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[ Archive Index ] [ 2001 ]
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The Hodgeman's on his way to meet up with a few TTers, for a weekend in the Three Sisters Wilderness, in Central Oregon. This is a bit different for me, as I've met none of these people before, nor have I ever been to this place. But, I had no plans until the 15th, so why not take a road trip for the weekend. Friday, August 10th. The weather is perfect, so I drop the top on my Jeep and hit the road early, to beat the border traffic and clear Seattle, before the morning rush hour. It's clear sailing and by 10am I hit the Oregon State line. The plan is to rendezvous with my hosts, at the ranger station in Sisters, Or. at 4pm, so I can take my time now, and enjoy the trip east through the Cascades. |
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I arrive in the small
western style town, with a couple of hours to spare, and feel obligated to
investigate a bit of the local history. The Sisters Hotel is the oldest
building in town and has a saloon; a perfect place to start. The hotel
survived a couple of major forest fires in the 20's, and legend has it
that 'Bronco Billy' hung out here in the 1860's. So much for history.
They've got a pretty waitress and cold Budweiser.
China Chas and Alpine arrive on time, and have no problem spotting the
guy with the 'Whistler' hat, lounging in the B.C. Jeep sipping a Molson's.
After dinner and a few beers in town, we set up camp at the trailhead,
where we are joined by Nomad and Meerkat just after dark. What a great
bunch of Oregonians! |
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| Saturday, August
11th. As we hit the trail, China Chas leads the way down to Squaw Creek.
From here we head 'off trail' southward ascending a ridgeline, which
leads
to a couple of small lakes nestled in the shadow of Broken Top Mountain.
The route's a bit steep and there's some blow-down, but it's not long
before we arrive at Rim and Tam Lakes for a chance to relax. Next we
turn west and head over a small ridge, to reach our destination in a
large open meadow, directly below Broken Top.
What a perfect site! After setting up camp, I check out the 'neighbourhood' while the others take off to have a closer look at the mountain's glaciers. You couldn't have planned it any better! Outstanding views of the Three Sisters, a small campfire after dinner, deer in the meadow at sunset, and a meteor shower to top it off - a show well worth the price of admission. |
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Sunday, August 12th. Morning greets
us with another perfect day. It's warm, but a
persistent breeze keeps it pleasant as we gather for breakfast. Nomad
and Meerkat will head down this morning to complete their loop, so we
exchange addresses and invitations. I hope that I will get an opportunity
to hike with them again sometime.
Shouldering our daypacks, China Chas, Alpine and I set off westward,
over rolling ridges, in the direction of South Sister. As we cross the
volcanic rubble fields below Broken Top, we plan a route to ascend the
main ridge. It's been kind of slow going on loose terrain, but we top the
ridge for views of Mt Bachelor and Green Lakes to the south. |
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| Now we have three
choices: (a)- ascend Broken Top, (b)- retrace our route all of the way
back, or (c)- make a straight descent to a small, very inviting tarn,
that we have spotted below. We choose the latter and 'boot-ski' our way
down, carefully detouring the 'last step' of about 80 vertical feet.
As usual, the tarn seemed a lot closer from the ridge-top. Up, down, around and scramble - we reach the tarn. The water's as cold as it is inviting, so none of us is willing to jump right in. But, we refresh ourselves and empty the sand from our boots. Alpine heads around to the far side, to search out potential campsites for a return visit. It's an awesome location! |
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This Oregon wilderness
seems anxious to show me all that it has to offer. Upon returning to
camp, the weather turns and brief rain showers accompany gusting winds.
China Chas configures his tarp and we take front row seats for the show,
as lightening strikes the surrounding summits. "It has to rain if I
go backpacking" Alpine tells me. I'll be sure to remember that for
the future.
The skies clear by sundown, for another beautiful evening in the
meadow. The deer and meteors return on schedule, as we lounge by the
fire. It'll be another long day for me tomorrow, so reluctantly I turn in for the night. It's been a
pleasure to see these new places and meet
such nice people. I'm hoping that they will join me to explore my B.C.
playground some day. |
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| Monday, August 13th. It's a gorgeous
morning to complete our loop, through the lower
meadows and up the trail to our waiting vehicles. Back in the stifling
heat of town, we return to 'Bronco Billy's' for lunch and goodbyes. My
eight hour drive home will seem longer, but I'm glad that I made the
journey to this beautiful place.
Upon my return home, I will have just one day to reload for my trip to Cathedral Provincial Park, on the east side of the B.C. Cascades. I am already making plans as I drive past Mt Rainier in Washington State. With luck, I will be able to spot her snowy summit, from 290km (174mi) away, by the weekend. |
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| Three Sisters Wilderness Info |
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Sisters Photo Gallery |
Three Sisters, Oregon 2001 
