Week-end awesomeness: Sisters, OR

A little background: Week-end awesomeness was enabled by new friends Tracey and Bill who astonishingly opened up their home to me while I was visiting Central Oregon. Sadly (for me), they were off camping for the week-end, so I didn't get to hang out with them much past dinner on Friday night. But, I will be going to visit them and Sisters again soon because, as I found out, the hiking and MTBing in this kitschy town that the hardcore adventurers usually pass through on their way to Bend (me included), is in fact a hidden mecca of camping, hiking, and riding (they even have a bike shop). So, my original plan of hiking the South Sister and MTBing the North Fork in Bend (impossible until Aug. 15 anyway), utterly changed in favor of less traffic-y, but no less epic, Sisters-area adventure.

Stage 1: Three-Fingered Jack Hike

The mountain as seen from Canyon Creek Meadows.

Because I was a short drive from the trail-head (so I thought), I got up a little late, taking my time with my blueberry oatmeal and watching the most tired people in the world ride their bikes up Mont Ventoux. When I finally did get started, it was around 9 am and already promising to be a scorcher... good thing I was heading for higher climbs!

I took a few wrong turns in the woods (revealing my utter disdain for following directions... to be fair though, all the roads have names like 1232 and 1230 and 1234, and they all look the same). I finally found myself at the primitive campground beside Jack's Lake and at the trail junction that included Canyon Creek Meadows. After begging bug spray off of an obliging couple camping beside the lake... I motored out. My long legs ate up the trail, passing people who managed to get to the trail before me. I'm also kind of a silent walker, nearly causing one woman to keel over when I announced my presence so close to her. She politely asked that I wear bear bells to warn other hikers... hah!

Looking the other way in the Meadow

About 2 miles in, I encountered the Meadows (pictured above). The picture doesn't do it justice... a stream babbles through the meadows and thousands of butterflies dance among the purple, orange, and yellow flowers. I pushed on, through the trees to come out on the tree-less shoulder of Jack. Here, I encountered four glaciers, an unforgiving gravel scramble to a bumper of sorts, a mountain lake, and the incredible views in all directions, including the snow-capped peaks of Mt. Jefferson, the three Sisters, Broken Top, and the wonderful high desert forests surrounding Bend and Sisters, OR.

I played around at the top bouldering like a 7-yr old on a playground until I encountered an actual 7-yr. old. He belonged to a posse of two dads and four kids that had spent the night in the Meadow on their first overnight backpacking trip ever. We chatted about the hike, the scenery, what I was doing up there (also if I hiked with band-aids/mole-skin, etc... not this time), and also the meals that they planned on cooking while up there. I told them about my hiking trip-essential frozen peanut butter and jelly sandwich that was the perfect melty-ness by the time I was ready to eat it. Also, suggested a few easy to hike/prepare meals (burritos, eggs in a Nalgene).

Time to head down... There was a snow-field that looked as if it were the perfect pitch for a butt-sled. And would cut 150 yds (distance, not vertical) off our descent. Never would have done this if I were alone... but these guys (Jake and Dirk) seemed enterprising and ready for some fun, so I sneakily suggested that this might be a fun way to get down. I must have looked smart or responsible because Jake asked me if I would let my kids (!) try it. In all reality and really, I would have. Two words... Cold! and Wahoo! My butt did get a little soggy, but it was dry in minutes in the dry mountain air and, at least for a bit, provided some nice air conditioning.

The hike back to the car was uneventful. I took a sightly different way home, heading on a connector to Wasco lake before cutting back through a burn. This was by far the less traveled way to reach the Meadows and I was glad I had taken in when I saw the number of cars at the parking area when I got back.... I leap-frogged about 20 people, at least!

The rode less-traveled went through a very silent burned section of trail... gave me pause.

If you do this hike... start earlier than I did... 8:00 am would have been ideal. No need for a 4-wheel drive vehicle to get to the trail-head. Also, DO NOT FORGET BUG SPRAY! Also a good idea to charge your camera batteries (notice all my pics are from the iPhone). Lastly, the best time to do this hike is late July early August... and early and you will encounter a lot of snow on the trail (I only encountered a little). Any later and the flowers will be gone. Have fun!

Stay-tuned for part 2 of week-end awesomeness!