S. Sister and M. Sister

[macmurtb]

Has anyone been to South or Middle sister recently? How were the conditions?

[Couloir]

Where specifically?

[macmurtb]

Well I am going solo, so i was planning on going up the N. Ridge via Hayden Glacier on Middle sister, and then South Ridge on S. Sister. But i am open to other options depending on how the mountains are and the glacier(s) is (are).

Edited September 16, 2005 by macmurtb

[Chriznitch]

knock them off in a traverse. The northwest ridge of SS (well, actually...everything in the vicinity of the Sisters Wilderness) is a choss slog this time of year, but it would be an easy descent to get to MS

[Couloir]

I was up there about 3 weeks ago.

 

It has snowed a little bit up there since then, but the S. Side of SS should be a piece of cake...a hike basically. And the weather looks good for this weekend. You probably won't be alone if you go then.

 

The N. Side of MS should be in ok shape too. The Hayden will have a few more cracks...being late in the season, but nothing too serious. And heading up the N. Ridge you should be good too. It may be a little interesting up high with a little steep (~30+ degrees) ice, but an ice axe and crampons should mitigate any problems with that if you are in good shape and good on your feet.

 

Have fun!

[skeletor]

Looks like the Sisters are getting a little fresh snow this morning...

[kurthicks]

September 4, 2005.

[gregfuller]

I'm guessing the Hayden is pretty heavily crevassed this time of year, and while you could argue a dry glacier is "safe" in some respects, since you can see the crevasses, I just found this trip report on summitpost from one month ago:

 

http://www.summitpost.org/show/summit_log_query.pl/object_id/309/sort_by/submission_date:

 

amochka

Route Climbed: Hayden Glacier

Date Climbed: August 14, 2005

Date Signed: Aug 17, 2005 6:08 PM

Definitely too late in the season for this route. Not enough snow this year to be climbing this route this late..hayden glacier heavily crevassed, lots o' rockfall, etc. Reached the point just below the north ridge and couldn't safely head up, so didn't get to tag the summit. Steps in heavily crevassed area were blowing out....and lots of loose rock coming off the saddle between north and middle sister.

 

Seems that the southeast ridge looks better to me if you have to walk up shifting piles of rock, which is basically what we spent all day doing. Beautiful weather, clear skies and good company made the slog worth it. Will be back earlier in the season or will try a different route next year.

 

Pictures from the route description on the Mazama website also indicate late season crevasses (I'm not sure when this was taken, but it illustrates the potential for hidden traps in the snow):

 

If you really want to get on top of Middle this year, either grab a partner and rope up, or make the long trek to Chambers Lakes and climb the SE Ridge. Otherwise wait until late May or early June next year, which is probably the best time to climb it.

 

As a fellow solo adventurer, I always remind myself that each trip might be my last if an accident happens, so extra care must be taken in dangerous terrain (in this case, a heavily crevassed glacier). Even if you have a ton of experience on glaciers, I still think going solo is risky in these conditions. Lots of folks do it, but after reading enough issues of Accidents in North American Mountaineering, you wonder if it's really worth it. Respect the mountain. :-)

 

Sounds like you have a few days to recreate in the Three Sisters Wilderness, so I would suggest the following profile: get a nice "happy hour" start from the Green Lakes TH, and camp when you arrive at the lakes. Witness a beautiful sunset across Broken Top. Day 2, climb South Sister from Green Lakes, a less crowded alternative to the standard south side route that offers a little bit of route-finding and alternative views, and bivy behind one of the massive horseshoe-shaped rock walls on the summit rim. Day 3: descend the standard south side route, down to Moraine Lake, and follow the Falls Creek trail (?) back to the Green Lakes TH. A nice loop with a summit in the middle. I'm sure it would be an unforgettable trip, and you'll have the summit to yourself for about 18+ hours, which is a nice treat for such a popular mountain.

 

Alternatively, if you must tag two summits, climb Broken Top and South Sister from Green Lakes. Lots of folks pack in early one day, set up camp, climb Broken Top, and then climb South Sister the next day.

[Couloir]

Good point. After having several glasses of scotch and then re-reading what I wrote, I realized that I hadn't completely considered the solo thing.

 

Greg...I love your prose. You speak my language!

[gregfuller]

Hey, I'm drinking scotch right now too! Glenmorangie Cellar 13: "Single Malt From a Single Cellar". Mmmmm, first fill cask (insert Homer Simpson drooling sound here).

 

Back on topic -- I think the Hayden Glacier route is totally doable solo in early season (although on any glacier, you are still taking risks solo). During 4th of July weekend in 2004, I left from the Pole Creek TH and headed into the Chambers Lake area. My usual relaxed start landed me somewhere near Camp Lake for my first night. The next day I leisurely strolled up the mountain, intending to climb the SE Ridge, but ended up climbing I guess what was the South Ridge, camping around 8500ft in a small snow finger above the Irving Glacier.

 

This location has been the most scenic bivy site to date, not only because it faces both the entire north side of South Sister and Broken Top, and offers views of Diamond Peak and Thielsen, but because I saw the most glorious moonrise in my life. A full moon, a gigantic orange globe, crept over the horizon around 10pm, a few hours after the sunset. Spectacular. I wonder what you need to take a decent picture of that kind of event. I had to do a double-take, because for a moment I thought the sun was rising already (or maybe that was the single malt kicking in. :-)

 

After that experience, I've been trying to determine the best bivy sites for watching moon and sun rises. Does anyone out there have an astronomy background? Does the moon always rise in the east/southeast, or does it move around? It was a truly humbling experience.

 

The next day I climbed up and over the top, down the North Ridge, and returned to the car via Hayden Glacier. It looks like there were some nice bivy sites on the top of Middle too, but at that time of year, most of the rock walls were still covered in snow. I'd like to camp at the top of Middle someday, but the 8500' snow finger was almost better since it was perched essentially on a ledge, offered better views, and had the bonus of running water just 20' above in the rocks.

 

Incidentally, during my ascent up that more southernly ridge, I found a really nice woman's North Face Gortex jacket wedged between some rocks, so I didn't feel I was too far off route. It had a large insignia stitched to the back, almost as large as the back of the jacket itself, and it was seam-sealed on the inside. I wish I could remember what it was, something like a horse and some text about an equestrian camp. Hmmm.

 

Maybe it was the altitude getting to me, but I started fantasizing about finally meeting my climbing woman -- I mean, what a great story it would be, finding her jacket, meeting up (how, I don't know, but that's why it would be a great story), and falling in love and climbing mountains together, living happily ever after. So I stuffed it in my pack. I really didn't want to be carrying any more weight up and over the top, but this was going to be true love, right? My mind raced the entire way back the car: who was this person? What did she look like? She obviously climbs.... How in the hell did she lose her jacket? How am I going to meet her? Does she live in Portland? Will she move to Portland to be with me? Yeah, like I said, the altitude.

 

Once at the trailhead, I checked the message board, and lo-and-behold, a note! A desperate plea from a woman: "LOST: blue North Face jacket. Please please please if you find this, call Carrie(1) at xxx." I smiled all the way back to Portland, and once home, I called immediately. Her mother answered. :-( You can just tell a mother's voice. She was still clearly upset at her teenage daughter for losing an expensive jacket, but relieved I had found it. I wrote down her address and mailed it back the next day. Story of my life. Until the next jacket...

 

(1) I'm not really sure her name was Carrie. Funny how when potential love slaps you in the face, you instantly forget all the details in an effort to block the pain. Having relived this story of lost love, I guess I'm now going to have to break out the Murray McDavid special 1989 bottling of Caol Ila. Oh, why are mountaineering women so hard to find? Sigh.

[Couloir]

Brilliant!