Edit: I forgot to mention that this was hiked on the first week of July. The snow has mostly melted away, all the way to Yapoah Crater according to -Q-.
Opening Image:
It was a wonderful sunny day when we started the hike. The mosquitoes were really bad up until we reached South Mattieu Lake, and disappeared when we got into the lava flows. The wind kept them away for us!
This was my first time hiking south of the Olallie Lake Scenic Area, and the scenery was definitely impressive! We started at the Lava Camp Trailhead:
And entered the Three Sisters Wilderness:
The trail started out through beautiful forest:
Soon we came to a junction with the Pacific Crest Trail. It goes both ways from here; we headed left.
There were a few blowdowns along the trail too:
We passed numerous small ponds like this one here. The mosquitos were really bad around these ponds, so I had to take the picture and run
We passed this nice, small meadow before reaching North Mattieu Lake:
North Mattieu Lake was very nice:
The wind started to pick up, and helped to keep the mosquitoes away. Also, the sunny weather we had earlier soon became intermittent clouds and sun.
Not long after North Mattieu, we reached South Mattieu Lake:
South Mattieu Lake:
The craggy north face of North Sister looming above South Matttieu Lake:
After leaving the lake, we rejoined the PCT which traveled alongside the lava flow for a ways:
Trail over the snow:
We encountered this weird hole in the snow that somehow melted out faster than the snow around it:
The trail entered the lava flow here:
Lava Flows above South Mattieu Lake:
Mount Washington viewed through the trees:
North Sister looming above the lava:
The PCT traversing the lava:
Mount Washington, at 7,795':
View from left to right: Mount Washington, Three Fingered Jack, Mount Jefferson, Mount Hood, and Black Crater Peak:
There were regular intermittent snow patches along the trail, but it was pretty easy to follow nevertheless.
We stopped here, about .8 miles from South Mattieu Lake, because we encountered a 10' snow cornice blocking the trail. We were concerned about the snow caving in if we crossed, so we decided to just stop here. I climbed up to that rocky knob on the left side of this photo for better views. It must have been at least 10 feet above the snowfields below, enough to get a better view of the surroundings:
Mount Jefferson and that unnamed? hill above South Mattieu Lake:
North Sister view:
Yapoah Crater, our intended destination:
Mount Jefferson, Mount Hood (middle), and the butte above South Mattieu Lake:
And once again, Fluttershy at the Three Sisters Wilderness! It has been ponified! Next, the world!
A panorama shot with my iPhone:
Higher resolution: http://www.panoramio.com/photo_explorer ... er=7473456
And after spending some time here soaking in the views, we headed back down the trail where we came. Here is a shot I got of a silhouetted tree:
South Mattieu Lake again, but this time with more sun and blue sky!
On our way back to our campground, I took these pictures of the sunset at McKenzie Pass:
North Sister and Middle Sister:
Black Crater from McKenzie Pass. I really want to do the hike up to its summit... perhaps next time I head down here.
Sunset:
. It's got a nice ring to it.
Maybe I should try it again, or wait until next year... so many hikes to do in such little time before the snow comes in!