Broken Top Loop / Green Lakes

[acoulombe]

Hello everyone,

Brand new to the forum. My wife and I were planning a trip around Broken Top this week, but after calling the ranger station we are thinking twice. The ranger said that the snow level is still at around 6000' and that most of the trail is impassable.

I noticed a trip report from more than a week ago on here that left from Three Creeks Lake and directly up Tam MacArthur to non name lake. The hiker did it with no snow shoes and said he had very little problem.

Our route has us going counterclockwise through Park Meadow and Green Lakes on our way around the south side of Broken Top and back down to Three Creeks off Tam MacArthur.

Any more recent news on trail conditions, snow or mosquitoes for anywhere on our route?

I spoke with some friends who did South Sister this past week and they encountered very little snow on the approaching trails, all above 6000'.

I wondered if the ranger was attempting to discourage just because the southeast portion of the route is off trail.

Thanks, and any help or advice would be great.

Andy

[adamschneider]

I don't know anything about specific current conditions, but it sounds like a solid route. (You WERE talking about backpacking, not day hiking, right? Your loop is about 23 miles.)

[acoulombe]

Thanks!

Yes, we plan to do it in 3 days.

[adamschneider]

In that case, you might consider summiting Broken Top while you're up there. The route faces west and might be melted out by now.

[acoulombe]

Well, we plan to head out early tomorrow, so I'll try to complete my first trip report when we return. I'm hoping we don't trek 18 miles and then have to return the same route instead of just finishing the last 2.5 of the loop! I guess that scenario just means spending some extra time in a beautiful spot with my wife...not bad!

[retired jerry]

that is a perfect attitude

[acoulombe]

The trails were fine...some snow starting at the Golden Lake turnoff, and off and on over the saddle between South Sister and Broken Top, but nothing serious. The climb up to Broken Top and No Name Lake wasn't too bad either. We had to cross several snow fields on our way across the upper plain east of Broken Top, but nothing too serious. The toughest spot, and the only time we had to double back, was on the top of Tam McCarthur where the trail attempted to take us across a very steep snow field. My wife said: no way and we found a different route.

I wrote up a trip report here:

viewtopic.php?f=8&t=25810