Reaching the top of Middle Sister On-Call with the Oregon Humane Society

REACHING THE TOP OF

MIDDLE SISTER

by Anibal Rocheta

Middle Sister is the fifth highest point in Oregon, offering a variety of trails and stunning views of the central Oregon Cascades, near Bend. While the North Ridge across Hayden Glacier is not a technically difficult route, it can be a long day, and everyone in the group should be fit and rested.

The Good

■ Connect with wonderful people in the mountain environment. ■ Test your physical and mental abilities. ■ The approach to the mountain is relatively accessible.

The Bad

■ Anyone who is going to climb must be in good physical condition. ■ No pets allowed. ■ There is no water at the trailhead.

The Route

Our route started at 5,300 feet, from the Pole Creek trail begining at 11:30 a.m. on Friday July 14. This was an official Mazama climb, so we agreed to meet the leader and part of the team at that point.

As we started the walk along a path of rocks and almost bare trees, the sun was a bit suffocating. In the first hour of walking we decided to stop at a small stream to take a break, and continue to the base camp at Hayden Glacier.

The following day we got up around 5 a.m. to start the ascent of the glacier. We divided ourselves into teams of four people, with climbing equipment. The terrain sloped at about 30 degrees. It is highly recommended that if you decide to take this route, although it is not technical, you must be in good physical condition. Always remember to be honest with yourself, if you haven't trained enough, it's better to leave it for a later opportunity, since you would put the rest of the team at risk.

suficiente es mejor dejarlo para una próxima oportunidad, ya que pondrías en riesgo al resto del equipo.

Luego seguimos avanzando hasta una silla llamada (Prouty point) que separa North y Middle Sister, tomando la ruta North Ridge que nos llevaría hasta la cumbre. UNA GRAN CUMBRE!.

En particular esta cumbre fue muy significativa, ya que ademas llevaba conmigo una bandera enorme de mi país (Venezuela), que según mis investigaciones no se había izada una bandera tan grande como esta: (2 x 3 metros) (10 x 6 pies).

Después de las fotografías correspondiente y comer algo iniciamos el descenso al campamento, y luego tenia planeado quedarnos una noche extra para disfrutar de la montaña y del sabor de la cumbre.

Mis recomendaciones

■ Llevar suficiente hidratación y comida extra para el ascenso. ■ Recomiendo usar la aplicación AllTrails para los mapas digitales (incluso los puedes usar sin señal en tu teléfono) . ■ Linterna: super importante si planeas caminar al amanecer, o simplemente tienes que ir al baño en medio de la noche. ■ Bolso ultraligero que sea cómodo con suspensión ventilada

AirSpeed super amigables para este tipo de salidas de fin de semana. Peso aproximado 2.27 lbs (1.03kg). ■ Estufa de Camping MSR PocketRocket Deluxe Stove con apenas 10 g / 0.3 oz, punto de ebullición super rápido, encendido por empuje, este modelo de lujo ofrece una de las mejores experiencias si necesitas reducir peso a tu mochila. ■ Bolsa de Hidratación que sea ligera y práctica para este tipo de viajes. ■ Filtro de agua Platypus Gravityworks 4.0: el agua se filtró muy rápido y es muy fácil de usar, ¡fue increíble! ■ Y una cámara de acción que sea capaz de resistir altas temperaturas, caídas y te permita inmortalizar esa gran experiencia de montañismo

Pasamos un increíble fin de semana con amigos en la montaña, totalmente recomendable esta experiencia.

Para conocer más sobre nuestras aventuras, puedes seguirnos por Instagram @locoporlaaventura.

We continued to advance to Prouty Point that separates North and Middle Sister, taking the North Ridge route that would lead us to the summit. A BIG SUMMIT!

In particular, this summit was very significant, since I also carried with me a huge flag of my country (Venezuela), which according to my research had not raised a flag as large as this: (2 x 3 meters) (6 x 10 feet).

After the usual photographs and eating something, we began the descent to the camp, and then stayed an extra night to enjoy the mountain and the taste of the summit.

My Recommendations

■ Bring enough hydration and extra food for the ascent. ■ I recommend using the AllTrails app for digital maps (you can even use them without a signal on your phone). ■ Headlight/flashlight: super important if you plan to walk at dawn, or simply have to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night. ■ Ultralight bag that is comfortable with super friendly AirSpeed ventilated suspension for this type of weekend outings.

Approximate weight 2.27 pounds. ■ MSR PocketRocket Deluxe Camping Stove. At just 10 g / 0.3 oz, super fast boiling point, push ignition, this deluxe model offers one of the best experiences if you need to reduce weight to your backpack. ■ Hydration bag that is light and practical for this type of trip. ■ Platypus Gravityworks 4.0 Water Filter: The water filtered so fast and it's so easy to use, it was amazing! ■ And an action camera that is capable of withstanding high temperatures falls, and allows you to immortalize that great mountaineering experience. ■ We spent an incredible weekend with friends in the mountains I totally recommend this experience.

To learn more about our adventures, you can follow us on Instagram @locoporlaaventura.

Anibal is a professional adventure guide, videographer, and photographer from Venezuela. He has been Mazama since 2014 (joining as soon as he moved to Oregon) and has led mountain expeditions in Venezuela, Peru, and the USA for many years. He also led tourism initiatives in Venezuela through TV programs, training, and advised companies in ecotourism and adventure.

Anibal is an assistant in the first Mazama Latino BCEP group, and is producing the first adventure TV show for the Latino community in Oregon called “Loco por la Aventura.” Learn more about his adventures and recommendations at www. locoporlaaventura.com