October sunshine extends high country hiking season

A couple of weeks ago, people were asking me what I was doing now that the hiking season was over. My stock answer was that I wasn't giving up just yet.

Granted, winter conditions exist at the highest elevations, but the warm, sunny fall days have reopened hiking opportunities to, in some cases, well above 6,000 feet.

There is still some snow even down to 5,500 feet, but it's very patchy. We walked over some snow accumulations of several inches on the way up to 6,000 feet. At this point in time, though, that early snow is dwindling rapidly. Basking in the warm sun at the 6,000-foot level, we watched as a nearby snow patch noticeably shrank while we took our lunch break.

The last time I was at this particular lake (South Matthieu), I spent quite a bit of time in the water. There was no such temptation to swim on this visit, however; late October is well past the optimal high-lakes swim season. As we watched some nice trout cruising in the shallows, I wondered how much longer it would be before they would be frozen in for winter.

For my column this week, I had originally planned to write up my climb of (big) Belknap Crater from a few weeks ago, but there is still quite a bit of snow up there - even though that summit is below 7,000 feet. The re-whitened summit of Belknap Crater can be seen from many parts of Sisters, just to the right of Black Crater.

One thing that did surprise me was the number of late-season hikers who are out and about. We encountered almost as many people in the high country as might be expected during the summer.

Higher-elevation excursions should be undertaken only if equipped with full winter gear. Snow conditions, of course, vary greatly; and more snow can be expected in shaded northern exposures. Open, south-facing slopes, however, may be bare of snow even above 7,000 feet.

Hikers should always be prepared for emergencies and, especially at his time of the year, rapid changes in the weather. Always carry the Ten Essentials, which should now include even more extra clothing, as the high country straddles the line between fall and winter.