The Sisters Lasso

August 17–20, 2018
4 days | 52.6 miles | 8,686 vertical feet

Stared up at them for two years. Saw them from various peaks and vantage points on all sides but the southwest. Now it was time to circumnavigate the Three Sisters. Counterclockwise over four days, starting and ending at the Green Lakes trailhead. Not a lollipop loop in my book because the duplicated stem was pretty short compared to the rest of the route. Let’s call it a lasso.

Clear skies on our way up Fall Creek, winding through the hemlocks and admiring the waterfalls that string out along the trail. We made it up to the Green Lakes for an early lunch in the shade. It’s such a different view of South Sister from down there, with no angle to the summit. Looks like a different mountain altogether.

At the low pass above the lakes, we left the trail for the rest of the day. Our route angled cross-country to the northwest, traversing the terrain beneath the Prouty Glacier. We crossed the streams that drain the ice, listening to hidden cobblestones rolling in the current as the water tries to tear the mountain down. The views of Broken Top were grand, and we had it all to ourselves.

In hindsight, I wish I’d scrambled up to Carver Lake. Save it for another time, I guess. Instead, the next lakes we reached were two of the glimmering blue pools that make up the Chambers Lakes. Dad had done some stretches of the AT lately with his brother-in-law, and we commented on the differences between the backpacking experiences. On the AT, you’re walking through lush, humid forests where water is omnipresent… except along the trail for long stretches since you’re walking ridge lines. Here in the arid lands above timberline in the Cascades, we were kicking up dust and rocks with every step but never strayed far from a stream or a lake.