South Sister Training Hikes

The following hikes provide excellent training for South Sister. They are listed in approximate order of difficulty. If you’re already in pretty good hiking shape, you can skip the first few hikes or try doing them with a heavy backpack. If you’re short on time, 3-6 laps on Pilot Butte with a backpack full of water is excellent conditioning! Don’t underestimate our local training hills 

To find driving directions and more details on each hike, Google the name of the hike or check your bookshelf: William Sullivan’s 100 Hikes in Central Oregon and Bend, Overall are excellent resources that every Central Oregonian should own. Gather your information from at least two sources to check for accuracy and remember that a trail in January can provide a completely different experience than the same trail in August! Most of these hikes will require snow travel and navigation skills in the winter. Check recent trail conditions before going.

Hike Miles Elevation Training skills More information Gain Pilot Butte 1.8 450 Steep incline Take the trail instead of the road because it’s steeper and not paved. South Sister doesn’t have a paved road to the top…yet. The road is closed to vehicles during the winter but the trail is open to foot traffic 365 days of the year. Bessie Butte 1.5 500 Steep incline Bessie Butte feels just like Pilot Butte but the drive is longer. You’ll also experience much more solitude here. Smith Rock/ 3.7 722 Steep incline and loose With enough time, anyone can hike up Misery Ridge. The big climb is Misery Ridge Loop gravel, exposure less than three-quarters of a mile long. But it is grueling, especially in the heat! Bring plenty of water and be mindful coming down the slippery scree on the backside. Hiking poles come in really handy on this trail. Tumalo Mountain 3.8 1400 Steep incline Tumalo Mountain is our best local training hill. Located less than 30 minutes from Bend, you can in a quick hill climb before or after work! The trailhead is accessible all year round, but you’ll need snow equipment and skills during winter and spring. The trail is easy to follow when it’s not buried in the snow. And while it is steep, the climb is straightforward and there’s a big reward at the top!

Black Butte (from 3.9 1500 Steep incline Arrive early or late to hike this popular trail to the summit of Black upper trailhead) Butte. It is short and steep with great views on a nice day. The drive may take longer than the hike so load up your pack with weight and take your time ascending this cinder cone. Paulina Peak 6.1 1600 Steep incline There’s a road to the top of Paulina Peak, but where’s the fun in that? Instead, start your hike on the trail located just past the Visitor’s Center (in winter, you’ll need to start at Ten Mile Sno-Park and aim for a 14 mile day!) Belknap Crater 6.8 1880 Steep incline, scree, There is no official trail to the summit of Belknap Crater but a very well- routefinding worn use trail leads to the top. Belknap lies within a massive lava flow with no shade and lots of loose, jagged rock. Black Crater 8 2200 Steep incline, scree Take the under-rated trail up to the top of Black Crater for views south towards the Three Sisters. Most of the trail is in the trees, but there’s a great payoff at the mountain’s barren summit. Maxwell Butte 9.8 2500 Steep incline, distance This one’s off most people’s radar, and for no good reason other than it’s a little further away from population centers. There’s a trail all the way to the top and you can access the trail in winter from the Maxwell Butte Sno-Park. Do not expect a marked trail to the summit in winter. Mt. Bachelor 5.2 2600 Steep incline, boulder The summer route up Mt. Bachelor is a great way to get a sense for the scrambling, exposure type of terrain you’ll find on South Sister. The trail starts in a forest and then continues above treeline into boulders and scree. From the top you can see South Sister and start drooling over your plans to climb it! Black Butte (from 10.2 3300 Steep incline, distance, Take the quieter route to the top of Black Butte by starting at its base. lower trailhead) routefinding The bottom of the trail is well-graded, but gets steeper and steeper as a climb. There are several branching trails at Black Butte’s base, so you’ll need to pay attention to your route. This is also a great test of your endurance before heading up South Sister.

Have you noticed a theme? All of these hikes have steep inclines. This is the part of the South Sister hikes that challenges that vast majority of people. Your endurance on flat ground will not help you in the loose, steep, volcanic pile that is South Sister. Aim to increase your elevation gain over time, doing laps on hikes if needed, so that you can get a sense of what climbing up 5,000 vertical feet will feel like. Happy training! If you have questions about any of the information presented here, contact Jess: [email protected] for more details.

Hike checklist Date(s) completed Notes

Pilot Butte

Bessie Butte

Smith Rock/ Misery Ridge Loop

Tumalo Mountain

Black Butte (from upper trailhead)

Paulina Peak

Belknap Crater

Black Crater

Maxwell Butte

Mt. Bachelor

Black Butte (from lower trailhead)

South Sister