www.wta.org October 2008 » Washington Trails On Trail

Northwest Explorer » Sisters in Oregon One of Oregon’s most renowned hikes loops through the Three Sisters Wilderness

My motivation for writing this article is over rocks and a climb up a steep, permanent twofold. First, if my fellow WTA members want snowfield, which would have been impossible to expand their hiking horizons beyond the without our Yaktrax and hiking poles. In retro- Washington Cascades and Olympics I have just spect, I think crampons and an ice axe would the backpacking trip for them in our neighbor- have worked better. ing state to the south. Second… well, you’ll have We did the hike clockwise as described in to read on to discover my other motive. the guidebook. The first section climbs through Hiking the high Last summer, my wife and I did an incred- a lodgepole pine forest lacking in views. There basins of the ible five-day backpacking adventure in the is a glacial stream at 4.6 miles, which is safest Three Sisters Three Sisters Wilderness in Oregon. It was a to cross in the cooler morning hours. Shortly 36-mile loop hike called the Northern Three after this crossing, the photo ops start to hit Wilderness in Sisters Loop and is well described in the book you—first with views of the glaciers of Middle central Oregon. 100 Classic Hikes in Oregon by Douglas Loraine Sister and then gorgeous Camp Lake with Photo by Ken Mondal (The Mountaineers, 2004). This hike takes you South Sister as a backdrop. around North Sister and in between Middle and The trail ends at Camp Lake, and here the South Sister. There is also a longer, 55-mile ver- real adventure begins. One continues cross- sion that circumnavigates all three mountains. country northwest of the lake, reaching the Ken But you would miss the most outstanding and steep snowfield described above. After sur- Mondal challenging section, which is a cross-country mounting this obstacle, you drop down to a Ken is a WTA transit through the high divide between Middle pair of glacial milk lakes and then the route board member and South Sister. This section required some continue on over several other snowfields, from Spokane. routefinding skills, along with scrambling eventually reaching civilization again (in other » On Trail October 2008 » Washington Trails www.wta.org

Hike Details

Northern Three Sisters Loop Mileage: 36 miles Elevation gain: 5,300 feet Maps: Green Trails 621 Three Sisters, 622 Broken Top South Sister from Camp Lake. The 36-mile Northern Three Sisters Loop Photo by Ken Mondal To get there: is one of Oregon’s most legendary and scenic hikes. Drive Oregon State Highway 242 east words, the Pacific Crest Trail) at mile 11. the lodgepole forest was impressive in its own to the junction Heading north on the PCT there are constant way. There was an incredible number of large with FS 15, about views of South Sister, Middle Sister and a peak trees down across the trail. They had been a mile and a half called The Husband. I never found out what there so long that well-worn paths had built up west of the town happened to The Wife. (They must have gotten around them. Obviously, there has not been any of Sisters. Turn a divorce.) The next eye candy you encounter trail maintenance in this area for many years. southwest on FS is the Obsidian Limited Entry Area and beau- WTA has been around for forty years and is 15 and drive 10.5 tiful Obsidian Falls. Camping in this area is one of the most successful statewide hiking miles to the Pole by permit only, and please do not take any organizations in the nation. Oregon deserves Creek trailhead at souvenirs. It is very tempting to slip a piece of to have the equivalent of WTA in Oregon (see road’s end. black volcanic rock into your pack. This would article below). As a member of the WTA board, Guidebook: 100 be like taking home a souvenir from Volcanoes I would love to see the development of a sister Classic Hikes in National Park in Hawaii and being cursed by organization in Oregon to promote and protect Oregon by Douglas the Goddess Pele for all eternity. the hiking trails in our beautiful neighboring Lorain (The Moun- If you thought this hike couldn’t offer any state.  taineers, $19.95, more surprises, you would be very wrong. As 2004) you head north on the PCT past Little Brother More info: you suddenly enter a stark volcanic landscape Contact the with lava flows that appear to be just cooling. A Trails Organization Sisters Ranger It’s as if you had landed on the moon. The trail District, Deschutes tops out at a place called Opie Dilldock Pass Is Born in Oregon National Forest at at 23 miles from the trailhead. I would love to In June, hikers and trails advocates in (541) 549-7700. know who this person with such a silly name Oregon announced the creation of was and how he got a pass named for himself. Trailkeepers of Oregon (TKO), a hiking Please, please, do not miss the opportunity advocacy and trail maintenance associa- to take the unsigned side trail 0.3 miles up to a tion inspired at least in part by Washing- ridge above the pass. From there, you’ll see the ton Trails Association. Interim president incredible Collier Glacier coming off the flanks Jeff Statt announced in an e-mail that the Northwest of North and Middle Sister. This is the largest group received a $20,000 grant from REI Explorer articles glacier in Oregon, and a spot truly worthy of a to work with the Pacific Crest Trail Associa- describe back- photo stop. As one returns to the PCT there are tion to develop a volunteer skills training packing trips in views of Mount Washington, Three Fingered program in 2009. The group has also the Northwest Jack and Mount Jefferson to the north. drafted its bylaws, begun holding regular and beyond. One eventually departs the PCT, at 27.5 miles board meetings, raised over $1,000 in Want to write to finish the loop, once again re-entering the donations, and led the first of a handful about your trip? lodgepole pine forest. Of all the backpacking of volunteer trail work parties this past E-mail editor@ trips I have done in the Northwest, I can not summer. Congratulations to the folks at wta.org. recall one with quite the variety of incredible TKO, and here’s to maintaining trails and scenery. Every few miles it seemed as if we had representing the needs of hikers in the entered a different climatic zone. Pacific Northwest! Now for the second motive to write this article. The start and finish of the hike through