Fourth of July Backpacking Trip

This year we returned to the Three Sisters area for a backpacking trip over Fourth of July weekend.  The past few years there has been progressively less snow, so we haven’t even thought about bringing skis.  This year we heard reports of more snowpack, so we debated bringing the skis.  After all, it’s a pain to hike through suncupped snow so the skis would certainly help with that.  However, we opted not to bring the skis which turned out to be the right decision. There wasn’t much more snow than the last few years.

As we took off from Devil’s Lake trailhead, we started the climb through the big trees below the plains.  It didn’t take us long to find the snow, but it took even less time for the mosquitoes to find us.  In hindsight I probably should have worn pants from the start, but I prefer to hike in shorts.  I got a few mosquitoes bites, but likely far less than I will get at the Waldo Trailwork in a couple weekends.

Outside of the bugs, the climb was pretty uneventful and soon we reached the plateau and began the traverse down to Moraine Lake. There was a little bit of snow on the lake, but the majority of the lake was completely free of snow or ice. After crossing the creek leaving Moraine Lake, we began climbing up a ridge leading toward South Sister.  We like to camp fairly high on this ridge as it gives us easy access to Green Lakes and Broken Top, or South Sister summit. Plus, the ridge is a little breezy, so we don’t have to worry about bugs.

A big tree down in the first couple miles

South Sister

Mom on the traverse to Moraine Lake

Moraine Lake with South Sister in the background

Moraine Lake with ice and snow.  Two days later there was no ice or snow on the lake.

The climb up to our campsite is typically pretty slow since the ridge is pretty steep and loose.  This year we had a little extra excitement as we got to see a helicopter rescue on South Sister.  As we climbed, we got to watch the helicopter circle a few times before dropping behind a nearby ridge.  I don’t think the helicopter set down the first time because a few minutes later it lifted off, circled again then disappeared behind the same ridge.  This time the helicopter was out of sight for quite a while and we were unable to hear the engine so we figured it must have put down to make the rescue.  It took quite a while, but eventually we saw the helicopter lift off and head toward Bend (the nearest town).  It was pretty cool to see.

At this point we had reached the campsite, so we dropped our packs and had a quick snack before setting up the tent.  After pitching the tent, we made dinner and headed in for an early night.  We played a few games before heading to bed.  It’s always easy to go to bed early when backpacking.

Mt. Bachelor behind the trees

Broken Top

Climbing up to the grey mound on South Sister

Looking back down on Moraine Lake

Mt. Bachelor

Dad with Mt. Bachelor in the background

South Sister

Dad climbing up the ridge

South Sister

A little red bug

Broken Top with a layer of clouds

Friday morning we ate breakfast and packed up daypacks to head toward Broken Top.  We descended down snowfields into Green Lakes which was fairly quick going.  We were a little worried that the snow might be hard, but it was already getting soft when we started.  The descent down to Green Lakes is pretty fun and I got a chance to do some glissading on the steeper pitches where the snow was still firm enough.

Upon reaching Green Lakes we filled up our bottles at one of the many springs around the lake and began contouring around the lake. Green Lakes still had a bit of snow on them, but there was also a lot of open water too.  We made our way around Green Lakes and soon found the climber’s trail that leads up to Broken Top.

Friday morning

A butterfly moth on the snow

Beginning the descent down to Green Lakes - a little uphill section here to set up a glissade

Broken Top

One of the many springs around Green Lakes

Green Lakes with Mt. Bachelor in the background

A couple paintbrush

Traversing around Green Lakes

Looking back toward South Sister

The first part of the trail climbs through the trees where there were patches of snow and lots of mosquitoes.  Fortunately, it didn’t take long to get out of the trees and into a bit more snow where there were fewer mosquitoes.  The snow was getting pretty soft and had lots of suncups so the going was a little slow as we were slipping around quite a bit.

After slipping through suncups for a while, we got onto some dusty loose terrain leading up to the ridge.  This section is pretty short and soon we were on the ridge leading to Broken Top.  The ridge is rocky, so we found a spot with some good sitting rocks and took a quick break. We had a snack, drank some water, and took in the views of the Three Sister and the surrounding terrain.

Now atop the ridge, we continued the climb up Broken Top.  The ridge is pretty steep but has relatively stable footing so it’s really not so bad. I thought that we made pretty good time on the climb and soon we reached the crux, just a couple hundred feet below the top.  The crux is a short pitch that you have to climb up.  The actual climbing is pretty easy, but if you goof up, it wouldn’t be good.  Dad, Jacob, and I decided to climb the crux and reach the summit while Mom waited for a short while for us to return.

Climbing up through the trees toward Broken Top

Mom and Jacob below Broken Top

Looking up at Broken Top

Mom and Dad making the climb to the ridge

White Flowers

Dad with Middle Sister and North Sister in the background

South Sister poking out over the ridge

Dad climbing up toward Broken Top with Mom, Jacob, and the Three Sisters in the background

Mom and Jacob

Mt. Bachelor from the top of Broken Top

Jacob on top of Broken Top

Dad and Jacob on top

Little ladybugs on top of Broken Top

Dad on top of Broken Top

Dad and Jacob beginning the descent

After tagging the top and taking a few quick pictures we began the descent back down the ridge.  Going down was a lot faster than going up and soon we were back at the saddle in the ridge.  This year we opted to continue along the ridge instead of following the climber’s trail back to Green Lakes.  A couple years ago we had hiked this ridge to the high point but had not descended down to the saddle, so we were not sure if we’d be able to do this section.  Fortunately, the terrain was not as rough as it appeared and there was even a slight trail for most of the way.  We quickly reached the high point on the ridge and soon were making our way down gentle slopes.

We followed the ridge until we reached the main trail leading into Green Lakes and then followed the trail down to the lakes. Upon reaching the lakes we traversed around the lakes back to the spring where we filled up in the morning.  Again, we filled our bottles and then set out for the final climb back to the tent.  This last uphill is almost all on snow, but always seems to be a bit faster than we expect.  We made pretty good time up the snowfield although Dad was getting a little bit tired at the top.  After leaving the snow it was just a short walk to the tent.

I think it was close to 7 when we got back to the tent, so we started making dinner immediately.  This evening was pretty windy, so we had to hunker down behind some trees to get the stove going.  After a quick dinner we headed into the tent, played a few games, then went to bed.

Dad, Mom, and Jacob on the ridge below

Dad beating the heat

Middle and North Sister

Mom with South Sister in the background

Mom and Dad

Green Lakes

A couple paintbrush.  There weren't many this trip.

North Sister

A weird collection of pine needles on the snow

Looking across Green Lakes

Mom traversing around Green Lakes

Broken Top

The snowfield leading back to the tent

Tumalo Mountain

An Injinji sock tree

Saturday was our last day on the mountain so in the morning we packed up the tent and headed toward South Sister.  We had to traverse a couple small snowfields and then climb a little bit before we reached the main South Sister trail.  Upon reaching the trail, we dropped our packs in exchange for small daypacks with a little water and food, plus some warm clothes for the top.

After dropping the packs, hiking seemed pretty easy, so we quickly reached Mirage Lake about 1 mile below South Sister.  From the lake it’s an uphill grind to the top. The first half of the climb isn’t too bad, but the second half is much looser so there a lot of sliding back when you’re trying to move forward.  Fortunately, the snow had just melted, and this section was much less loose than usual due to the extra moisture in the soil.  I though we made pretty good time in this section and soon we reached the rim of South Sister.  Upon reaching the rim, there’s just a short level walk to the far side where the true summit is.

We hiked over to the true summit but didn’t stay long because the wind was really picking up on top.  We had planned to eat a snack on top, but no one was too hungry, and the wind was blowing pretty hard, so we headed down.  We then planned to take a break at Mirage Lake to eat, but we were moving so quickly downhill that we decided to just continue to the packs before we stopped to eat.

After a brief snack at the packs we headed down the mountain, this time loaded up with all our gear.  The descent down to the plains was mostly on snow which actually made the downhill pretty fast.  The snow was getting really heavy, so we were able to tromp straight down the snowfields on the descent.  I had hoped the snow would be a bit harder, so I’d be able to glissade the steep pitches, but that wasn’t the case.

Broken Top

Looking down on Broken Top from South Sister

Middle Sister and North Sister

Looking back up at South Sister

Soon enough we reached the flat section and left the snow behind us.  It was quick walking along the flat and it didn’t take us long to reach the junction to Moraine Lake.  We all took a big drink of water here since none of us wanted to be stopping in the last couple miles because of the mosquitoes.

The last downhill was pretty fast, and I was surprised how much snow had melted since we came in two days earlier.  There was significantly less snow than coming up.  We didn’t have too many mosquitoes to deal with and soon we were at the car packing our gear into the trunk.  I thought this was one of the coolest trips we've done over Fourth of July since we covered a little bit more terrain than usual.  Plus, this was probably the best weather we’ve had too. It was sunny every day but never got too hot.

Mt. Bachelor

Broken Top and Moraine Lake

Old Cascadia 50 Miler

Saturday I ran the Old Cascadia 50 Miler.  The course is a lollipop loop with the loop section of the course being about 30 miles.  I had been on most of the loop part of the course last year with my friend Cary, but had never been on the rest of the course.  That's a little surprising since the race is less than a couple hours from home and consists of some great trails and a lots of views of the surrounding Cascades.

Jacob and I headed up to Lava Lake Snowpark, where the race begins Friday night.  There was a pretty good crowd from Corvallis running the race so we were able to hang out with them for a couple hours before heading to bed.  Camping at the start was convenient since we were only a minute or two from the start line when we woke up.

In fact at 4:30 in the morning, the 4:30 alarm seemed like so much time to spare, Jacob and I opted to just sleep in until 5.  After all, the race didn't start until 6 and we could just about see the start line.  Well, what seemed like plenty of time at 4:30 was just enough time at 5:59 when we got to the start line.

Most of the Corvallis crew looking good about 20 seconds before the start

I ended up starting near the back of the pack which was totally fine because we started out on a paved road for the first mile.  As we made out way down the road I weaved my way between groups of runners until I caught up to Ryan Kaiser, Peder Anderson, and Nick Auyeung who were all running the 100 miler.  Nick is a local from Corvallis and Peder and Ryan I know from previous races so I spend a minute or two chatting with them.  All three are great guys so I was hoping that they'd all have a good day out on the trails.

Soon we hit a short section of gravel road that led us to the trail up Crescent Mountain.  The trail was flat for the first mile or so and even had a few slight downhills before it began gently switchbacking up the hillside.  As the climb continued the trail got a little steeper and the switchbacks a little shorter which allowed me to look back at some of the runners below me.  After a little bit more climbing, the trail headed into an open meadow which gave some great views of the surrounding hills.  After a few minutes in the meadow, we headed back into the trees for the final climb to the top of Crescent Mountain.  When I reached the top I had to stop for 15 or 20 seconds to just take in the view!

Heading back down the short out and back to the top of Crescent Mountain I passed a few runners making their way to the top before turning right and heading on toward the first aid station.  The downhill off the back side of Crescent Mountain was fairly gentle with a few rollers along the way.  I tried to run pretty easy during this section and just focused on enjoying the morning.  There were lots of rhododendrons and bear grass in bloom.

I reached the first aid station topped off my water bottles and headed on towards aid station 2.  From aid station 1 to 2 we mostly roll along next to a creek.  Most of the trail is gentle downhill so I was able to make good time here.  This was part of the course that I had been on before so it was fun to see how much of the trail I remembered.

Getting to the second aid station there is a short out and back so I was curious if I'd see anyone here.  I was pretty sure that there was one guy ahead of me because someone in yellow took off from the start.  However, when I climbed Crescent Mountain several miles earlier I didn't see anyone ahead of me on the short out and back to the top.  It was slightly dewey going up Crescent Mountain and it looked like one set of tracks ahead of me, but as I rolled into aid station 2 I wasn't totally sure if there was someone ahead of me or not.

Getting to aid station 2 I didn't see anyone ahead of me and after filling my bottle for the long section ahead.  I made it back to the main trail without seeing anyone coming up behind me either.  I find it kind of fun to keep track of where I am in a race, but it was so early on I wasn't concerned where I was in the pack.

The section from aid station 2 to 3 is about 11 miles and begins with some a few flat miles before a steady climb up to the next aid station.  I wasn't sure how long this section would take me so I made sure I had plenty of water leaving the 2nd aid station.  I was also thinking about the guys behind me who would likely take a bit longer on this section and therefore would need a bit more water than me.  Hopefully they brought enough water too.

After some gentle rollers the course crosses a small river and begins the climb up to aid station 3.  Last September I think I crossed the river without getting my feet wet, but there was a little more water in June so I just splashed across.  I was thinking that the cold water might feel a bit cool, but it was actually quite refreshing.  After splashing out of the creek I tried to see if there was wet footprints ahead of me.  I couldn't tell if there was someone ahead or not, but I was kind of curious.  I could have asked at the aid station, but that would take the fun out of figuring it out myself.

The trail gently climbs up from the river for less than a mile before turning into an old road.  I was excited to see this section because I didn't see it last September when I did the loop.  In September, Cary and I headed on a trail into the wilderness which added a few miles.  This section couldn't be used in the race since races aren't allowed in the wilderness.  Instead the race followed an old road which was covered in moss.  It was certainly the softest road I've ever been on and was actually pretty cool to see.  The climb up the road was gently and I was starting to feel pretty good at this point.

The road continued along at an easy grade and soon turned into a trail.  The trail continued along at a similar grade but with a few steeper pitches and a few more gentle pitches as would be expected from a trail.  I was feeling good and running felt easy so I just tried to maintain that feeling throughout the climb.  Occasionally I'd check my watch to make sure I was still eating frequently enough, but outside of that I was mostly just enjoying the big trees surrounding me.

Eventually the trail tied back into the section of trail that leads through the wilderness and I started to recognize a few section again.  The trail tied in closer to aid station 3 than I recalled.  In some regards this was good since there was less terrain to cover than I though, but we did miss a few cool spots.  Anyhow, we passed through one distinct meadow and soon crested the ridge near the 3rd aid station.  Upon cresting the ridge, the trees opened up and I was greeted with some awesome views of the Cascades!  I definitely remembered this section.  From there it was just another few minute before a short descent to aid station 3.  I cruised along the ridge and soon dropped into aid station 3 feeling good.

I filled up my bottle at aid station 3 and headed back to the ridge on the short out and back section.  I was just a few minutes up from the aid station and not quite back to the ridge when Ryan Kaiser, Taylor Spike, and another runner passed me on the way down.  I knew that at least Ryan was running the hundred and I felt like I was moving along pretty well so I was a little surprised to see a bunch guys just 5 minutes behind me.  That was okay though because I was feeling good and felt ready to run a strong second half of the race.

The course starts to get a little hillier after halfway which was definitely more to my liking.  There are a few short steeper climbs and a couple longer descents getting to the aid station at mile 30.  The climbs were feeling good and I was happy that I was having no trouble running all of them.  Plus the downhills were feeling good too!  My legs still felt nimble so I was able to cruise along the downhill pretty quickly.

I reached the mile 30 aid station feeling pretty good and saw Mom, Dad, and a few other folks from Corvallis there.  It was nice to see some people I knew.  They told me the leader was 3 minutes ahead.  It was nice to get some confirmation that there was someone up ahead.  Plus, 3 minutes isn't much and he had to have had at least 6 or 7 leaving the last aid station since there is a short out and back to the aid station and I didn't see anyone ahead of me.  I didn't spend long at the aid station and soon was back on the trail.

Jacob at the mile 30 aid station

There was a little downhill from the aid station, then some more climbing.  Both ups and downs were still feeling good and I felt like I was making good time.  Knowing that someone was not too far ahead gave me a little bit of excitement and I looked forward to trying to run them down.  I tried to keep a fairly even effort as I didn't want to push too hard to try and catch up since there was still a lot of race left.  Just as we were cresting a climb I saw a yellow shirt up ahead.  I managed to catch up at the top of the climb and take the lead on the proceeding downhill.

I felt good about taking the lead, but even better about the upcoming downhill.  My legs were feeling strong and the downhill was terrific section of trail.  Running down through the big trees felt amazing!  I was moving along well and I was a little surprised when soon I saw a gravel road below me because that probably meant another aid station.  Just a couple minutes later I reached the road and made my way into aid station 5.  I didn't realize how close the two aid station were, but was happy to be at aid station 5 none the less.

The next section of the course makes the climb up to the Three Pyramids.  Leaving the aid station there is a brief descent before the climb begins.  The descent went by quick and soon I settled into a steady uphill chug.  I had seen this section before and knew the trail was a pretty steady grade all the way up to the Pyramids.  At this point I was starting to work pretty hard but was happy that I was able to run all the uphills.  There are a few steeper switchback on the climb toward the Pyramids but I kept on pushing and made good time through those too.

After a long uphill grind there is a short out and back to the top of Middle Pyramid.  I hiked a short rocky section near the start of the out and back, and then started running again.  I was planning to hike again before the top, but the grade never got too steep so I was able to run the rest of the way up.  I took a few seconds to take in the view from the top and then started back down the way I came up.  The out and back is short so I was hoping that I wouldn't see anyone climbing up behind me.  When I reached the main trail again I hadn't seen anyone so I knew that I had at least 6 minutes on second place.

The descent off the Pyramids is a little rocky in sections which makes for a fun downhill.  My legs felt slightly stiff right as I left the top of the out and back, but after a minute or two of downhill they were feeling good again.  The rocky section was pretty fun, and although a bit slower than some of the soft single track we ran earlier, I still was moving pretty fast.  After the downhill the trail begins a rolling climb toward the last aid station.  This rolling section lasted quite a bit longer than I expected. I started to catch a few 20 mile runners in this section which was cool to see them out there, but I really just wanted to see the aid station.

I had been checking my watch a little bit because I thought I might have a chance to go under 8 hours.  That's why I was a little impatient to get to the last aid station since I knew I would be cutting it close.  When I finally rolled into the last aid station, I filled my bottles as quick as I could and took off.  It was 6:37 since I had started and leaving the aid station I saw a sign stating 9.4 miles to the finish.  Between me and the finish there was a pretty good climb up Crescent Mountain before the long downhill off the backside.

The climb up Crescent Mountain started out in big trees with a fairly easy grade.  I felt like I was moving along pretty well, but I knew that I'd need to run hard all the way to the finish to break 8 hours.  After some steady climbing the trail dips down through some more open terrain.  I made sure to run the downhill section fast, but did have time to glance up toward the top of Crescent Mountain.  It didn't seem too far off so that made me feel optimistic that I could get to the top quickly.

After the short descent the climb begins again.  There were a few short steeper switchback through the rhododendrons, but I was able to push hard through those and keep running.  There was some more steady climbing broken up by short steeper pitches before the trail leveled again.  I caught a glimpse of Crescent Mountain through the trees and realized it wasn't too far to the top.

After the slight downhill reprieve the trail climbs steadily a little ways from the ridge crest.  The climb here felt more steady and a bit steeper but that may just have been me getting a little tired.  I kept chugging along trying to positively identify some of the sections I ran in the morning on the way out.  A few spots looked familiar but I couldn't remember how far they were from the top.  After running up a particularly tough hill I picked my head up and realized I could see the top of the climb.  This gave me a boost of energy and in less than a minute I was running downhill!

The descent begins in the trees, but soon open up into a big meadow.  The meadow has some great views, but I was focused on getting off the mountain as quickly as I could.  I was moving fast so I didn't take me too long to drop through the meadow and back into the trees on the far side.  I did my best to run fast down the switchbacks, mentally checking off landmarks I recognized from the morning.  Running through the trees I passed a few 20 milers who very kindly stepped to the side to let me pass.

As the descent began to level off I started looking for the bridge we crossed in the morning.  After a few minutes of flat running I saw the bridge and soon was across it.  Another few minutes took me down a slightly rooty downhill which was the first landmark I picked out in the morning.  Between there and the road there was some slight rollers and a little bit of gentle uphill.

I ran through the rollers and the uphill excited to see the road, but every time I looked up to my right I didn't see anything that resembled a road up ahead.  As the minutes crept by I started to wonder where the road was.  I guess there were a lot more rollers than I remembered from the morning.

Eventually I caught sight of the road and made the last slight climb up the trail to reach it.  When I hit the gravel I didn't think I'd have enough time to get to the finish under 8.  But, it was a good downhill grade and I told myself to run hard to the pavement because the gravel road might be a bit shorter than I remembered.  After just a few winding turns in the road I saw the pavement ahead.  Looking at my watch I thought that I might still have just enough time to get in under 8 hours.  However, after pushing hard down the gravel road, and really since the last aid station, I had no intentions of backing off before the finish line regardless.  Best to see how fast I could go no matter what the clock says.

The pavement started out slightly uphill, but not as much of a grade as I remembered from the morning.  This was encouraging and soon the road started to crest and level off.  I kept running hard and around the next corner I started to see some cars parked along the road.  I knew that I was getting close and soon recognized my friend Cary's car.  He was parked a ways from the start, but I knew I was getting pretty close.  A minute later I passed my friend Peter's truck.  I was sure happy to see that since he was parked pretty close to the start.  I looked at my watch 7:58:30, I think I had it.  Just ahead I could see the cones taking me off the road and into a wider parking area were the finish line was set up.  My parents and a few friends from Corvallis started cheering as I approached and rounded the last turn.  The finish line was just ahead and as I looking at the clock I could see I had a little bit of time to spare.  I crossed the line in 7:59:29.

Dad cheering me on

Making the last turn

Done!

Gotta catch my breath now

Dude, still looks like I'm outa breath...what the heck?!

After finishing up, I got to hang out with some friends from Corvallis and a few other people I've meet through ultra running.  The finish line was pretty fun because you can see runners coming in from a couple minutes out.  I got to cheer in a lot of runners and was really pumped to see the Corvallis runners come in with some strong finishes!  I was especially pumped to see my brother finished up in 10:10!  He was thinking that he might be able to go under 11 hours so I'd say his finish time was really solid.  Just after Jacob finished, my friend Nick wrapped up loop 1, got some food water and extra clothes, and headed out for loop 2 of the hundred miler.  This was his first hundred miler and he managed to get it done in 24:54!

Hanging out at the finish was a blast, but so was the whole race!  Trevor and Janessa did a really great job putting on Old Cascadia this year so I plan to come back and race it again soon!  While they organized the race, I should also thank all the volunteers out there.  The aid stations were upbeat and helpful which definitely make the race a bit more enjoyable!  While I'm thanking people I should thank my sponsors SNB and Injinji.  As usual I wore Run Lightweight Crew socks and made sure to lube up with SNB beforehand.  To be honest, I didn't lube up as much as I would have liked due to a self imposed time crunch at the start.  However, everything that did get lubed up felt great.  I had a little chafing under my arms because I figured I could skip those to save time.  But that's one of the best parts about SNB, you can put it on chafed areas afterword and it helps healing and feels great!

Also I should thank my parents for being out there.  It was great to see them at mile 30 and definitely gave me a boost of energy.  But really I should thank them for being there every day.  Without Mom and Dad there's no way I'd be able to run like I did on Saturday.  Also, thanks to all my friends from Corvallis who were out there cheering me on.  Its always nice to see a familiar face out there.  And a special thank to Kristi Pote for taking such great pictures.  I think all but 3 of the pictures on this post are her's.

Jacob getting it done in 10:10!  Super solid since he was thinking about sub-11

The Miller crew the finish line

Jacob, Tony, and Peter...all three of these guys crushed it out there!