Wow – South Sister is a Beast.  I picked this hike to do with parts of my extended family -Brother and Sister-in-law and my niece.  I doubt they will let me pick the hike again.  Only my niece and I made it to the summit and the views were spectacular.  The last push to the summit is no joke and I found trying to scramble and find a route to be challenging for me.

• Gaiters were really helpful to keep the dirt and rocks out of my boots.
• Gloves would have been nice when working in the loose rock.
• Guts were certainly required to navigate to the summit.

We did not experience any bugs except butterflies on the summit.

Lots of great views and a lot of quality time with my niece.  The best part of the hike was getting to learn so much about her.  We were taking our time down the hill and it was just she and I.  We probably spoke more in that grueling afternoon than in the whole of our lives together.  That was the best reward.

This was my 5th peak in 6 days.  My rest day, the day prior, was spent hiking misery ridge in Smith Rock State Park.  What a beautiful area, highly recommend for anyone who is coming to the Bend area.