Success on South Sister

My first Chemeketan climb of the year is in the books.  Our four man team reached the summit of South Sister in perfect conditions.

See my full trip report here:  South Sister Trip Report

South Sister Trip Report

After a year on the shelf, it feels good to be back in the mountains.  The fresh air, the smell of alpine flora, the sounds of the various critters -- it's like heaven on earth.  All I can say is, "It's about time."

South Sister 10,358'

On August 10th, Aaron Smith, Dylan Petrie, Randy Solansky and I graced the summit of South Sister, the third highest peak in Oregon.  For Randy and Dylan, it was their first successful ascent of any mountain.  For Aaron, it was his second summit of what he hopes is a successful run towards achieving the Chemeketans "18 Peaks Award."  For me, it was confirmation that this ol' body of mine still has some juice left.

Given that the summit is over six miles and 5,000' of elevation from the trailhead, we decided it would be more fun to make this a multi-day climb.  We hiked in the afternoon of the first day and set up camp at Moraine Lake.  You can't actually camp on the lake.  Rather, you choose one of the few designated camping areas ~300' above - and overlooking - the lake.  This is a very popular backpacking area, but on this weekday we had the camp to ourselves.

Randy and Dylan from our campsite

The first evening we hiked down to the lake and filtered water, although given the late season snow melt this was an unnecessary precaution.  Regardless, there's nothing like the purity and taste of fresh glacier water and after all, it's all part of the experience.

Dylan filters while Broken Top looks on

After finishing dinner and prepping our gear, the four of us played several hands of "Wen's game", a card game that's normally easy to learn but difficult to master.  Unfortunately, it didn't take the college kids long before they were kicking the old fart's butts.   We hit the hay around 10:00pm, as 5:30am comes awfully early for young-ins used to getting up at noon ;-)

The morning was crisp and clear.  Much of the trail was still snow covered, and with overnight temps in the 30's, it wasn't forgiving. We made our way across the plateau and it wasn't until our first break - nearly an hour after leaving camp - that we ran into our first human.  Note to self -- if you're going to lead popular climbing routes, do it mid-week!

Aaron enjoying the solitude we all shared

By the time we reached the crater rim, a few more climbers had appeared.  The thing I like about South Sister is that there's more than enough mountain for everyone.  The thing I like about reaching the crater rim is that all the hard work is done!

Dylan feeling strong at the crater rim

We regrouped and made our way over to the summit.  The sky was perfectly clear.  We could see all the way from Mt Adams up north down to Mt Shasta in the south, including all the mountains in between.  With temps in the mid-50's and a gentle breeze, it's no wonder we spent over an hour relaxing on the summit!

Posing for the paparazzi

.... and just for good measure:

This one was long overdue

Unfortunately, the real world awaited us.  We took a quick trip to the other side of the crater to check out the NW ridge, snapped a few more photos, and reluctantly headed down.

Aaron taking one last look before our descent

We're out!

For additional trip photos, click here:  John's Webshots

Thanks for the visit!  ~John

2011 Climb Schedule - First Climb

Better late than never!  Hopefully a window in the weather will match the window in my work schedule.  This first one is always fun, and boasts one of the best summit views in Oregon.

Enjoying a perfect summit with Glo & Rick

For additional details, click here:  Climb Schedule 2011

Enjoy the summer and we'll see you on the trail!

Climb Schedule 2011

Chemeketan Climb Schedule (scroll down for details):

1. South Sister - August 9-10, 2011
2. Mount St Helens - Sept 6-7, 2011
3. TBD


1. South Sister, South Side, August 9-10, 2011

South Sister from just above Moraine Lake

This climb is where opportunity and desire meet. I have to be in Bend on business the week of this climb (opportunity), and I've been asked to help a few new climbers get their first ascent (desire). Given that I'm coming off an injury that has had me on the climbing shelf for over a year, it seems like just the right time to dust off the ol' boots and hit the trail.

If you find yourself in Central Oregon next week and want a fun two-day climbing adventure, this climb could be for you.  Although most climb South Sister in a long day this time of year, we plan to take an extra day and enjoy a greater climbing experience. We'll set our base camp above treeline near Moraine Lake. The next day we're up, down, and out.  Is there a better way to spend a work day? Download and print details here:    (Prospectus)

Current Climb Team:

1.  John Petrie, Leader 

2.  Aaron Smith 
3.  Dylan Petrie 
4.  Randy Solansky 
5.  
6.  

Additional South Sister Recon:

South Sister Weather - NOAA Pinpoint 
Route description - Summit Post 
Additional Info - USFS Climbing Page




2. Mount St Helens, Monitor Ridge, September 6-7, 2011

Mount St Helens, 1980

With any luck at all, we'll face better conditions than this!  Where were YOU when Mount St Helens blew?  It's been over 30 years, and if you've ever wondered how the areas is recovering, this is your chance to find out first hand.  This climb offers something that very few people will see in their lifetime - the chance to personally witness a mountain in the midst of rebuilding itself.


We plan to head up Tuesday afternoon and spend the night at the climber's bivouac.  Our plan is to get up early Wednesday morning, summit, and return the same day.  I was able to secure five permits for this climb, but others may be available on the secondary market here: Cascade Climbers Permit Exchange  Download and print details here:  (Climb Prospectus)

Current Climb Team (alternates on file):

1.  John Petrie, Leader 

2.  Gloria Petrie, Assistant Leader 

3.  Dylan Petrie 

4.  Rick Slezak 

5.  Aaron Smith

Additional Mount St Helens Recon:

St Helens Weather - NOAA Pinpoint

Route description - Summit Post 

Additional Info - USFS Climbing Page

....