Black Crater as seen from the edge of Sisters, looking West.
My favorite autumn ritual is climbing Black Crater, which looms out my back door. The peak is a 7,500-foot cinder cone offering the finest views in the Central Oregon Cascades. It’s a four-mile climb to the summit, with 2,500 feet of elevation gain. Folks around here call it The Death March, but it really ain’t bad at all. The landscape is fantastical from the beginning. The trail starts in dense forest that reminds me of something out of The Lord of the Rings, and culminates with views that make me hear Wagner. (No, bro, I did not see any Valkyrie — which is a good thing, since to do so I’d have to be, well … dead).
I hear Wagner…
Summit.
Yonder stands the Lonely Mountain…
Is there a Black Rider around the corner?
Dense fir and bearded hemlock crowd the lower slopes.
John says
Glad to hear about the lack of Valkyrie sightings. That would put a crimp in things. No Frost Giant’s daughter, either, I suppose. Her brothers would be a handful.
The forest is truly spectacular. Nice photography, too.
Bro John
JimC says
No Atali. My heart remains in my chest, not steaming on Ymir’s altar.
LynnW says
Gorgeous photos, and what a day it was! Wish we could have hiked it with you!