South Sister

South Sister is the third highest peak in Oregon and the highest of the Sisters. This would be a good peak to climb in combination with a vacation to Bend, Oregon. In summer, there is a nice trail to the summit. South Sister is one of 3 volcanoes (the others being Hood and Fuji) that I always hear gets the most climbers in the world. I’ve given up trying to know which it is. This is a really nice area of Oregon with several volcanic peaks to look at along the way.

I did this trip in winter, starting from the Mt. Bachelor Ski Area. It was 6.5 long miles walking snowmobile trails, on the highway. When I got to the trailhead, I was rewarded by the frozen trail of one snowmobile that maneuvered his machine from the trailhead to near tree line. This saved me from deep snowshoeing for the first 2 miles in forests. Because the trail was covered in snow, I really can’t describe where the trail went but since this is such a popular hike, I’m sure you’ll find your way. I camped the first night just below tree line. In the morning, I got climbing up the obvious ridgeline west of Moraine Lake. The way was easy, following the ridgeline west of the Lewis Glacier until finally hitting the crater rim. From there I’m told the trail traverses around the rim on the east side to the summit. I believe I just crossed what apparently is the highest lake in Oregon inside the crater to get to the summit. By the time I got back to camp, the day was over and I was spent. The following morning was a long but happy trek back to my car where I cleared a foot of snow off it.

From Bend, drive west on the Cascade Lakes Highway for 27 miles. Turn left at Devils Lake Campground. The sign for the South Sisters Trail head is at the end of the campground parking lot labeled "South Sister Climbers Trail 36." A Northwest Forest Pass permit is required to park at the trailhead. (At 21.5 miles from Bend you’ll reach the Mt. Bachelor Ski Area the winter start.)