Instead of going camping like we had originally planned we decided to climb the South Sister. We loaded up the car and headed to Devils Lake for an early start to beat the heat. From the trail head to the peak of the South Sister is 6 miles with an elevation gain of about 5000 feet to the final elevation of 10,358 feet. Known as “Grace” the South Sister is the youngest and tallest of the three sisters.
855 Megapixel Panorama from the South Sister Summit
Click to Enlarge or Click Below for Points of Interest
Points of Interest in this panorama (click to zoom to):
- People resting at the pool at the bottom of Lewis Glacier.
- The various hiking trails. We took the trail from the parking lot up along a steep ridge to the summit, but there are also trails to go East to Green Lakes and West to Wickup Plain as well as a loop around Moraine Lake.
- The Rock Mesa geologic formation is fascinating. This large formation in the middle of the panorama was formed by an early eruption that flowed thick lava.
- Devil’s Lake is clearly visible from the summit.
- Mt. Bachelor looking naked without its snow covering.
The first several miles of the trail is clearly defined, but as you reach the last leg of the climb over the rocky terrain and through the glacier field the surface turns to lava rock and dust.
The climb was well worth the amazing views, and the glacial snow on the slopes allowed us to sled part of our decent using our coats. Happy Birthday Rob and Brent! So much fun.
