) but I did take Karl's advice to leave super early to heart. This was especially valuable since I ended up going on a Saturday, instead of the Thursday or Friday attempt I originally planned. Beating the crowds was a key component - I would not have enjoyed getting caught in the conga line I encountered while descending. I hit the trail at about 4:30am and made it through the wooded portion of the hike with a headlamp illuminating the way. The trial was very easy to follow in the dark and the nearly full moon provided at least a hint of light as well. Sunrise was at 6:15am and I was up on the plateau in front of South Sister a little before 6:00. Here are a few pictures from both just before and after dawn.
Relating to my early start time, I was nearly alone on the hike. A few campers were waking up here and there but I didn't actually encounter many other groups on the trail at all. I had the Lewis Glacier tarn pretty much to myself.
While taking a breather here I met one other guy who had started before me and was caught by another two groups of hikers. We all chatted briefly and then proceeded up the ridge between Lewis and Clark glaciers separately.
I hit the crater rim at 8:55am.
Thankfully the skies were clearer than when when my wife and I did Tam McArthur the day prior. Here is looking south from the rim (but not summit) of the crater:
Bachelor from the rim, as I walked toward the summit:
Broken top, with a bit of back light washing out the colors. Still pretty cool though.
Another BT shot, this time from somewhere on the summit side of the rim. I like the rock formations in the middle ground on South Sister (would those be gendarmes?).
Looking over the crater snowfield to the south again:
And without further ado, the view north. Unlike the day prior, Hood was plainly visible and Adam was also there on the horizon although did not show up in photos.
The landscape immediately around the Sisters is endlessly fascinating. Here are some of the lakes that dot the area.
I hung around the summit for nearly an hour. Oddly, there were bees all over the place who really liked my peanut butter sandwich but were otherwise harmless. What finally chased me away was the steady stream of hikers arriving, with a big wave rolling in around 9:45ish.
The way down was a pain for a few reasons. Primarily the many traffic jams that slowed my progress while dozens of people huffed their way up the trail. Additionally, the footing was horrendous until well below the Lewis tarn. It made me long for the ash slopes of MSH, which I didn't find nearly as taxing as the surface of South Sister. Admittedly, I am not sure footed but sliding down the trail made for a dusty and slow-going decent. Even still, I made decent time and was back at the trail head in Devil's lake at about 1:30.
A few last pictures from the walk back to the trailhead in the full afternoon light:
Close up of the trail. If you mega-zoom in you can spot some hikers.
All told, it was about 9 hours round trip including my long break on the summit, a break at the tarn, and pausing for at least 5 sunscreen applications
. It was super fun experience and I'm pleased to have knocked off another of your walk-up volcanoes. Oh yeah, one more thing! I might have seen a bear in the morning while still in the woods. I caught a glimpse of wide-set eyes low to the ground with my head lamp and when I tried to focus on the animal (thinking "please don't be a cougar") it hastily and clumsily crashed into some brush uphill and to my left. I didn't see or hear anything afterward, but did talk a guy on the way up the mountain who mentioned seeing a bear himself.
Adams next, right Art?
