The Hike to Broken Top is Among Central Oregon's Favorites

People exploring the Three Sisters Wilderness can hike to Broken Top from multiple trailheads. Three Creeks to Tam McArthur Rim provides for a social trail past Broken Hand to Broken Top and No Name Lake. Hikers looking for more distance can start at the Green Lakes Trailhead and hike Soda Creek to join with the Broken Top trail. Most people will drive past Todd Lake on the poorly maintained road to the Broken Top trailhead (high clearance vehicles are recommended) and cut the distance to 5.5 miles and under 1500 feet of elevation gain. And there is a well defined trail starting at Todd Lake which creates a much longer hike through old growth forest to join with the Soda Creek Trail and then the Broken Top trail. Total distance to the Broken Top summit exceeds 14 miles and pushes 2700 feet of elevation gain, but the experience is well worth it. Stunning views of Broken Top's eastern flank and Mt Bachelor become visible after hikers join with the Broken Top trail; bushwhacking in this open area can lead to new areas to explore and other beautiful views. 

The hike taken October 21, 2023 was on a sunny, warm day after snow had fallen the week before.  Remnants of melting snow were obvious, but created no real obstacles for hikers. This was also the first weekend in 2023 that did not require trailhead passes, so the trail was busy with many Broken Top hikers and off leash dogs; at times it seemed as if there were more dogs than people, but all encountered were well behaved and the people very friendly and happy to be out enjoying the beauty of the Central Oregon Cascades. No Name Lake was beautiful and cold with snow and glacial runoff, and the views from the summit toward Middle and North Sister were outstanding, although the ridge was very windy and not the best place to enjoy lunch.

We have hiked to Green Lakes multiple times. However, fewer hike this popular trail when the weather turns cold and cloudy. Our experience hiking to Green Lakes on 10-14-23 was the first we had this year. The trail passes to Green Lakes are so hard to get that if you are 30 seconds past 7 am on the US Forest Service website, you will be too late. Despite trying weekly all year, last Saturday, the last weekend of the year where passes are required, we finally obtained two. 

The weather was cloudy and cool, and during our hike the expected "ring of fire" eclipse occurred, resulting in a drop in temperature and a darker sky. However, after that event, the rest of our hike up to Green Lakes was uneventful, outside of hitting more and more snow the higher we climbed. At the second log bridge we put on our microspikes for safety against slippery conditions and the rest of the hike was fine. We had to do some postholing once we reached the first lake, but it was well worth the effort to travel to the far side which fewer people travel to, but is among our favorite spots due to the beautiful views of South Sister which can be mirrored in the lake. We also trekked a bit up the east side of the largest Green Lake, but decided against going further and returned back after enjoying lunch and the views.

On our hike back to the trailhead, we met a good number of hikers coming up in the later afternoon.  Our morning experience was solitary with no one visible during our hour at the lake.

Hike Tam McArthur Rim to Broken Top For a Different Approach to No Name Lake

Each year we hike to Broken Top from different trailheads, often arriving at our final destination at No Name Lake, the beautiful glacial aqua blue lake located on the eastern edge of the mountain. One of our favorite hikes includes first a trek to Tam McArthur Rim overlooking Three Creeks Lake outside of Sisters which in itself can be the destination for many. For us, this extended hike passes Tam McArthur Rim on the well marked but "not maintained" trail to Broken Hand and then to the rim overlooking No Name Lake. The total trip for us includes a side trip north of Broken Hand into the safer, but longer path around Broken Hand and then up to the rim. This hike exceeds 10 miles and 2000 feet of elevation gain, but is well worth the trip for the beauty of close views of all Three Sisters and Broken Top. At one point on the hike, views from Mt. Bachelor to Mt Hood are visible - 9 total Cascade Peaks.

We have hiked Wickiup Plains in the past, reaching it after first traveling to Sisters Mirror Lake. Another time we hiked through it on our way to Moraine Lake, a wonderful destination or pass through for those hiking to the top of South Sister.  Last Saturday we had a break from the smokey air resulting from several forest fires and we capitalized on hiking to Wickiup Plains once again, this time with new plans. These included climbing two hills overlooking Wickiup Plains - Le Conte Crater and The Wife. 

Wickiup Plain is mostly a cinder plateau through which the Pacific Crest Trail passes. However, there are fabulous views of the western flanks of South Sister and Broken Top from the plain that many never see. The trip up to the top of Le Conte Crater had a social trail we found which is not on any map and was worth the hike.

The Wife, however, was a difference experience.  Many have heard of The Three Sisters and Mt Bachelor, four of the well recognized Cascade Mountain Peaks in Oregon. But besides the Sisters (also named Faith, Hope and Charity), there is Little Brother, The Husband and The Wife. Little Brother is part of the Three Sisters, its flank abutting Middle and North Sister. However, The Husband and The Wife stand alone without much recognition. The Wife is next to the Wickiup Plains and after coming down from Le Conte Crater, we trekked across the plains to The Wife. Rising over 7000 feet above sea level, The Wife is still drawfed by South Sister, which is the third highest peak in Oregon at over 10,300 feet. But having hiked both now, I can honestly say that the steepness of The Wife felt greater than what we experienced on South Sister. One review said the last 1/2 mile to the top of The Wife was at a 65 degree grade. But unlike South Sister, this grade is on small pumice stones in which tufts of fescue and other vegetation live. South Sister is nothing but pumice rocks and scree at the top. There was no trail to the top of The Wife whereas there is a clearly defined path to the top of South Sister. But the hike up The Wife was far shorter than that to summit South Sister.

Despite the steepness of the hike up to the the peak of The Wife, the slopes to the north and west of The Wife are dangerously steep and we were careful at the top to avoid getting too close.  However, the views were amazing. The Husband was to the north and South and Middle Sister were to the northeast. The air was clear despite recent rain, which probably helped immensely with our forest fires.

When we climbed down from the top of The Wife, we checked out what we think is a set up by the US Geological Survey to measure uplifts in the ground around South Sister. We have heard for years about the growing bulge near South Sister which is believed to be caused by build up of magna under the earth. We think the machinery we found is part of what is used to measure this. Hopefully we won't have another Mt. St. Helens in the near future!

What's Up with Real Estate Trends in Sisters, La Pine, Madras and Prineville?

We track on a monthly basis the real estate single family home sales trends for Bend, and on a quarterly basis those of Redmond. However, there are four other cities in Central Oregon which are important markets to our home buyers and sellers. The small city of Sisters typically has had higher prices than the other Central Oregon municipalities, but the access to the Cascades and other recreational opportunities has been a draw for those who like its quaint, western theme.  For many for whom Bend is too expensive, wonderful options are available in La Pine, Madras and Prineville. 

For the past three years, all three towns have followed the same market trends for their single family home sales as we have seen in both Bend and Redmond.  Lack of inventory with high demand drove home prices up through 2021 into mid 2022, at which time the sharp increase in mortgage interest rates led to a...

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