South Sister cross country circumnavigation in late summer

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A cross country circumnavigation of South Sister in late summer with friends

Heading north east across Wikiup Plain. The double track is made by folks keeping their feet dry in the spring.

Members of CORK on a 15 miler along the PCT.

Our packs weighed in at about 25 pounds with food and water to the next source.
Copyright© 2004 by Jeanne Russell. All Rights Reserved.

We found great water at Mesa Creek on the PCT. None before.

We will climb up and over this saddle and bivy at Chambers Lakes. Middle Sister on the left.

The north west top of South Sister, a very dangerous place!

The Three Brothers. Not a nice climb from the north east.

Bob, using the Pur Hiker filter and one ounce Platypus, one liter bags at the hidden lake near Separation Creek.
Copyright© 2004 by Jeanne Russell. All Rights Reserved.

Three stalwarts who were running part of our route in one looong day. We showed them the climber's trail above the creek bed.

We camped above the first Chambers Lake and filtered water from the grey glacier melt.

I packed so light and fast, I forgot my coffee cup :-( I had to drink the Kailua right out of the little Platypus.
The small propane bottle would not work after a cold night out. I should have put it in my bivy. We had a second stove, of course.

Jim and Jeanne in the morning sun.

Middle Sister.

South Sister.

The second Chambers Lake.

We met these folks packing 70 to 90 pounds just below the final ridge before Camp Lake.
Copyright© 2004 by Jeanne Russell. All Rights Reserved.

Camp Lake. A nice destination from Pole Creek Trail Head to the north east.
Copyright© 2004 by Jeanne Russell. All Rights Reserved.

A huge rock release from the east side of South Sister, from Camp Lake.

Our next destination is the top of the middle ridge.

Reed College students pose for a group picture. (Contact me and I will email a larger file.)

A view west of our route to Camp Lake. Middle Sister can be climbed from the ridge.

Middle and North Sister bracketing the Hayden Glacier.

An overview of our route. We made our way behind this ridge this time. We should have gained the ridge at the saddle
or beyond and walked down the ridge toward the saddle to the right of Broken Top.

Just before the cliffs. We went straight.

View from the top of the cliff band. We stayed high to the right and walked to the Green Lakes trail.

The top four feet of the 100 foot cliff band. We made our way down the steep
and loose slope to the right, looking back.

The ramp in the center of this photo provides an reasonable way up or down the cliff band.

Looking west across the moraines at the craggy side of South Sister.

Another view of South Sister from the east.

Our Broken Top Circle joined this north west ridge at the far side of the red rib.
Our original goal had been to cross at the far low-point. The route to the summit follows the knife edge ridge
to a 5.1 crack and an aerie out-sloping ramp to the summit block. Read more.