In an effort to get a few conditioning hikes in before disappearing into the wilderness later this summer, frequent hiking partner and friend Steve Still and I ventured up the Lowder Mountain (above) trail in the McKenzie River Valley on Wednesday, July 15.
Starting above Cougar Reservoir at Quaking Aspen Swamp (yes, there were a few mosquitoes) the trail enters the Three Sisters Wilderness and continues for about three miles to the summit. Wildflowers –- such as the paintbrush below –- were in abundance.
The flat, open top of Lowder Mountain at first seemed like any high-elevation meadow rimmed with Pacific silver fir and mountain hemlock until we ventured to the east side of the summit for a peak at its precipitous cliffs and a view of the Three Sisters.
At the base of the cliffs at Lowder Mountain are two lakes -– Lake Karl and Lake Ruth -– that sparkled about 1,000 feet below. The six-mile hike had about a decent elevation gain (and loss) and was a perfect conditioning trip with rewarding views.
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