South Sister area, Or
The Cascades Lakes Highway runs north from Bend for 70 miles then you can easily connect to Highway 158. It makes for a good summer vacation to climb peaks along the way. Only South Sister has a parking fee. Posted 2014.
MOUNT BACHELOR el 9060 has a constructed trail to the top, but not marked along the highway. Take the Cascades Lakes Highway along the north side to a sign for Sunrise Lodge at mp 21.4. Everybody parks on the shoulder when the gate is closed. Walk past the gate and keep left on the road and in a few feet you see where hikers go up to the left and across the parking lot to the lift terminal which is about a fifth mile from the highway. It's obvious where the trail angles off to the right side of the terminal. The reading here is N43 59566, W121 39765 el 6400+. Now there is just one trail to the top, no tricky forks. A blind man could follow it. In fact, Stevie Wonder passed me and beat me to the top. 3 and a half hours, 2700 gain. Some rubble on the trail here and there. Posted 2014.
TUMALO MOUNTAIN el 7700+ has a smooth trail to the top. Take the Cascades Lakes Highway to a sign for Dutchman Flat Sno Park at mp 21.8. The trail is signed. 2 hours, 1400 gain, great views. Posted 2014.
The Todd Lake road runs nearly level for several miles. It makes for a good bike ride thru scenic meadows. Spur roads go to trailheads. Posted 2014.
SOUTH SISTER el 10300 has a trail to the top on the south side. The trail leaves the Cascades Highway at N44 02234, W121 45859 el 5400. Hikers park on the shoulder. If you don't have GPS, drive the highway to the sign for Devils Lake Campground. Pull in there and you'll see a sign for the trail next to the restroom. There is a pay station for the parking fee. It's 6.25 miles to the summit, and it's all easy except for the last 6 miles. All forks along the way are signed, and you can just follow the hundreds hikers ahead of you who are going to the same place. The trail gets soft for the last 1000 feet but backsliding is not a serious problem. The trail levels off at 10,200 on the large summit plateau. The BM, reading 06206, 46158, is on a pointy peak on the north side, but there is a snow field in the way. I had no trouble walking on the snow, but you can skirt it on the right side. 7 hours, 5000 gain. This is essentially a tourist hike. People wear tennis shoes up this. Moraine Lake el 6400 is along the trail and has 22 campsites, but that would be cheating. Avoid this on weekends. I saw 50 people on a rainy weekday. Posted August 2014.
LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN has a good road to the top but no view. Take paved road 40 to FR 4240 at N43 49793, W121 41146. Go south on gravel for 2 and a half miles to FR 4245 reading 48313, 39490. Follow that good dirt road for 5 miles to the top. A gate might be locked about a third mile before the summit. Cars can make it to the gate. A nice cycle ride. Posted 2014.
IRISH MOUNTAIN el 6900 sits right next to the PCT. Take the Cascades Highway to a sign for Cultus Lakes at mp 45.6 and follow the signs to Little Cultus Lake. Stay on FR 4636 right thru the campground and go another 6 miles on easy 4wd to the PCT reading N43 48529, W121 57807 el 5500. The trail runs smooth and nearly level for 5 miles to Stormy Lake. Get off the trail there and go a tenth mile west of the lake to a clearing at 51220, 58165 el 6100. Now you can see the towering east face. Head toward it and you'll reach a talus field at the base. It's easy to walk along the left side of the talus and then up a steep slope to the left of the east face. You'll top out in a saddle a couple hundred feet south of the summit. It's class 2 to the BM at 51081, 58490. 5 hours, the only significant gain is the 800 ft up from the trail. The BM is dated 1916, so do this in 2016 for the 100th. Countless lakes and ponds are along the trail but mosquitoes were light in August. FR 4636 goes on west another mile to a main fork. The right fork ends in 3 miles at shady Taylor Burn Forest Camp. The left fork goes 4 miles to the paved road at Waldo Lake. Posted 2014.
CULTUS MOUNTAIN el 6750 has a jeep road to the top. Take the Cascades Lakes Highway to a sign for Cultus Lakes at mp 45.6 and follow the signs to Little Cultus Lake where FR 640 branches off to the right and goes along the north shore. Follow it for a bit over a mile to the first right turn which is FR 644. Stay on that narrow 4wd road all the way to the top. I could see 4wds still use the road, but not often. It's a paint scratcher. Posted 2014.
DAVIS MOUNTAIN el 6600 has an OHV track thru a burn area to the top. Take the Cascades Lakes Highway to mp 62.3 and turn east on FR 62. Go 2.6 miles to FR 6240. Go left a third mile to FR 6245. Go right on that road for nearly 4 miles to the bald summit. Cars easily make it except for the last mile and a quarter where bushes close in and stop all but OHVS. Mtn bikes would have some soft patches to deal with on that last mile. Posted 2014.
MAIDEN PEAK el 7800 has a trail up the east side. Take the Cascades Lakes Highway to mp 66.7 and turn west on FR 4660. Follow the signs on gravel roads to the Maiden Lake Trail reading N43 36179, W121 54798 el 5000. The trail climbs for 2 and a half miles to a signed fork at 36700, 57139 el 6400. Left goes to Maiden Lake and the PCT. Right goes up to the peak at 37606, 57884. It's an easy trail until el 7200 where it goes parabolic. 5 hours, 2800 gain. Lovely hike. The trail crosses a little cold stream a couple minutes up from the TH. Stash the beer there. Another trail goes up from Gold Lake on the west side but it's a lot longer. Posted 2014.
ODELL BUTTE el 7000 has a good dirt road to the top, but is gated within the last mile. Use the paved Crescent Cut-off running along the north side. At mp 5, turn at the sign for Odell Butte Rd. It's 7 miles to the gate, then a 20 minute walk from there. Mtn bikes are allowed past the gate. Visitors are allowed on the lookout tower. The Odell Butte Rd goes on down to Highway 158 and it is signed there. Posted 2014.
THE TWINS el 7300 have a trail to the top from near Waldo Lake. Take Highway 58 to mp 59 and turn north on the Waldo Lake Rd. Go 6.3 miles to the TH on the right el 5800. It's a bit over 3 miles to the top. All forks on the trail are signed. If signs are missing, just keep going up. The summit is at N43 42368, W121 58412. 3 hours, 1600 gain. The trail is open to mtn bikes, but too steep to be worth it for me. But there is a loop that riders do by following the trail on north past the peak and back down to Waldo Lake. Posted 2014.
LAKEVIEW MOUNTAIN el 7066 is just east of Diamond Peak. Take Highway 58 to Crescent Lake town then go east on Crescent Lake Highway. Cross the RR tracks and park. The official TH is further along but adds a mile and has a parking fee. Walk a few feet to an old road reading N43 30723, W121 58435 el 4800. There are some stubby wooden posts blocking the road. The road soon shrinks to a trail and joins the Fawn Lake trail at a T about half a mile from the start. The reading here is N43 30931, W121 59021 el 4900. Go right to the lake then go around the right side then on past the lake to a signed fork for Stag Lake. Head toward the lake. I got off the trail before the lake at N43 31800, W122 01377 el 5800. It wasn't hard to weave thru the forest to get to the main saddle reading N43 31774, W122 02494 el 6600 south of the summit. But I drifted too far right and high and had to contour back left. It's easy to walk a quarter mile up the ridge center from the saddle to the summit. 6 hours, 2300 gain. A top notch hike.There is a gushing pipe spring on the right side of the trail less than 10 minutes from the TH. Posted 2014.
COWHORN MOUNTAIN el 7664 sits right next to the PCT. Take Highway 58 to FR 6020 near mp 77. Go south 5 miles to RR tracks. Go another half mile to FR 60. Take that for nearly 10 miles to the PCT at Windigo Pass el 5800. Cars make it here but it's bumpy. A smoother road comes in from the south. Hike north on the gradually climbing trail to where it brushes up against the west side of the peak about 2.5 air miles from the start. The peak is in view a third mile away and the hiker trail climbing 500 feet up the west ridge is obvious. The summit reads N43 23983, W122 03237. 4 Hours, 2000 gain.
DIAMOND PEAK el 8700 is a major peak near Summit Lake. A climber trail goes up the south ridge from the PCT. From Crescent Lake town on Highway 58, go south on Crescent Lake Highway for 2 miles to RR tracks then keep going another third mile to paved FR 60. Take that for 5 miles to the poorly signed FR 6010. Go west on that 4wd road for nearly 7 miles to the Summit Lake Campground where the Emigrant Pass Rd comes in on the right. Take that road for a few feet to the PCT reading N43 27826, W122 08085 el 5600. Hike north on the PCT for an hour and a half to a rocky, open area where Thielsen comes into view. The trail makes a hard right here. A few feet more is where 2 cairns are on the left. This is the climber trail reading 30285, 08551, el 6600. It goes parabolic but is easy to follow. The trail splits at 30712, 08800 el 7750 but only for a short distance. It's better to keep right into a smooth streambed and soon you'll merge back with the other trail. The trail levels off on the summit ridge and then it's an easy walk to the peak reading 31245, 08978. 6 and a half hours, 3300 gain. Good roads come in from the west and lead to trails that connect to the PCT. The trail along Diamond Rockpile is one such trail. Posted2014.
Lakeview Mountain
Diamond Peak. Cowhorn Mtn below.
