Mount Bachelor - 8.7.2021
We parked (~6400 feet) next to the Cascade Lakes Hwy where the gate is closed at the entrance to Mount Bachelor's Sunrise Lodge... where we started hiking across the lodge parking lot toward the Sunrise Express Chairlift.
|
At the base of the Sunrise Express Chairlift... Denali Girl steps out of the parking lot and starts hiking uphill on an obvious, but unsigned trail.
|
It didn't take very long for the trail to put us on a service road.
|
Here we are looking back at the service road that switch backed us further up the hill for at least a quarter mile... Tumalo Mountain is out there on the other side of the Cascade Lakes Hwy.
|
After hiking on the service road for at least a half-mile we picked up an obvious trail that continued to take us higher up the mountain.
|
After hiking a total of 1.5 miles we have reached the top of the Sunrise Express Chairlift at 7300 feet... with the base of the Summit Express Chairlift over there in the distance... the Three Sisters and Broken Top are starting to come into view.
|
From the top of the Sunrise Express Chairlift we are continuing to hike uphill.
|
Every step higher brings broader views of the mountains.
|
Looking east and SE toward Paulina Peak on the right horizon... nice layers, but too bad it is related to the smoky conditions.
|
Continuing to gain elevation as we more or less follow the Summit Express Chairlift up toward the top of the chairlift.
|
Steep terrain... but well switch-backed.
|
A pano shot showing the Three Sisters and Broken Top on the left... with Tumalo Mountain in the foreground... also shows the Cascade Lakes Hwy coming from Bend and Sunriver on the right.
|
A closeup of Broken Top... with Broken Hand and Ball Butte on the far right.
|
Paulina Peak is on the horizon between Denali Girl and the huge boulder.
|
A closeup of the Three Sisters... with one of the Green Lakes visible at the base of South Sister.
|
Closing in on the top of the Summit Express Chairlift.
|
After hiking a total of 2.8 miles we have crossed under the Summit Express Chairlift at ~8800 feet... and now heading for the summit in the distance.
|
Just below the summit.
|
We asked another person to take this shot... also suggesting that we didn't want to block the mountains... oh well... maybe next time.
|
After hiking a total of 3.2 miles Denali Girl is on the Mount Bachelor summit (9045').
|
Not a very good pano shot... but it does provide perspective.
|
Looking north from the Mount Bachelor summit.
|
Hiking around the summit area and heading back toward the top of the chairlift.
|
Almost back to the top of the Summit Express Chairlift.
|
The trail will take us back underneath the chairlift.
|
Let the switchbacking begin.
|
Did I mention that there were a lot of switchbacks?
|
We are getting closer to the base of the Summit Express Chairlift and the top of the Sunrise Express Chairlift.
|
After hiking a total of 4.8 miles we have reached the top of the Sunrise Express Chairlift... where we decided to take the Marshmallow Ski Run for a more direct route back to the Sunrise Lodge.
|
Hiking past the base of the Summit Express Chairlift to the Marshmallow Ski Run which is directly below the chairlift.
|
Hiking down the Marshmallow Ski Run... in the past I've done it when it was covered with snow... but without snow it wasn't much fun.
|
Tired of the slippery terrain we decided to get off of the Marshmallow Ski Run and follow Dilly Dally Alley and get back into the trees.
|
It didn't take long for us to find a trail in the trees.
|
Out of the trees now... leaving a short hike to the Sunrise Lodge.
|
Crossing the lodge parking lot and heading for our car in the distance... the hike was 6.1 miles, gaining 2712 feet of elevation.
|
