Description: This photograph, taken from the 10,358-foot summit of South Sister in Oregon’s Central Cascade Range, offers one of the best panoramic views in the state. Looking north on a clear day you can see as far as Mount Rainier, nearly 190 miles away. A popular non-technical climb, South Sister draws hikers seeking a glaciated peak with sweeping volcanic scenery.
Story: From the summit of South Sister looking north, the volcanoes of the Central and Northern Cascades lifted out of the fresh October snow like a gathering of giants.
A cold spell had dropped fresh powder across the range, and after the three-and-a-half-hour drive from home, I began my hike at midnight. The moon had already set. Only my headlamp cut through the darkness while the Milky Way arched overhead and the lights of Bend flickered far below.
The snow shifted between firm and knee-deep, and I followed the softened tracks of hikers from the day before. The air was cold but calm enough to keep going. My pace was quicker than expected, and I reached the summit nearly two hours before sunrise. With the sky still pitch black, I walked the rim back and forth to stay warm, waiting for the faintest hint of light.
Twilight finally arrived, slow and deliberate. I set up my camera as the horizon began to glow, still alone on the summit, still surprised no one else had come. The mountains waited in silence.
This photograph was made just as sunlight reached over the horizon and kissed the volcanic peaks, when the light turned violet and the cold settled into every ridge and crater. Eight snow-capped volcanoes lined the horizon:
From left to right: Middle Sister, Three Finger Jack (with *Mount St. Helens behind it), Mount Jefferson, North Sister, (*Mount Rainier), Mount Hood, Mount Adams. *You can better see Mount Saint Helens and Mount Rainier in the black-and-white version.
A rare moment of solitude among the Cascadian gods.
-BAP
Location: Summit of South Sister Oregon 44°06'14.5"N, 121°46'12.9"W Google Map Link
Time: 07:08 PDT (sunrise 07:09) Date: October 6th, 2019
Camera & Settings: Single shot Nikon D800E, NIKKOR 70-200 mm f/4G, Tripod ISO 100, 82 mm, f/9, 1.3 sec
Description: This photograph, taken from the 10,358-foot summit of South Sister in Oregon’s Central Cascade Range, offers one of the best panoramic views in the state. Looking north on a clear day you can see as far as Mount Rainier, nearly 190 miles away. A popular non-technical climb, South Sister draws hikers seeking a glaciated peak with sweeping volcanic scenery.
Story: From the summit of South Sister looking north, the volcanoes of the Central and Northern Cascades lifted out of the fresh October snow like a gathering of giants.
A cold spell had dropped fresh powder across the range, and after the three-and-a-half-hour drive from home, I began my hike at midnight. The moon had already set. Only my headlamp cut through the darkness while the Milky Way arched overhead and the lights of Bend flickered far below.
The snow shifted between firm and knee-deep, and I followed the softened tracks of hikers from the day before. The air was cold but calm enough to keep going. My pace was quicker than expected, and I reached the summit nearly two hours before sunrise. With the sky still pitch black, I walked the rim back and forth to stay warm, waiting for the faintest hint of light.
Twilight finally arrived, slow and deliberate. I set up my camera as the horizon began to glow, still alone on the summit, still surprised no one else had come. The mountains waited in silence.
This photograph was made just as sunlight reached over the horizon and kissed the volcanic peaks, when the light turned violet and the cold settled into every ridge and crater. Eight snow-capped volcanoes lined the horizon:
From left to right: Middle Sister, Three Finger Jack (with *Mount St. Helens behind it), Mount Jefferson, North Sister, (*Mount Rainier), Mount Hood, Mount Adams. *You can better see Mount Saint Helens and Mount Rainier in the black-and-white version.
A rare moment of solitude among the Cascadian gods.
-BAP
Location: Summit of South Sister Oregon 44°06'14.5"N, 121°46'12.9"W Google Map Link
Time: 07:08 PDT (sunrise 07:09) Date: October 6th, 2019
Camera & Settings: Single shot Nikon D800E, NIKKOR 70-200 mm f/4G, Tripod ISO 100, 82 mm, f/9, 1.3 sec
Check out this video I shot using my iPhone from the summit of South Sister.
Captured on October 6, 2019, just before sunrise after an early snowstorm. From the summit of South Sister, Brendan Alex Phoenix filmed the Cascade Mountains in their first light. The climb began at night — a journey to witness and record this rare, high-altitude perspective of Oregon’s volcanic range.
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