At a staggering 10,358 feet tall, South Sister is the tallest peak in Central Oregon and the third- tallest in Oregon. A popular 12.2-mile out-and-back trail takes you from the Devil’s Lake trailhead to the summit with just over 5,000 feet of elevation gain.

The trail starts off in the forest, where you hike for about 3 miles until you hit the parkland, a large open area with few trees. As you hike through the parkland and get out of the trees, a view of South Sister hits you right in the face, with Mount Bachelor and Broken Top to the east and southeast. If you choose to or have the ability to climb South Sister in late October or November, make sure you are prepared for some snow. This time of year, climbers may encounter snow in patches right as you hit the parkland, but once you start to make your way to the top, the snow gets more prominent. Microspikes and gaiters are recommended if you do it during this time.

As you get out of the parkland area, your hike turns more into a climb as you start to make the ascent to the summit through lava rock fields and along a few ridges. Prepare yourself for high winds as well; it can get whipping on the final ascent and on the summit. After completing some switchbacks, the final push to the summit is a straight shot. You might think you are at the top when you are greeted with a wide-open view of the top of the summit and a visual panorama that includes Broken Top and Mount Bachelor just beyond the edge. You may think you have done your job and made it to the summit but in reality that is just the false summit. To reach the true summit, you have to take a right at the top and walk around the rim of the summit until you hit the tallest point on the mountain, where you can sit and enjoy a well-earned lunch or snack; cold pizza is always a classic.

If you continue past the true summit, you will get the best view. On clear days, Middle and North Sister can be seen right off the edge; you’ll also take in the surrounding alpine lakes and lava lands. In November, be careful of the summit conditions because it gets pretty icy and snowy,which makes it sketchier. However, you can’t beat the surrounding snowy mountains, so it’s worth the slick conditions.

The descent is a breeze with Broken Top and Mount Bachelor in the distance as you come down the exact way you came up. The upper sections of the descent can get a bit slippery with the wet lava rock and soft snow. An ​​advantage to going during November is that you can glissade down some sections of snow and shorten your descent quite a bit. Watch out for rocks and other objects though as there are some that stick out of the snow.

If you are up for the challenge and want to be rewarded with an amazing perspective of the Cascade mountains of Central Oregon, South Sister during late October or the beginning of November is the place to be.