[TR] South Sister - South side 5/14/2006

[111]

Climb: South Sister -South side

 

Date of Climb: 5/14/2006

 

Trip Report:

I went up with 2 other OSU fellas from Mountain Club and did the trip as an overnight. We had tried it the year before as a single day but decided that the 23 mile hike in and out was too much for one day. After carrying overnight gear in, I'm not so sure there is a "right" way to do it.

Basically on the slog to devils lake TH we didnt need snowshoes, but they were nice to have for traction on the hike up once we were off the road. Camped at Moraine Lk. There were two guys who beat us to the top who overnighted and didnt bring snowshoes(they postholed 6-8 in. during the hottest part of the day). During morning and night there is a good hard layer to walk on, crampons were nice but I don't think they were necessary. The snow was soft enough at 10:00a to kick steps in snowboard boots all the way to the summit without crampons.(I had them but my friends didnt bother)

We lugged boards to the top for the ride down and that was the silver lining on this springtime slog. The ride down was incredible! Perfect slope angle made it all fun, no hard parts.

The slog back sucked, it is just too long. There is no way to do this hike without despising the last 6 miles!

 

 

 

Gear Notes:

Ice axe for possible falls, crampons(optional), snowboard, didn't bring enuff fuel for melting snow(major dehydration on the way out)

 

Approach Notes:

the road frmo bachelor is steep enough to ride about 1/3 of it as long as it isnt to slushy (leave early). For the hike up we just bushwacked straight from the SE end of the meadow to moraine lk. (creek crossings!). Summit climb was mellow, but god dammit some snowmobilers had been up there up to the false summit. FUCKERS!

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Photos:

http://oregonstate.edu/~rothi/S.%20Sister/

[ivan]

The slog back sucked, it is just too long. There is no way to do this hike without despising the last 6 miles!

i think this is a stern and foolhardy challenge to the pharmaceutical world

[fettster]

Cool, thanks for the post. Nice to see a report from the sisters area which has been pretty quiet on this board. I take it you parked at the Bachelor ski resort then? How was the wind up top?

[kjack]

Is the highway closed past the ski resort or just snowy?

 

Nice pics.

[111]

The wind on top was about 5 miles or less. Tiny gusts. Beautiful. The highway is closed from bachy parking lot but there was a sign about a mile down the road that said the road and meadow are closed to snowmobiles because they are going to be plowing. Didnt give a date for being cleared but it should be clear some time soon. Oh, and there was still 6-7 ft of snow minimum on the road then. (the roadsigns were just poking through.