Roster:
-Mike Niemeyer
-Ryan Hatch
-Dorothy Brown-Kwaiser
-Dave Lee
Sherpa Jim Copenhaver (Jim hiked in with us to base camp and provided tele-photo support and helped carry ropes, is a massage therapist - great guy to have around.). The photos below include pictures shot through a birding scope from McKenzie pass by Dorothy's friend and fellow naturalist, Steve Shunk. You can see our team of 4 on the summit and ascending the steep pitch just below the summit. We protected that section with pickets and a running belay. Other climbers opted to solo it. It was very soft on the descent - I think the team appreciated having the anchors set. As we unroped at the base of this section on descent I sat on a boulder to take crampons off - when I stood up the boulder rolled straight at Dorothy. I can now vouch for her cat-like reflexes.
We had a very warm slog back to camp at 7,000ft where it was about 85 degrees. The hike out to the trailhead was hot and dusty and, just when the parking lot finally appeared and I was seconds away from a cooler of cold beverages we came across a German student taking surveys for the forest service. Dorothy was sympathetic to park management surveys so we were all obligated to fill the forms out. Time slowed down - I kept filling out a page and there would be another page of questions behind it. It was 95 degrees, I still had my pack on, the temperature inside my boots was 242 degrees and the survey asked me 156 questions about my wilderness experience. With the hopeful and eager graduate student smiling at us (thinking he had his thesis in the bag) I couldn't bear to write what I was really thinking "I found my experience at the trailhead better than being waterboarded but not as pleasant as a summer school calculus class." David then invited everyone over to his beautiful home near Sisters for dinner. A great end to the trip.
Schedule:
Saturday
7:15 AM -We met in Silverton at Mike's house to carpool
10:30 AM -Depart Pole Creek Spring Trail Head (5300’/0.0 miles)
11:10 AM -Green Lakes Trail junction (Tr 4070) (5900’/1.4 miles).
11:30 AM -Soap Creek ... Chambers Lakes Trail Jct.(Tr 4074) (5760’/1.9 miles)
12:30 PM -Climbers Trail junction (3.7 miles)
1:30 PM -Arrive at 6800’ camp on Squaw Creek below Hayden Glacier
Sunday3:30 AM -Wake up.
4:15 AM -Start climb.(Photo right shows Ryan on rope crossing the Hayden glacier)
9:15 AM -Arrive at summit. (10047')
9:30 AM -Depart summit.
12:30 PM -Arrive at 6800’ camp on Squaw Creek.
1:30 PM -Depart 6800’ camp on Squaw Creek.
4:15 PM -Arrive at Pole Creek Spring Trail Head (5300’).
5:15 PM -Arrive at David's wonderful house for post climb meal.
6:30 PM -Depart Sisters.
8:15 PM -Arrive in Silverton.
From Pre-climb prospectus
Driving directions: from the State Motorpool lot on Saturday Morning. Drive east on highway 22 to Sisters. from Sisters, 1.5 miles west on Hwy. 242, then 5.6 miles south on F.S. Rd. 15, then 5.3 miles south on F.S. Rd. 1524. Drivers: You will need a Northwest Forest pass to park at the trailhead.
Group Gear: The following will be distributed at the trailhead and redistributed periodically during the trip:
Emergencies: In addition to the personal gear and group gear (above) the leader will be carrying a SPOT satellite rescue beacon, GPS and cell phone (503-910-9726.) I will also be sending occasional satellite "check-in" messages to this blog during the trip. In the event of an emergency, I will send out a 911 signal from this device. Local Emergency Contacts: Emergency Contact Information: 911; Central Oregon Emergency Dispatch Center 541-416-6800; Deschutes National Forest, Sisters Ranger District: 541-549-7700. If the party is overdue my local (Salem area) contact is Jackie Niemeyer. She will communicate with the participant's families in the event of an accident.
NAVIGATION:
Here are links to route topos courtesy of the Mazamas: Middle Sister Route and Middle Sister approach
Left - just before I stood up and the boulder I was using for a chair rolled towards Dorothy.
