Three Sisters Wilderness

For those of us who enjoy the wilderness areas of the Pacific Northwest, there are always a handful of special bucket-list destinations. A few of mine are Ingals Lake, Jefferson Park, McNeil Point, Mt. Aix, Golden Lake and Warm Lake. (Posts describing each are available on my site.)

Well, let me add another to the list. In early fall I parked at the Green Lakes Trailhead west of Mt. Bachelor in Central Oregon along Century Drive. It was a pleasant, sunny morning with quite a few folks at the Trailhead. The thermometer sat at a balmy 37 degrees. I donned a light coat, put on my pack and began the hike.

One thing making this hike so special is the beautiful scenery along the Trail, beginning with many eye-popping waterfalls visible along the first mile or so of the Trail. 

Obsidian Glass and Reflections

After ascending through the forest, the Trail breaks out into a stretch of meadows along Fall Creek. It’s a fascinating area because there is a huge lava flow on the west side of the Trail. Embedded in the lava are large chunks of obsidian glass shining in the sunlight.

After another short climb, the Green Lakes Basin is reached. There are three lakes, but I spent my time around the first one nestled between Broken Top and South Sisters. The views do not get much better. I was truly amazed.

After a while it was time to head back to the Trailhead, marveling at the scenery at almost every step. I said to myself, I will return.