Eric and I arrived at the Obsidian Trailhead (White Branch Creek) at 9:30a. It was a nice morning, cool but not too cool, and sunny. The trial sets out with a gentle climb through the woods. It is rather a long section of woods but after about three miles it comes out onto a lava field and there are views of the Sisters, Cascade mountains like Washington and Jefferson, and the Obsidian Cliffs. When we came to our first creek crossing, the meadows and creeks never stopped until we left the area. The trail loops around to Obsidian Falls and Arrowhead Lakes. The ground becomes quite thick with obsidian which gradually becomes shinier and sharper as the hike progresses. After climbing past the lakes we came to a viewpoint of North and Middle Sister and Sunshine meadow below. We could see people heading up to get higher on Middle Sister - so many trails! We decided to make a long loop of this hike so we stayed on the PCT at the Glacier Trail junction so that we could go over to Collier Cone. It was pretty late by now, but we did it anyway, moving as fast as we could downhill. It was tiring though. We had to slog up Opie Dildock Pass on loose crumbly lava rock, then we could see Collier Cone dead ahead. To view the glacier, you don't actually go up Collier Cone, but to the side over a ridge and are presented with a fantastic view of the mountains. It makes you want to keep going! But we couldn't stay too long. It was 4:30p when we left Collier Cone, and we had 7 miles left to hike back to the car. We booked it down to the meadow at the Scott Trail/PCT junction (which was fantastic with flowers and the lighting so pretty) then on past Four in one cone, and finally through the woods to the trail back to the Obsidian trailhead. 15 miles in 9.5 hours. Whew!
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| Woods on Obsidian trail (White Branch Creek) |
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| the first meadow |
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| check out the obsidian |
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| several little creeks to cross |
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| Pasque flower (aka mouse on a stick) |
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| Paintbrush (eric's photo) |
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| (eric's photo) |
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| Eric's photo |
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| meadow and Middle Sister |
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| Pasque flower |
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| Obsidian Falls |
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| Glacier Creek |
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| Spring at Glacier creek |
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| View when you come up from Glacier Creek...Sunshine Meadow, North and Middle Sister |
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| Sunshine meadow at intersection with PCT and glacier Creek trail |
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| from PCT heading to Collier Cone - Mt Washington and others |
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| North Sister and Little Brother - heading to the Opie Dildock Pass |
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| Opie Dildock pass up ahead |
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| Looking down from the pass |
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| Looking forward from the top of the pass...Collier Cone |
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| Eric taking photos after we climbed up |
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| Collier Cone |
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| North Sister (Middle Sister in back) from the ridge by Collier Cone |
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| North Sister, Middle Sister, Collier Glacier, Little Brother |
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| Eric on left |
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| me on right |
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| Eric's pan of Collier Cone |
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| me on the ridgeline |
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| Mt Washington etc from the ridgeline |
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| Leaving...North and Middle Sister |
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| the meadows at the PCT/Scott Trail junction |
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| Four in One cone area |
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| North and Middle Sister from the four in one cone area |
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| Four in One Cone |
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