1996 Pacific Northwest Trip

Sunday, July 7, 1996

I left Waldo Lake headed for Bend, OR. I stopped back at Salt Creek Falls hoping for better lighting. The weather was great but the falls was still in shadow.

I took the 3 mile round trip hike over to Diamond Creek Falls which was a nice walk and the falls was in the sun. From the falls I headed for Bend, OR.

Diamond Creek Falls near Salt Creek Falls, second highest in Oregon 500+ feet,
highway 58, Oregon

Monday, July 8, 1996

After doing laundry, groceries, etc. in Bend, drove on the Cascade Lakes Highway up to the south end of the Three Sisters Wilderness.

WOW, what landmarks.

Dinked around on the highway and then found a campground for the night.

Mt. Bachelor on Cascade Lakes Highway, Oregon

Three Sisters peaks and Brokentop Peak from near Mt. Bachelor near Bend, Oregon,
Cascade Lakes Highway

Brokentop Peak from near Mt. Bachelor near Bend, Oregon, Cascade Lakes Highway

Mt. Bachelor over Elk Lake on Cascade Lakes Highway near Bend, Oregon

Tuesday, July 9, 1996

Drove to the Green Lakes trailhead and met a volunteer named Les Joslin from Bend, retired naval officer, part time teacher in geography and wilderness at local junior college, wife is botanist for the U.S. Forest Service. During the summer he volunteers to staff a kiosk at this trailhead nine hours a day.

The trail has been designated the best hiking trail in Oregon by Outside Magazine and others. As a result of the Outside Magazine publicity, Les had over 250 people visit his kiosk on July 5.

I took the 8.5 mile round trip hike up to the lakes. OUTSTANDING hike. Starts along a large creek with waterfalls and cascades - reminds me of places like Bubbs Creek in Kings Canyon. Views of South Sister and Broken Top.

About a mile or so in, snow patches started showing up in the trail. These got progressively larger until at the lakes, at about 6500', the coverage was almost 100 percent. It was very interesting finding the trail - very beautiful hike. Probably best in mid-July while some snow still around.

The high country here is still snowed in which limits a little the places to go. Les gave me some suggestions for views.

One problem, a fire is burning in the Mt. Jefferson Wilderness that sort of messes up the visibility.

BrokenTop Mountain and Three Sisters from Highway 20 near Sisters, Oregon

First falls on Green Lake Trail off Cascade Lakes Highway, Three Sisters Wilderness

Cascade on Falls Creek, Green Lake trail off Cascade Lakes Highway,
Three Sisters Wilderness

Falls Creek along Green Lake trail, Three Sisters Wilderness

South Sister over Falls Creek along Green Lake trail, Three Sisters Wilderness

Falls Creek below Green Lake - Obsidian Moraine - along Green Lake trail,
Three Sisters Wilderness

BrokenTop Mountain from Green Lakes, Three Sisters Wilderness

Green Lake in Three Sisters Wilderness

South Sister Peak in Three Sisters Wilderness

Wednesday, July 10, 1996

I drove to Sisters, then over the McKenzie Pass highway - very historic route and the interesting Dee Wright Observatory at the top. Built of lava rocks the shelter has "gun sight" holes aimed at all the various peaks visible from the area with a legend identifying the peak.

Great views plus an interesting "walk" on the "Lava River Trail" explaining some of the volcanic flows in the area, estimated only 2500 years old.

Drove down the west side on the McKenzie highway - very pretty drive through the forest, then up the McKenzie River and over Santiam Pass back to the Sisters, OR area and a campground.

McKenzie Pass-Santiam Pass Scenic Byway map

Mt. Washington from Windy Point on McKenzie Highway near Sisters, Oregon

Middle and North Sister from McKenzie Pass 5325',
McKenzie Highway near Sisters, Oregon

Mt. Wshington from McKenzie Pass 5325', McKenzie Highway near Sisters, Oregon

Mt. Jefferson (smoke from fire) from McKenzie Pass 5325',
McKenzie Highway near Sisters, Oregon

Mt. Washington and Mt. Jefferson (smoke from fire) from McKenzie Pass 5325',
McKenzie Highway near Sisters, Oregon

Dee Wright Observatory on McKenzie Pass 5325', McKenzie Highway near Sisters, Oregon

Thursday, July 11, 1996

I did four mile round trip hike up Black Butte near Sisters. At the time of my visit it had three fire lookouts on it. One, built 1910, one built 1922, one built 1995 (NOTE: There seems to be discrepancies in literature about these dates). Outstanding views of central Oregon except the forest fire kind of mucked things up. Still good views of the Sisters, Mt. Washington, Mt. Jefferson, Mt. Hood.

Surprising number of people on the trail. Must have been a dozen cars at the parking lot. Best time to go is early morning while the trail is cool.

Black Butte is an extinct stratovolcano on the eastern side of Oregon's Cascade crest with huge views of the chain of Cascade volcanoes in central Oregon.

Its nearly perfectly symmetrical cone makes it easily recognizable throughout the Bend area, its position east of the crest gives it a sunnier position and allows the trail to melt out early relative to other areas of similar elevation, and its offset location from the main chain of volcanoes gives a unique vantage point up and down the range.

As the road to the trailhead takes visitors to just shy of 4900 feet, this is a relatively easy hike to reach the summit of a prominent 6436-foot tall volcano.

2019 NOTE: The 'cabin' shown below has been removed by the Forest Service. Apparently only the original lookout shown here remains of the historic structures and a new tower lookout has been constructed.

Historic lookout cabin on Black Butte near Sisters, Oregon
(about 2016 has been removed by Forest Service)

2010 lookout, original oldest of three lookouts on Black Butte near Sisters, Oregon

Three Finger Jack peak from Black Butte Lookout near Sisters, Oregon

1910 Fire Lookout on Black Butte looking toward North Three Sister

1922 Fire Lookout on Black Butte near Sisters, Oregon
(about 2018 replaced by new tower)

Mt. Jefferson (forest fire smoke) and Mt. Hood (right) from Black Butte Lookout
near Sisters, Oregon

Mt. Jefferson (forest fire smoke) from Black Butte Lookout near Sisters, Oregon

Mt. Hood (forest fire smoke) from Black Butte Lookout near Sisters, Oregon

Mt. Washington from Black Butte Lookout near Sisters, Oregon

BrokenTop Mountain and Three Sisters from Black Butte Lookout near Sisters, Oregon

Two of the Three Sisters from Black Butte Lookout near Sisters, Oregon

Chipmunk on Black Butte Lookout near Sisters, Oregon

Camped at Three Creek Lake which still has snow on the ground in one of the campgrounds and lots of snow on the nearby ridge.

Friday, July 12, 1996

Laid around at Three Creek Lake and read a book.

Saturday, July 13, 1996

Hiked up on the Tam McArthur Rim Trail into the Three Sisters Wilderness. About six miles round trip. Lots of snow on the upper part of the trail which was around 7500 feet. Views kind of messed up by the general layer of smog that the Mt. Jefferson forest fire has covered the state with.

Three Creek Lake and Tam McArthur Rim on the edge of
Three Sisters Wilderness near Sisters, Oregon

Mt. Jefferson and Mt. Hood over Three Creek Lakefrom Tam McArthur Rim
in Three Sisters Wilderness near Sisters, Oregon (fire smoke)

Tam McArthur Rim and North Sister in Three Sisters Wilderness near Sisters, Oregon

Mt. Jefferson and Mt. Hood over Little Three Creek Lake from the Tam McArthur Rim
in Three Sisters Wilderness near Sisters, Oregon (fire smoke)