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The Three Sisters wilderness is a volcanic playground with 4 massive volcano’s within its boundaries and another within a few miles. Amar and I made our approach from the Pole Creek trail head where we would travel SW to camp lake situated between the Middle and South Sisters. Are objective for the day was to summit the Middle sister via the Southern ridge and descend down the SW face back to camp.



Image taken with the Sunnto x10

The approach to camp lake was a 1700 foot gain over a 5 mile traverse through dense forest with the occasional views of the sisters.

It doesn’t look like were skinning from the trail head this time

Photo by Amar Andalkar
After ¾ of a mile we ran into continuous snow

The occasional glimpse of the South Sister through the dense forest

Photo by Amar Andalkar
After around 4 miles the forest started giving way to alpine.

The East face of The Middle Sister (The Diller Headwall )

We made camp at the base of Camp Lake which was still under snowpack.

Once arriving at basecamp we ditched all of our overnight gear and took a much needed hour long break eating food and melting down water.

Then we made our approach towards the Middle Sister
Skinning away from basecamp with the South Sister in the distance

Photo by Amar Andalkar

Our ascent route up South ridge of The Middle Sister in the distance

Broken Top in the distance


Photos by Amar Andalkar

The snow on the South side was still semi frozen and getting steeper so we decided bootpacking would be more efficient.

Bootpacking towards the sun

Photo by Amar Andalkar
Amar bootpacking the ridge with Broken top and South Sister in the distance

Views of the North Sister started opening up once we got closer to the summit.

Photo by Amar Andalkar
The final 100 feet to the summit proper

Photo by Amar Andalkar
It looks like there were tracks from the day before going down the Diller Headwall

Photo by Amar Andalkar
Amar climbs to the summit proper

The last few steps to the summit with Broken Top, Bachelor and South Sister in the background

Photo by Amar Andalkar
A little bit of celebration on the summit

Photo by Amar Andalkar

And now for some views from the summit
Looking to the South with South Sister, Bachelor and Broken Top

Photo by Amar Andalkar
A closer look at Broken Top

Looking North at Washington, 3 Finger Jack and Jefferson

Looking East

Photo by Amar Andalkar
We originally intended on skiing back down our ascent route but it wasn’t continuous from the summit so Instead we rode down the SW face

Our decent route was down the middle of the face

Photo by Amar Andalkar
Riding down the ridge next to some tracks laid down the day before

Photo by Amar Andalkar
Amar enters the chute first


Then I drop in


Photos by Amar Andalkar
After an 1800 vert perfect fall line we started heading east towards our camp site


Photos by Amar Andalkar
At camp we rested watched the sunset over South Sister

Photo by Amar Andalkar
Sunset alpenglow on the NW face of South Sister


Our totals for the day
Ascent: 5250 ft
Decent: 3600 ft
Total Distance was over 9 miles

crikey! dirty sensor~!