Smoky South Sister

This was my second time up South Sister.  I hiked solo. I didn’t start up the trail until 8:30 am. Despite there being a lot of smoke in Central Oregon, the air was pleasantly clear for the majority of the hike.  When I got to the red mile, the wind had picked up and smoke was starting to blow into the area. When I was almost to the rim of the crater, I asked some of the people coming down if they thought there was a new fire in the area. They assured me that the smoke was just blowing in from the current fire and that they didn’t see any evidence of a new one.  They also said that the view was still clear at the true summit across the crater, but the smoke was blowing in quickly.  As I made my way around the rim, I used my time to snap some beautiful pictures and to chat with other hikers. When I finally reached the true summit, it was obvious that I had missed my chance for a clear view.  The smoke was pretty dense and the view was limited. Although this was disappointing, it didn’t get me down. The whole experience made for a BEAUTIFUL day of doing what I love!