South Sister is the 3rd highest mountain in Oregon, behind Hood and Jefferson. The views from the top, at 10,358 feet, are magnificent, if the weather is clear.
It is probably the 2nd most climbed mountain in Oregon, behind Hood. This is because it is not a technical climb, and it is only 6 miles up and 6 miles back, with an elevation gain of 4900 feet. It can be done in one long day, but remember your 10 essentials, especially water. Please understand, that if you attempt this cache, it is climbing a mountain, and you will need to be prepared. It can be climbed all year long, but I highly recommend waiting for the snow to melt and the weather to be clear. A Northwest Forrest Pass is needed for the trail head parking, and you will need to sign in at the wilderness station, a little ways up the trail, before entering the wilderness area.
I have made the climb twice. It can be done in one long day, but we hiked into Moraine Lake, camped for the night, and summited the next day.
To qualify for this cache you must climb the mountain, and send me the two numbers from the Geological Survey marker. There is one number above and one below an arrow on the marker. While it is not required to log the cache, please post a favorite picture of your accomplishment.
The coordinates for the top of the mountain are N 44 06.216, W 121 46.162, from Google Earth. The posted coordinates are for the Geological Survey marker, at N 44 06.209, W 121 46.160, by my GPS, about 25 feet West of the highest point of the mountain, on the East side of the crater.
There is also another cache, a multi that starts in the parking lot, GCXK3C. If you are going to make the climb, you should do it as well.
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between June 4, 2019 and June 4, 2020. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 2.0 on the Geocaching Blog.