Obsidian Loop
Date - 10/25/2008
Length - 12 miles
Location - Oregon Cascades near
McKenzie Pass
Date - 10/25/2008
Length - 12 miles
Location - Oregon Cascades near
McKenzie Pass
Good weather held strong throughout the majority of October this and I
was excited to take advantage of that by heading into the mountains for
the third weekend in a row. While the high alpine meadows of the Three
Sisters Wilderness are only about sixty miles from Eugene, heavy
snows and almost perpetual winter storms block easy access for seven
to nine months of the year. No major accumulating snow had yet hit the
mountains this season and Michelle and I decided to hike the twelve
mile Obsidian Loop this Saturday. I had walked almost all of this loop
when accessing climbs of the Middle Sister, but I had never taken the
time to enjoy the views found lower on the trail.
The temperature was hanging in the high thirties when we arrived at the
trailhead, but the day quickly warmed and we found ourselves shedding
layers. Although the sun was warm, snow lingered in the shade and
rested to a depth of several inches in many of the valleys and behind
shady ridges. The trail was in great shape, not wet, but not powdery
and dusty as it is for most of the summer. Michelle and I managed to
cover the first three miles or so in about an hour and when we reached
the open lava field the day was warm and the North and Middle Sister
loomed large above us. From here on out the rest of the hike would
take us through open meadows and past many alpine features.
was excited to take advantage of that by heading into the mountains for
the third weekend in a row. While the high alpine meadows of the Three
Sisters Wilderness are only about sixty miles from Eugene, heavy
snows and almost perpetual winter storms block easy access for seven
to nine months of the year. No major accumulating snow had yet hit the
mountains this season and Michelle and I decided to hike the twelve
mile Obsidian Loop this Saturday. I had walked almost all of this loop
when accessing climbs of the Middle Sister, but I had never taken the
time to enjoy the views found lower on the trail.
The temperature was hanging in the high thirties when we arrived at the
trailhead, but the day quickly warmed and we found ourselves shedding
layers. Although the sun was warm, snow lingered in the shade and
rested to a depth of several inches in many of the valleys and behind
shady ridges. The trail was in great shape, not wet, but not powdery
and dusty as it is for most of the summer. Michelle and I managed to
cover the first three miles or so in about an hour and when we reached
the open lava field the day was warm and the North and Middle Sister
loomed large above us. From here on out the rest of the hike would
take us through open meadows and past many alpine features.
After having a snack and resting at the base of the lava flow we continued out to cross the
blocky, rough rock of the flow, which spilled down the sides of these mountains several
thousand years ago. The landscape here is nearly lunar, and it amazes me that tress have
managed to grow from the rugged jumbles of hardened lava rock. For its part, the trail
manages to traverse through this rugged landscape without many steep ups or downs and
soon we found ourselves on the opposite side in a hidden little meadow enclosed by the
hundred foot high lava flow on one side and a tall cliff on the other.
At the next trail junction our loop started and we headed off to the right to take advantage of
the easier grades of the Obsidian Trail. The path generally keeps easy grades, but steadily
climbs for about half a mile as it leaves the lava flow. At the top of this grade the next mile
leads through alpine meadows of varying sizes with views of the major peaks in the area,
pristine streams, and open stands of stunted old growth evergreens that sometimes seem
thicker than they are tall. We made great time through this section and stopped often to enjoy
the sights and to take pictures. In many places these meadows are littered with shards of shiny
obsidian, for which the trail is names. Obsidian is volcanic glass that forms when magma cools
extremely fast under particular conditions. The rock is remarkably glass like and breaks into
jagged edges that can be razor sharp.
blocky, rough rock of the flow, which spilled down the sides of these mountains several
thousand years ago. The landscape here is nearly lunar, and it amazes me that tress have
managed to grow from the rugged jumbles of hardened lava rock. For its part, the trail
manages to traverse through this rugged landscape without many steep ups or downs and
soon we found ourselves on the opposite side in a hidden little meadow enclosed by the
hundred foot high lava flow on one side and a tall cliff on the other.
At the next trail junction our loop started and we headed off to the right to take advantage of
the easier grades of the Obsidian Trail. The path generally keeps easy grades, but steadily
climbs for about half a mile as it leaves the lava flow. At the top of this grade the next mile
leads through alpine meadows of varying sizes with views of the major peaks in the area,
pristine streams, and open stands of stunted old growth evergreens that sometimes seem
thicker than they are tall. We made great time through this section and stopped often to enjoy
the sights and to take pictures. In many places these meadows are littered with shards of shiny
obsidian, for which the trail is names. Obsidian is volcanic glass that forms when magma cools
extremely fast under particular conditions. The rock is remarkably glass like and breaks into
jagged edges that can be razor sharp.
Obsidian is not particularly common and the vast stores of it in this area attracted native
Americans for thousands of years. The volcanic glass s readily shaped into arrowheads and
tools of all kinds. In fact, this area was of such importance to the natives that even warring
tribes came here to gather the precious material and agreed to tolerate each others presence.
The material's importance is farther seen by the fact that Obsidian tools with material
originating from the Obsidian Cliffs on the flanks of Middle Sister have been found as far away
as the great plains.
Our next snack stop came at a picturesque babbling brook flowing through an alpine meadow.
As we were snacking away and Middie was drinking from the stream, I noticed what looked like
a set of deer antlers about a hundred feet away in the meadow. I walked over to check it out
and I found the upper half of a small deer skull with a nice set of antlers attached. Initially I
wanted to keep the antlers, but they were still in velvet and the unmistakable smell of rot faintly
came from the find. I was still thinking about taking the antlers to clean up at home, but then i
spotted the deers leg a few yards away from the antlers. A fair bit of flesh remained on the leg.
Things started to add up and then I remembered the cougar tracks I had seen while climbing
the Renfrew Glacier higher up on the flanks of Middle Sister last weekend. The stride of the
tracks that I saw was almost triple that of my dogs. I put down the antlers and suggested to
Michelle that we leave the area. The thought of playing with the remains of a hundred and fifty
pound cats dinner was not all that appealing. While we never found and direct evidence to
suggest that this was a cougar kill, there was a strong possibility and we didn't feel like
upsetting one of these normally reclusive creatures.
We found ourselves looking back over our shoulders for the next few minutes, but I knew that
even if a mountain lion were following us the chances of spotting it were slim to none. Soon we
reached the junction with the Pacific Crest Trail and followed its gentle grades past Obsidian
Falls and to an amazing open meadow at Sisters Spring. Here an entire stream emerges from
sprigs at the base of a huge cliff. The sun warmed the quiet meadow and Michelle and I
enjoyed the idyllic setting while taking pictures. The glacier clad Middle Sister rose above the
meadow and no one else could be seen.
After enjoying this spot for some time we hiked on and followed the remarkably level PCT as it
wound across an alpine plain past several tiny ponds and across the top of a hill made entirely
of obsidian. Views stretched out and across the valley from here, but soon the path reached
an overlook above Scott Spring and unrestricted views of North and Middle Sister loomed
above us. The diversity of landscapes from this location was remarkable, with glaciers,
morains, cinder cones, lava tubes, and meadows filling the view. We chose this overlook, were
a shelter used to stand, as our lunch spot. For twenty minutes we enjoyed this up close view of
the mountains while relaxing and lounging in the warm sun. Although the wildflower displays of
summer were long gone in these alpine meadows, the brown grasses that replaced the vibrant
colors of warmer weather were still gorgeous. The reward for missing the wildflowers was
having the area to ourselves and avoiding the hordes of mosquitoes that can frequent this
area during wetter times.
After eating we walked down to Scott Spring and followed yet another bubbling alpine stream
down to an intersection with the Pacific Crest Trail and the Glacier Way. This path led downhill
somewhat steeply for almost a mile back to the lava flow that we had crossed earlier in the
day. This valley, protected from the sun, is obviously wetter than the surrounding areas and
the result is a more lush feeling. We made great time on the descent and found ourselves
back at the lava flow in very little time.
The remainder of the walk out was through the forest and to me somewhat long and
monotonous, but we kept up a good pace and made it back to the car in about an hour. The
drive home was pleasant, with great fall colors rivaling those of New England. The fall had
been surprisingly dry and wind free which meant that the colorful foliage remained on the trees
instead of being blown to the ground.
Americans for thousands of years. The volcanic glass s readily shaped into arrowheads and
tools of all kinds. In fact, this area was of such importance to the natives that even warring
tribes came here to gather the precious material and agreed to tolerate each others presence.
The material's importance is farther seen by the fact that Obsidian tools with material
originating from the Obsidian Cliffs on the flanks of Middle Sister have been found as far away
as the great plains.
Our next snack stop came at a picturesque babbling brook flowing through an alpine meadow.
As we were snacking away and Middie was drinking from the stream, I noticed what looked like
a set of deer antlers about a hundred feet away in the meadow. I walked over to check it out
and I found the upper half of a small deer skull with a nice set of antlers attached. Initially I
wanted to keep the antlers, but they were still in velvet and the unmistakable smell of rot faintly
came from the find. I was still thinking about taking the antlers to clean up at home, but then i
spotted the deers leg a few yards away from the antlers. A fair bit of flesh remained on the leg.
Things started to add up and then I remembered the cougar tracks I had seen while climbing
the Renfrew Glacier higher up on the flanks of Middle Sister last weekend. The stride of the
tracks that I saw was almost triple that of my dogs. I put down the antlers and suggested to
Michelle that we leave the area. The thought of playing with the remains of a hundred and fifty
pound cats dinner was not all that appealing. While we never found and direct evidence to
suggest that this was a cougar kill, there was a strong possibility and we didn't feel like
upsetting one of these normally reclusive creatures.
We found ourselves looking back over our shoulders for the next few minutes, but I knew that
even if a mountain lion were following us the chances of spotting it were slim to none. Soon we
reached the junction with the Pacific Crest Trail and followed its gentle grades past Obsidian
Falls and to an amazing open meadow at Sisters Spring. Here an entire stream emerges from
sprigs at the base of a huge cliff. The sun warmed the quiet meadow and Michelle and I
enjoyed the idyllic setting while taking pictures. The glacier clad Middle Sister rose above the
meadow and no one else could be seen.
After enjoying this spot for some time we hiked on and followed the remarkably level PCT as it
wound across an alpine plain past several tiny ponds and across the top of a hill made entirely
of obsidian. Views stretched out and across the valley from here, but soon the path reached
an overlook above Scott Spring and unrestricted views of North and Middle Sister loomed
above us. The diversity of landscapes from this location was remarkable, with glaciers,
morains, cinder cones, lava tubes, and meadows filling the view. We chose this overlook, were
a shelter used to stand, as our lunch spot. For twenty minutes we enjoyed this up close view of
the mountains while relaxing and lounging in the warm sun. Although the wildflower displays of
summer were long gone in these alpine meadows, the brown grasses that replaced the vibrant
colors of warmer weather were still gorgeous. The reward for missing the wildflowers was
having the area to ourselves and avoiding the hordes of mosquitoes that can frequent this
area during wetter times.
After eating we walked down to Scott Spring and followed yet another bubbling alpine stream
down to an intersection with the Pacific Crest Trail and the Glacier Way. This path led downhill
somewhat steeply for almost a mile back to the lava flow that we had crossed earlier in the
day. This valley, protected from the sun, is obviously wetter than the surrounding areas and
the result is a more lush feeling. We made great time on the descent and found ourselves
back at the lava flow in very little time.
The remainder of the walk out was through the forest and to me somewhat long and
monotonous, but we kept up a good pace and made it back to the car in about an hour. The
drive home was pleasant, with great fall colors rivaling those of New England. The fall had
been surprisingly dry and wind free which meant that the colorful foliage remained on the trees
instead of being blown to the ground.
Michelle and Middie sit on an outcrop at the top of the lava flow that we crossed on our hike.
North Sister looms above them in the background.
North Sister looms above them in the background.
Mt Washington, an erosion resistant volcanic plug, was visible through the trees in the
distance to the north.
distance to the north.
The Obsidian Trail winds its way through many gorgeous alpine meadows on its way to a
junction with the Pacific Crest Trail.
junction with the Pacific Crest Trail.
Michelle stands at the junction of the PCT and the Obsidian trail with a
frost split boulder in the background.
frost split boulder in the background.
Obsidian Falls is a delicate little falls just below the meadows at Sisters
Spring.
Spring.
The meadows at Sisters Springs are picture perfect and we enjoyed them on this perfect fall day.
The flat bench at the foot of the main masses of North and Middle Sister hold
alpine meadows, ponds, and springs.
alpine meadows, ponds, and springs.
The meadows at Sisters Springs are picture perfect and we enjoyed them on this perfect fall day.
Middie and I enjoy the views at Sisters Spring with Middle Sister looming large
above us.
above us.
Self portraits are always fun. At least Michelle looks good in this picture.
Yet another amazing view of the sisters from the meadows found at the
high point of the Obsidian Loop.
high point of the Obsidian Loop.
Here we are above Scott Spring with the sisters rising behind us dusted with a coating of
autumn snow.
autumn snow.
Middle Sister and the upper reaches of the Renfrew Glacier vissible.
Michelle at the last meadow of the hike just before we dropped down
into the forest for the last time on our hike.
into the forest for the last time on our hike.
Amazingly, trees have managed to take root in the jumbled blocky lava
flow that is crossed on this hike.
flow that is crossed on this hike.
From the meadows around Scott Spring climbers can access routes to both North and Middle
Sister via the Renfrew and Collier Glaciers.
Sister via the Renfrew and Collier Glaciers.
Much of the route to the summit of Middle Sister can be seen from this viewpoint.