SOUTH SISTER – Bend, Oregon (August 13, 2022) – 10,358′

Strava link: https://www.strava.com/activities/7633913868

*View of South Sister catching sunrise rays, viewed from the Cascades Highway.*

South Sister Summit was a climb that almost didn’t happen. After my week in Bend for a work training I had Saturday through Tuesday to explore the Pacific Northwest and with so much to do and see out there I had considered skipping South Sister to build in more time for Crater Lake, Olympic, and Mt Rainier National Parks. So it was a somewhat last minute decision to squeeze in the South Sister adventure before driving to Crater Lake. Consequently, I had neglected to thoroughly research the requirements. I got an early start and arrived at the trailhead by around 7am, only to be turned away by the USFS staff that were checking permits. Permits that were sold out. I was bummed, thinking I would have to scrap my plans. But fortunately a group of hikers overhead the exchange and they had a group permit for eight people and a couple members of their party hadn’t been able to make it. So they offered me one of their open spots and I got to continue past the gatekeepers!

*Thanks so much Brad et al. for letting me join on your group permit!*

The first stretch of trail was a gradual incline through a mossy conifer forest. It was cool in the morning but I quickly warmed up and had to shed layers. I hiked with Brad’s group for about half a mile before going off ahead on my own. Before arriving at the trailhead I had been a little anxious about hiking this alone, in mountain lion territory, but those fears quickly evaporated when I realized how much human traffic there would be along the Climber Trail.

*The forest at the foot of South Sister provided the only shade there would be along this route.*

*The trail climbed out of the forest and leveled off for a while, providing a great view of South Sister.*

After approximately a mile of relatively flat and open terrain, the trail steepened and from there up it was a relentless climb on loose sand, gravel, and pumice. The hard work paid off with ever-changing views of the surrounding landscape and the volcano itself.

*Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel (*Callospermophilus lateralis) posing for its feature in the 2023 Rodent’s of America calendar (or perhaps simply hoping for a treat).

*Looking back towards Mt Bachelor and the trailhead.*

At what felt like “almost the top” the trail reached this little turquoise lake, which looked otherwordly against the red pumice on the upper slopes of South Sister. I took a snack break there before trudging up that final ridge, which was steeper and longer than it looked from below. It felt good to pass the 10,000′ elevation mark again! Always a sign of a good adventure to hit that milestone.

*Views of Broken Top, Mt Bachelor, and the southern slopes of South Sister on the final ascent.*

*The pumice was so red it was easy to imagine I was walking on Mars, looking down on Earth.*

The Climber Trail connects to the southern end of the crater rim. From there, it’s a fairly easy walk around to the north side of the rim, which provides some epic views of Middle Sister and North Sister, along with Mt Washington, Mt Jefferson, and even Mt Hood on the far horizon. It was a calm, t-shirt and shorts sort of weather at the summit and I had overdressed (I wore hiking pants, and had packed two fleece shirts and a rain jacket that I definitely didn’t need on that beautiful day). I soaked in the view and enjoyed some granola bars at the summit before meeting a fellow hiker named Jenna. We chatted for a while and quickly discovered that we were both trail runners, in Bend for the week for work, had grown up not too far from each other, and shared a passion for travel. We decided to hike down together and it was great to have her company and to share adventure stories from around the world. Nice to meet you, Jenna!

*The summit view, looking north from the crater rim.*

*At 10,358′ the summit cone still had a lot of snow and ice in mid-August.*

I was short on water but Jenna had a GRAYL filter and we drank from the icy alpine lake. So refreshing! Side note: I need to get a GRAYL filter. So much easier than a Lifestraw (because having to filter water using your mouthparts literally sucks).

Hiking down consisted of a lot of slipping and emptying grit from my shoes, but it certainly went faster than the ascent. The warm weather and lack of shade made a swim in Moraine Lake look very tempting. So, we decided to go for it!

*Moraine Lake. We decided a swim sounded like a good idea, and so we took the trail down to the water.*

Last photo on my phone before the battery died. I swam in pants but it was still worth it. They dried out by the time we got back to the trailhead and I had a change of clothes in my rental car. The views while swimming were probably the best I’ve ever had, and the water temperature was just right.

After the swim a USFS staff checked our permits. Felt really lucky that things worked out. It was such a good day and I’m so glad I didn’t miss out on it.

After our swim it was a fairly easy hike back through the forested area to the trailhead. I joined Jenna at her campsite on Cultus Lake for a camp dinner before hitting the road to Klamath Falls, my staging area for checking out Crater Lake the following day. Click here for the remainder of my PNW 2022 trip blog.