This year we headed to Pole Creek with near-record temperatures forecast for Memorial Day weekend. With high elevation, snow, and sunny, clear skies, we made sure to lather up with sunscreen before we headed up the Pole Creek trail.
The first few miles were dusty, passing through the burn left by the
2012 Pole Creek Fire. We followed the trail as long as we could until it became covered with snow. Then we headed cross country toward North and Middle Sister.
This year we were able to hike on bare ground longer than ever before which lead to a short climb through the snow to reach a good spot to camp. Although Saturday was supposed to be the coolest day, the afternoon was hot and when the sun passed behind a ridge of North Sister, the instant drop in temperature was appreciated.
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| South Sister
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Sunday morning we put on our skis and made our way to the basin below Middle Sister. The morning snow was pretty firm despite the temperature not dropping too much over night.
At the bottom of the snowfield we ran into some
sun-cups which we hadn't had to deal with before. The skiing was a bit slow on the rough terrain but we continued on with hopes of finding smoother snow above.
As we climbed up toward the Middle Sister saddle, we could see a few groups climbing up ahead of us. The skiing was slow as the snow was firm and slick, so we ended up taking to the bare ridge and carried our skis for a while. I was a little worried that it might not be worth skiing this high as all the snow below us would be pretty hard to ski through on the way down.
After leaving the ridge was started skiing again and the snow was a little better. However, just a little higher up the slopes were all smooth and the snow was not nearly as heavy as in years past which led to some of the best skiing conditions we've had over Memorial Day weekend.
Looking east toward Broken Top and South Sister, we could see lots of bare ridges, exposed by the snow having already melted out. One meadow that we've skied across in years past was now bare ground.
As we climbed toward the saddle, the cool breeze blowing across the snow felt good as the day was beginning to heat up. After some more climbing we reached the saddle and stopped to have a snack and get something to drink.
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Broken Top
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Mom and Dad with North Sister in the background
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North Sister
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Mom and Dad with North Sister in the background
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Looking northeast toward Bend
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Middle Sister
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Broken Top, Mt. Bachelor, and South Sister
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Sitting at the saddle, we watched one group descend from the top of Middle Sister. There is one steep pitch that can be tricky to negotiate and if often where we turn around if the conditions aren't good. As the first, large group descended a second group had climbed up to the steep pitch.
Instead of waiting, the first group was pretty slow, the second group decided to traverse across the bottom of the pitch. We could only follow their progress for a few minutes before they rounded a corner and were out of sight.
After we finished our snack we climbed up the ridge toward Middle Sister until we were at the bottom of the pitch. We've been turned around at this point a few times, so we decided to try the traverse and to see if that would be easier.
The first hundred yards of the traverse were on a fairly steep side slope and the steps were not great. We pushed on as we at least wanted to see what was around the corner. When we rounded the corner, the slope lessened and soon we were able to start switchbacking uphill toward the summit. This was definitely the way to go.
After a few more minutes of climbing we were on top. From the summit of Middle Sister, Mt. Adams and Mt. St. Helens, both in Washington, are visible. To the south, Mt. Thielsen in southern Oregon, and to the west, Mary's Peak, a little west of Corvallis. It is truly amazing to be able to a hundred miles in every direction.
We were lucky to have a still day as we were able to hang out on the summit for a few minutes and take in the view. Heading down was pretty quick although we had to take our time along the traverse across the base of the steep section. Soon we were back at the saddle where we put on our skis and headed down.
The upper descent from the Middle Sister saddle was great skiing so we got to make some nice turns on the way down. Unfortunately the fun had to come to an end and soon we were in the sun-cupped snow at the base of the slope. After a slipping and sliding through the sun-cups we made our way back to the tent.
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Looking north along the Cascade volcanoes
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Broken Top, Mt. Bachelor, and South Sister from the top of Middle Sister
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South Sister
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North Sister
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No sunburn this year!
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Hot, sunny weather, high elevation, and snow...a great combination for a wicked sunburn
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Mom and Dad on top
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Descending from Middle Sister
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North Sister
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North Sister
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Lots of exposed rocks this year
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| Sun-cupped snow at the base of the snow slopes leading down from Middle Sister |
Monday we skied toward North Sister before heading home. The snowfield leading up to North Sister was much more melted out than in years past. After skiing to the top of the snow field, we left the skis and climbed up the ridge a little further to get a few last views before heading home.
The descent down the snowfield was a little sun-cupped so the skiing was a little rough. However, it didn't take long to back down to the tent. This year we decided to put the skis on the packs from the get go. Some years we try to ski a little ways down through the trees with our packs on, but with the lack of snow, we decided we were best off walking.
That was a good call as it only took about half an hour to reach bare ground and the trail. The hike back to the car was dusty and warm as there was no shade in the burn. But it didn't take as long as last year as all the down trees that had fallen across the trail last year were now cut out.
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North Sister
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Had to carry the skis here....never had to worry about that before
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Looking east from the base of North Sister
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Mom with North Sister in the background
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| North Sister |
