South Sister

The destination looms

Ken had a permit for the South Sister so Maria and I went along.  It was a beautiful day - haze in the distance, but locally very clear and crisp.  The permit system may be limiting the hoards a bit, but there were still plenty of people up there.  It was a surprisingly easy 5,000' of elevation gain and very pleasant.  I was amazed at how little ice remains, particularly on the summit crater.  The summit ice was melting rapidly into a stream that pours into a moulin - a vertical hole in the ice, much like a mini Greenland ice sheet feature. 

 

Tarn below Lewis Glacier

View from the summit looking north