tram line and descended below the cloud cover.

I wish I could have captured a picture of my tracks up higher, but I could not see more than 3 feet in front of me

As I continued to descend, the summit passed in and out of clouds.

With only a 2800′ climb, Mount Bachelor makes a short, fun ski, and one that is very easy to do solo, especially on a clearer day! I enjoyed skiing some of the fresh snowfall, and the occasional views of nearby peaks between clouds. It was a great way to spend the solstice.

Still, I was waiting for more. Saturday looked to be the perfect day for weather to try for something bigger and I had local Bend partners lined up to join me. So, I packed up my car and headed down toward Oakridge. Destination – the remote Diamond Peak!

Check out other TR’s from this Pacific Northwest trip!
Diamond Peak
Solstice Ski on Mount Bachelor
Newberry Crater
Crater Lake
Mount Thielsen
South Sister
Volcano Travel Day
Shasta’s West Face
Lassen Peak

The post TR: Solstice ski on Mount Bachelor appeared first on 14erskiers.com.

The cliffs that create Paulina Falls were created by one of the eruptions in the area.

Paulina Peak is the highest peak in the area, a remnant of the slopes of Newberry that existed before its collapse. It stands at over 7000 feet tall. There is a very narrow and windy road that goes to its summit, from which you can overlook many parts of the Newberry Crater, including Paulina Lake.

Newberry Crater has historically been most known for its obsidian flow.

Another view from Paulina Peak- Paulina Lake and East Lake, with a cinder cone in between.

The obsidian flow was created about 1300 years ago and is Oregon’s most recent eruption. It is rather large, taking up an area equivalent to about 640 football fields.

A trail takes visitors through a small portion of the obsidian flow.

A view of Paulina Peak.

Obsidian is nature’s glass. Like the glass that we know, it is created primarily of silicon dioxide. Glass is created when molecules cool too fast to be organized in a crystal structure. The black in the obsidian comes from small amounts of magnetite (iron oxide) mixed in with the silica.

Obsidian was used by Native Americans to create things like arrowheads. Natives would travel for hundreds of miles to “raid” this stockpile! It was also traded to tribes far away. Today, obsidian has some similar uses:

The trees always try to reclaim the land. And then the lava reclaims the trees. It’s a constant battle.

Several miles away, outside of Newberry Crater but near the crater, lies Lava Butte. It is a cinder cone where cars can drive to the top.

Once on top, visitors can take a peek at one of Oregon’s fire lookout towers.

The caldera.

On this day, clouds obscured the mountains. And, it was raining over Bend – which is why this day needed to be another “down day” without skiing

Near Lava Butte is a lava tube cave.

The entrance.

Stalactites forming.

I’ve been in a couple of different lava tube caves before. But this is the first one I’ve been in without a tour. Most caves require that you go on a tour or with a guide. This one, you show up at the entrance, they make sure you have a parking pass and a “lantern”, and you’re on your own. It’s a mile to the end of the cave, and then you retrace your tracks. Yes, you pass many people along the way. But, there are a lot of points where I was not near another group and it feels quite dark!

For future visitors, you can rent a “lantern” at the entrance gate. It’s probably worth the $5 as these lanterns are particularly bright. If found that my headlamp didn’t quite cut it in here

If you’re in the Bend area, Lava Lands and Newberry Crater are definitely worth checking out! It’s a great way to spend a down-day, or a day with the family!

Check out other TR’s from this Pacific Northwest trip!
Diamond Peak
Solstice Ski on Mount Bachelor
Newberry Crater
Crater Lake
Mount Thielsen
South Sister
Volcano Travel Day
Shasta’s West Face
Lassen Peak

The post TR: Newberry Crater appeared first on 14erskiers.com.

As I closed my eyes, I first heard it – the pitter-patter of raindrops on the roof of my tent. It was raining and it was not a surprise when we awoke to thick cloud cover. We decided to take the day off from skiing, and check out one of our nation’s treasures- Crater Lake.

Wizard Island stands as a newer volcano that evolved after the development of the lake.

The story of Crater Lake.

Crater Lake is truly one of the most amazingly beautiful places on this Earth. Looking toward the mountains called the Watchman and Hillman Peak.

Mount Scott in the distance, the highest point in Crater Lake. Unfortunately, the road was not accessible to reach this peak. Due to government cutbacks, the National Park Service could only afford to plow the road on the western side of the lake.

We also went into the historical Crater Lake Lodge at Rim Village.

So so so so blue!

What causes the blue? The red and yellow light is not absorbed by the water molecules as much as the blue light. The blue light travels to great depths and is re-radiated by the water molecules. Because Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the US (1932 ft) and its water is extremely pure, these re-radiated blue wavelengths are especially intense, creating this perfect blue color.

Mount Thielsen in the distance.

Since we could not climb Mount Scott, we opted for a peak near it, called Garfield. The scenes from our hike were beautiful!

Pam.

In mid-afternoon, we returned to camp. It was a sad afternoon as it was time for me to say good-bye to my friend Pam. She had to return home.

But, it was not yet time for me to head out. There was still more adventuring to be done

Check out other TR’s from this Pacific Northwest trip!
Diamond Peak
Solstice Ski on Mount Bachelor
Newberry Crater
Crater Lake
Mount Thielsen
South Sister
Volcano Travel Day
Shasta’s West Face
Lassen Peak

The post TR: Crater Lake (18 June 2013) appeared first on 14erskiers.com.

After South Sister, Pam and I were still trying to dodge the somewhat dicey weather to the north by heading south…. while staying north enough to have good skiing conditions. Thielsen caught our eye, being one of the taller peaks in the southern part of Oregon. Still, we were not impressed with the snow coverage as we caught a first glimpse of the northwest face.

Bailey, standing across the way at 8363 feet, seemed much more appealing.

But, something about Thielsen lured us. We decided to go for it anyway, knowing that the snow-coverage would be sub-par. We camped that night at Diamond Lake and woke at first light to prepare for our day on Thielsen.

We began at the Mount Thielsen trailhead. After two miles (which our guidebook called “a long mile”, we encountered two signs and a fork in the trail. Our guidebook said to turn left onto the Spruce Ridge Trail (not shown in the sign below).

We did so, but quickly felt as though we were going in the wrong direction, though it was difficult to tell in the thick trees of the Pacific Northwest forest with trees three times as tall as what we have in Colorado. Still, we followed the guidebook’s directions, hoping the trail was trying to wrap us around more to the north. But, after about a mile and a half, I busted out the compass and compared it with the topo map, only to confirm that we were indeed going away from, and not toward, Mount Thielsen. We returned to the original intersection and continued following the “Mount Thielsen trail” to a ridgeline where it intersected with the Pacific Crest Trail.

Thielsen is basically not skiable from the summit, especially in a year like this. Because of this, Pam and I decided not to actually summit the peak, but to go for the actual ski line, which was the one to the left of the rocky clearing in the picture above. Until the ridge, we had not encountered enough snow to warrant putting on skis and we were happy to find the northwest bowl full of snow. From the ridge, we skied down into the bowl and worked our way left to the bottom of our line. From there, we began the bootpack up to the top of the snow.

We enjoyed views along the way, including admiring the fields of white on Diamond Peak.

As is true of just about everything it the Pacific Northwest, the climb was a lot longer than it looked. Gradually, I felt myself slowing. My legs simply didn’t want to go. I was bonking hard and decided to take a food break. Meanwhile, Pam took over trail-breaking duties.

As I ate, I began to notice that Thielsen was chock full of colorful rock.

As we reached the top of the snowfield, Pam and I discussed climbing further to a notch just below the summit. But, rotten rock prevented us.

Finally, it was time to ski Me.

Pam.

The line was an enjoyable consistently steep pitch all the way to the bottom. Pam.

Pam with Diamond Lake and Bailey behind.

Though a bit on the shorter side in terms of vert, the run was high quality the entire way. At the bottom, happy

Despite the 3-mile detour at the beginning of our day, we still enjoyed the ski. Despite looking thin, Thielsen actually skied surprisingly well and we had some of the best skiing of our trip on this line.

What was next, we weren’t sure. The front that had been hovering off the northern coast was pushing it’s way south. The weather would be our determinant!

Check out other TR’s from this Pacific Northwest trip!
Diamond Peak
Solstice Ski on Mount Bachelor
Newberry Crater
Crater Lake
Mount Thielsen
South Sister
Volcano Travel Day
Shasta’s West Face
Lassen Peak

The post TR: Mount Thielsen (17 June 2013) appeared first on 14erskiers.com.

We knew right away we were in for a longer day than originally anticipated as our guide book reported the route as 7 miles round trip, but the sign reported 6.25 miles one way…

Still the traveling was relatively easy. After about 25 minutes of hiking in one of Oregon’s many dense forests, we were on continuous snow and able to switching from hiking shoes to skins.

The route followed a gully for about 2 miles before popping out on the southwest ridge, where we were able to enjoy the view of South Sister under bluebird skies.

South Sister is geologically very young, with it’s last eruptions happening only 2000 years ago. Evidence of recent volcanic activity was everywhere.

Pam climbing, with Mount Bachelor in the distance and Sparks Lake (where we camped) below.

We caught glimpses of nearby peaks. Diamond Peak looked particularly white

Broken Top looked nice and steep. I’m putting this one on my list

The ridge took us to the top of the Lewis Glacier. We followed the snow on the edge of the glacier before eventually moving on to dirt.

But, near the top, we found ourselves on snow once again.

At the “top” we realized we weren’t exactly on the top at all. We still had to cross about 1/4 of a mile across the caldera to the other side.

With clouds and weather moving in, we dashed across the caldera. Pam.

But the views were worth it! From the northern summit we could gaze upon Middle and North Sister.

A close-up of North Sister, with Jefferson looming behind.

Even though the clouds were threatening, we opted for the summit shot.

Then we found ourselves engulfed in the clouds.

We waited it out for a few minutes for a window to open up where it was light enough for us to see where we would ski. Pam.

And the skiing turned out to be pretty good! Pam.

We skied down skiers right of the actual southwest ridge and the route eventually set us on the Clark Glacier, which seemed relatively benign. This photo was taken from the glacier looking up at part of our route.

Some ski shots of me.

Pam.

As we approached the bottom of the line, we had to traverse skiers left to gain the southwest ridge. The hike along the flat part of the ridge was a bit of an annoying slog.

Eventually, we reached the gully where we easily followed snow, skiing as long as we could.

After the snow ended, it was only a 20-minute walk back to the car.

While not quite as aesthetic as North or Middle Sister, South Sister does provide a quality hike and ski. It’s well worth the trek. Thanks to Pam for joining me on another volcano adventure

Check out other TR’s from this Pacific Northwest trip!
Diamond Peak
Solstice Ski on Mount Bachelor
Newberry Crater
Crater Lake
Mount Thielsen
South Sister
Volcano Travel Day
Shasta’s West Face
Lassen Peak

The post TR: South Sister (16 June 2013) appeared first on 14erskiers.com.