It pains me but I'm leaving Oregon for a year to adventure elsewhere, and given that this was my last weekend here I wanted to do something big to say goodbye! I spent hours obsessing over snow reports and finally settled on a three day two night vaguely loop shaped path in the Mink Lake Basin of the Three Sisters Wilderness, and oh man. What an amazing trip!
(Opening photo: sunset at Cliff Lake)
I started at the Elk Lake TH mid-morning on Friday and was pleased to find a very clean pit toilet waiting for me in the parking lot! It was about a mile to the PCT, which then goes about 5 miles before you start hitting the lakes. And boy are there a lot of lakes on this trail!
Dumbbell Lake:
Dumbbell lake is the first big one I came across, and I enjoyed a nice snack break there at one of the two nice sized campgrounds. Although the uphill on this trail is very gradual I was already starting to feel the burn, mostly from going over snowdrifts. I started hitting these around 5200 feet, but they were only in patches and was easy to cross in regular boots.
This was the worst of it:
A little annoying, but below 5200 feet it was all clear and mostly downhill to the next large lake: Cliff lake:
This one is notable for having a shelter, the only one on this trail now that the Mink Lake shelter has been taken down.
Cosy!:
I had another snack at the water's edge and then continued on, leaving the PCT to hike about two miles to Mink Lake. Off the PCT the path got noticably more overgrown, and while I wasn't really bushwhacking I did have to wade through some plants. I'd expect trail crews will be coming through here within the next month or so, but until then definitely don't let this keep you away!
Mink Lake was my destination for night one and it did not disappoint: just look at that view!:
I found the same campsite mentioned in this
viewtopic.php?t=12575 2012 trip report and I agree that it was pretty much perfect - panoramic views of the water, isolated, and with a few good spots to set up tents. I spent the afternoon lounging in the sun and reading my book, a nice way to round out a great day of hiking.
The sunset was pretty nice too!:
The wind kept the mosquitos away for the majority of the afternoon, but once it calmed down they were out in droves. A few liberal applications of DEET later though and the buzzing had mostly faded to white noise, so I can't complain too much.
What an amazing view!:
Home sweet home:
I stayed up to see the stars and so slept through the sunset, but the view of the lake at 8am was still pretty sweet.
I started day two by going around the rest of Mink Lake on the Lakeside trail - mosquitos were also enjoying the views but it was a pretty easy two miles to get warmed up for the day!
Surprise appearance of one of the Sisters:
ay two was a weird shaped side jog up to Winopee and Snowshoe lakes, and while all the trails were nicely snow free they were quite overgrown in parts. I lost the trail a few times on both the Winopee Lake and Snowshoe Lakes trails, and both had a fair bit more downfall than the PCT did as well. I'd planned to have lunch at Winopee but it was a bit swampy so I pushed on to Snowshoe lake, about a mile away.
The trail takes you above the lake and has lots of good sitting rocks!:
Unfortunately it started to rain just as I was pulling out my food bag, so I pocketed a protien bar and moved back into the forest for cover. Given that it's all pine trees there wasn't much in the way of shelter, and once I started hearing thunder I decided to just eat while I walked and try to push on to camp before the storm hit. Luckily the rain stopped not long after! I passed a few lakes on the six or so miles back to Cliff Lake but didn't stop at any of them - the thunder was constant the whole afternoon and I was admittedly a little stressed about making it to camp.
Ominous skies over S Lake:
Puppy Lake, S Lake, and Mac Lake all looked to have pretty nice campgrounds though, and would all be good places to take a break on a clearer day! Horseshoe Lake looked to have a burn scar around it and I'm not sure how much I'd trust the trees that are left, but I didn't really take the time to investigate it closely.
I made it back to Cliff lake just as the rain was starting to fall again, and I was very glad for the shelter to keep me dry from the storm. I suspect the majority of the storm got sucked up into the mountains and I never saw any cloud to ground lightning, but there was one thunderclap that was intense enough to shake the ground. It took about two hours to pass, and I spent the rest of the afternoon warming up in the sun with my book. Mosquitos were again pretty aggressive, but they stayed out of the shelter itself for the most part. And, best of all, I got to see one of the best sunsets of my life!
Calm after the storm:
I enjoyed a leisurely breakfast the next morning and then began my hike back to the car. This route mirrored the one I took in day one, and once again I took a break at Dumbbell Lake. The previous day's storm clouds were long gone and the sun was out in full force, so resting my feet in the cold water was a nice treat! The snow was a bit softer today and a little harder to cross - at this rate I imagine it'll all be gone in a few weeks. There were a few nice views where the PCT meets up with the Island Meadow Trail, which leads back to the TH, but otherwise I was pushing straight on, motivated by dreams of a large meal at a diner on my way home.
South Sister:
All in all this was an absolutely fantastic experience, and I'd recommend the trail to anyone looking for a relatively clear path and easy grade with lots of views! I didn't encounter or hear any wildlife past a few birds, some deer tracks in the snow, and a lot of bugs. Snow will be gone soon and downfall all has trails around it or is easy enough to climb over, assuming it isn't cleared by trail crews first. This trip ranks as I think my second favourite trip of all time, and for my first multi-night solo trip I don't think I could've chosen better!
My route:
Stats:
Day one (TH to Mink Lake): 12.7 miles, around 5.5 hours
Day two (Mink Lake to Cliff Lake via Winopee and Snowshoe Lakes): 12.7 miles, around 5 hours
Day three (Cliff Lake to TH): 10.5 miles, around 3.5 hours
Total miles: 35.2
Total moving time: 13.5 hours
Other people on trail: 0. I went from the previous night to my stop for gas on the way home without talking to another human, although I think once the thru-hiker bubble starts coming through it'll be a little more crowded
What I was reading:
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
What I was listening to: Season 2 of
The Lazarus Heist (podcast) by the BBC