South Sister

The trail to the summit. Quite imposing.

Moraine Lake.

The final push to the summit: Super steep switchbacks on sketchy scree. 

Took an hour nap after this picture. Nice view of Middle Sister, North Sister and Mt. Hood way in the distance.

Nice view of Broken Top.

The summit after an hour of descent. The clouds are engulfing the entire peak!

Before leaving Bend I absolutely had to hike at least one of the mountains nearby. South Sister is popular and provides a solid challenge. 12 miles roundtrip with the summit being over 10,000 feet. Incredible views the entire way. Made it up in 3 hours and down in 2 (with an hour nap at the summit). Such a beautiful hike! I then went out with the guys to celebrate my last night in Bend. Currently on my way to Portland and eventually north to Canada. Bend, I'll be coming back to you for sure!

So Many Activities!

More activities in Bend... disc golf, fishing and picking flowers. Still so much to do here, but really need to move on soon. Will definitely be coming back!

Monolith Tattoo

Well I've found a way to commemorate my journey through the Pacific Northwest. My friend Alie is learning how to draw and sent me this awesome piece of art depicting me and my Saturn camping in the mountains. It's a lot like the artwork I've been looking at for years, but hadn't yet found something inspiring enough to put on my body. Well this turned out to be perfect. Nick the tattoo artist was really psyched about it too. Came out great! 

The Monkey Face

The famed Monkey Face. Not the best angle to see the face, but hey, I'm not a professional.

Pitch 1 selfie.

Pitch 2 bolt ladder. My first aid climb. I have to admit, I prefer free climbing over aid climbing for sure.

Top of pitch 2, in the monkey's mouth. Lots of hikers across the way watching.

The top! Looks like I'm judging Logan a little bit... Or maybe I'm just awkward in front of cameras.

Nice view.

Logan and I spent a few days camping and climbing at Smith Rock. Got on a lot of cool climbs; hard sport, moderate trad cracks, and the famous 3-pitch Monkey Face [5.7 A0]. I'm psyched that this was my first ever aid climb. Although I didn't really enjoy the second pitch bolt ladder, it was a valuable and fun experience. 

Caving And Climbing

Logan climbing up and through the small entrance to this room.

Crew #2 exploring the Arnold Ice Cave. This is the awesome entrance.

Not posed.

Smith rock catches sunsets quite nicely.

Mt. Jefferson viewed through Asterisk Pass. I'd like to climb that mountain sometime.

I can see why this place is popular amongst climbers and hikers alike.

I now understand why so many people have told me to stop in Bend. So many activities! The lava tube caves are super cool. Definitely a type of cave I've never seen before. The best part is that you can go whenever you want and you don't get pushed through a gift shop afterwards. Then I finally made it to Smith Rock. Although the temps are in the 80s, climbing in the shade is still quite enjoyable. Smith Rock is a really special place.

Now I must go. My laundry has finished drying. I'm psyched for some clean clothes again!