For those who don't know, this is the view (with Beloved, back in the 80s) from the top of South Sister. We're talking 10,300 feet. It's in our county; we have quite a bit of varied terrain hereabouts.
![[Aerial view towards north of the Three Sisters volcanoes in Oregon. Left to right, South Sister, Middle Sister, and North Sister. (Photograph by Lyn Topinka, September 1985.)]](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_vcQWuxNu9tgTUwl84o2_5iZMZpZUrujqIGcp8YWHuvr4Vo--GdksLyTZptrZrYVHpd8YvLGSvQlRniVdbqFRE8lxhUqeD3gGQIqcWkShMnDJVDRXan=s0-d)
Here's a longer view. Daunting, hmm? That's (left to right) South, Middle and North, hence the Three Sisters. So, we've been up this thing three times, it's what people around here do for fun. Not a technical climb, despite its looks; more a very strenuous walk. But Risa will be sixty-two and has struggled with weight this winter like never before. She's on it (ok, trying to be on it) about the food, but her usual exercise -- farming, a little biking, and light kayaking -- these help but they're not gonna lift her 4,300 feet (starting at 6,000 elev.) in a six hour hike (and five hours back).
So she's borrowed a pair of five pound ankle bags from her son and loaded eight liters of water into her rucksack, and is off to the river every day (when not sick). That's a three mile round trip.
She may tack on miles when it gets a little warmer out. We'll see.
I just love those mountains! Still, I was shocked when I almost got hypothermia hiking mid-summer in the Three Sisters Wilderness years (decades!) ago. And I'll never forget getting snowed on at Fort Rock on July 4th.
ReplyDeleteGet yourself ready for that hike, Risa; you won't want to miss it!
>hypothermia
ReplyDeleteYes, that can happen. I was there with a son in August once when a powerful storm moved in unexpectedly; we got through the night by keeping a fire going at the door of the tent, made mostly from bark pried off the undersides of logs. Same thing happened to the whole family in the Jefferson wilderness once. The high Cascades are meant to be taken seriously.
Wow! In your photo of the Three Sisters you can certainly tell they're volcanic from the flow in the foreground of the picture!
ReplyDeleteYou have a wonderful time, Dear Risa. I'll be cheering you from the sidelines and have hot cocoa ready for you - metaphorically speaking - when you two get done. It's not the hike, it's the possibility of storms, and COLD that make me sadly decline. There's a reason I was a firefighter for so long and I haven't considered moving back to N. MI where my family is...I like heat. :) Cold, not so much.
Bravo to you! Hope your discipline pays off. (I need to do something like that!)
ReplyDeleteThis is an exciting and excellent goal but whew, it makes me exhausted just thinking about it. :)
ReplyDeleteAppreciation for all the encouragements!
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