North Sister, NW Ridge
August 26-27, 2006
The group met at SEHS on Saturday at 9 a.m. and drove to the Scott Trail, with an obligatory stop at Harbick’s for chicken-on-a-stick. We hiked to Minnie Scott Spring and set up camp nearby. The temperature was moderate, and the skies clear except for much smoke to the north from the “Lake George” and “Puzzle Creek” fires. After setting up camp, Chance and I climbed the north side Little Brother, a route not to be recommended as it’s a steep scree slope.
We left camp at 4:35 a.m. Sunday under a clear, moonless sky. I used a GPS track I’d made a week before to get us through the maze of pits in the cinder desert east of Collier Cone. Once on the ridge the most difficult obstacle proved to the the section from the last gendarme to about mid-way below the Glisan Pinnacle, where the footing was sketchy at best and the ability to protect nonexistent.
Two ropes were used to protect the traverse around the Prouty, then the second rope was pulled and used to protect the ascent of the Bowling Alley. All five were on the summit by 2 p.m., where we rested, basked in the sun, and enjoyed the view.
We returned via the same route we had climbed, and were all back at our camp at Minnie Scott Spring by 7:30 p.m. After packing up gear and tents, we hiked back to the cars under starlight. All were safely back in town by 1 a.m. Monday morning, after a very long day.
Members: Amber Bell, Wayne Deeter (leader), Chance Fitzpatrick, Miles Hollander and Ron Unger.
North Sister from Little Brother. (photo by Wayne Deeter)
Belknap Crater, Mt. Washington, Three Fingered Jack, Mt. Jefferson. Smoke from
the “Lake George” fire between Belknap and Washington. (photo by
Chance Fitzpatrick)
Crevasses on the Collier Glacier from Little Brother. (photo by
Wayne Deeter)
Wayne and Chance on the north ridge, Linn Glacier in the background. (photo
by Chance Fitzpatrick)
Miles on the ridge just before the last gendarme. (photo by Miles
Hollander)
Wayne setting up the anchor for the fixed line around the base of the north horn,
Miles with one of the ropes. (photo
by Chance Fitzpatrick)
Ron and Chance in the notch below the north horn. (photo by Wayne
Deeter)
Ron, Amber and Wayne above the “Bowling Alley”. (photo
by Chance Fitzpatrick)
View from the south horn; Broken Top, Bachelor Butte, South Sister. (photo
by Miles Hollander)
Climbing the north horn. (photo by Miles Hollander)
Amber returns across the north Dinner Plate; Ron and Chance wait for their turns.
(photo by Wayne Deeter)
The “Bowling Alley” (photo by Wayne Deeter)
North “Dinner Plate”. (photo by Chance Fitzpatrick)
Middle Sister from the notch. (photo by Wayne Deeter)
Talus covered ledge around the north horn (photo by Chance
Fitzpatrick)
Finishing the return across nasty traverse from between the last gendarme and
the middle of the Glisan. (photo by Chance Fitzpatrick)