PCT from Dee Wright to Opie Dilldock Pass

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mrblisterdundee
Posts: 31
Joined: April 14th, 2017, 8:24 pm

PCT from Dee Wright to Opie Dilldock Pass

Post by mrblisterdundee » July 12th, 2017, 4:02 pm

After a couple days at the Oregon Country Fair, I took off to the Three Sisters Wilderness for some alone time. The Pacific Crest Trail crosses Oregon Highway 242 on McKenzie Pass about 1/2 mile west of the Dee Wright Observatory, a cool stone hut looking out over the Three Sisters to the south and Mt. Washington, Three-Fingered Jack, Mt. Jefferson, Mt. Hood and Mt. Adams to the north.
I took off south through the lava fields. The first exceptional landmark was South Matthieu Lake, a beautiful alpine pool beneath the gaze of North Sister.
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The trail climbs along the western face of the sisters, providing a clear view of all the major Oregon Cascade mountains to the north.
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After Scott Pass, the trail started to become interspersed with large snowdrifts.
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I managed to lose the trail on one of these snow drifts. While descending a hillside of loose pumice and lava rock, I mistakenly stepped on a rock that wasn't planted in the ground. Down the hill I fell, tweaking my right ankle and cutting open a couple fingers and parts of my hand on the jagged rocks.
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Eventually, you reach a quaint meadow, also beneath North Sister.
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I stopped at Opie Dilldock Pass, with some pretty good views of the North and Middle sisters, before heading back.
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All in all, I think I got 15 to 16 miles in before getting back to Dee Wright Observatory in time to catch the sunset over Three Sisters.
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Three Sisters western approach.jpg

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retired jerry
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Joined: May 28th, 2008, 10:03 pm

Re: PCT from Dee Wright to Opie Dilldock Pass

Post by retired jerry » July 12th, 2017, 4:32 pm

too bad about your fingers :(

if you went that far, then the rest of the PCT would be doable, although the snow does get a little worse after that

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WiredHiker
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Joined: May 17th, 2016, 7:31 am

Re: PCT from Dee Wright to Opie Dilldock Pass

Post by WiredHiker » July 13th, 2017, 7:07 am

Curious about the bugs.

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gratefultrails
Posts: 82
Joined: October 21st, 2015, 8:08 am
Location: Eugene

Re: PCT from Dee Wright to Opie Dilldock Pass

Post by gratefultrails » July 13th, 2017, 11:04 am

Thanks for the snow report! Country Fair was a hoot this year!!

mrblisterdundee
Posts: 31
Joined: April 14th, 2017, 8:24 pm

Re: PCT from Dee Wright to Opie Dilldock Pass

Post by mrblisterdundee » July 14th, 2017, 8:23 pm

WiredHiker wrote:Curious about the bugs.
I got eaten alive anywhere there had been standing water.

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