HANNIE HIKES

8 MILES – BEND, OR

It’s been a hot minute since I’ve documented any adventures. Life is busy, motivation fades, distractions happen, and I am ready to pick up again and share my stories and hikes again. I haven’t been blogging but I have still been hiking more than ever. In 2022 I hiked 200 miles, and in 2023 I was able to do more with 300 miles. I have become extremely passionate about the outdoors and what it means to me. The peace and bliss it brings is like nothing else. It’s addicting in the best way. Over the last couple years I have started to venture into backpacking, because why stop at just a day in the wilderness? Going further into nature seemed like an appropriate next step in my journey of becoming an outdoor enthusiast.

Along with experiencing the Northwest there are other perks to hiking, which are making new and lasting friendships. On this backpacking trip up to Broken Top and No Name Lake I was fortunate enough to have the company of my friend Sarah. We have a shared love for this trail, each having meaningful connections to this wilderness. Sarah and I met over social media. She had sent me a friend request on accident and I approved it on purpose since we had a few mutual friends. Years later we connected in real life to go on a hike, which is a big deal for me as I have become more introverted over the years. We joke about it now, and it is nice to share a passion for the outdoors with this hike in particular.

To get here you must drive up a forest service road that is extremely bumpy, dusty, and windy. I was quite nervous about it but my 4Runner did great. Once we arrived at the trailhead we had a little snack, got our packs ready to go, excited to start on the trail.

This hike is full of views pretty much the entire hike. At first we meandered through a wooded area and when we arrived at the sign that read “Three Sisters Wilderness” we were rewarded with our first view of Broken Top framed with the trees surrounding us. It was quite marvelous.

It’s been quite

The trail opened up at this point and it started to sink in that we were in the wild, trekking further and further from the truck. The first stream crossing was full, with flowers near the edges and on rocks in the stream. Once we crossed the water we came up against the first uphill climb that seems to last for ages. When we thought we reached the “top” there was another climb. And then another. The stream was alongside the trail so the sound of water was delightful at least. Once we were past the hill we were greeted with closer views of Broken Top and I couldn’t help but take photos.

This hike felt like it went by so quickly because there were so many things to admire along the way. Before we knew it we were at the second stream crossing which was bursting with colorful flowers. I took many photos here because it was just so beautiful, with each flower being so different with the way it swayed in the wind and Mt. Bachelor in the distance.

We hiked a little further and we had reached where we were going to camp for the night. We weren’t ready to set up camp just yet as we wanted to get to No Name Lake to make dinner and enjoy the views, lake, and mountain.

Photographs taken by Sarah Tuttle

After we ate the weather started to turn in the distance but we weren’t ready to head back down to pitch our tents just yet. The sky’s mood shifted, and we instantly became obsessed with the colors of the sky against the mountain. The way the color of the water changed as we walked around the lake was spectacular. It was the most mesmerizing sight. We were in total awe as we hoped the storm would just gift us with views and then pass right by us.

When we reached the viewpoint of the Three Sisters the sun was going down. The sky was the most beautiful mixture of blues and oranges. Seeing a sunset in the mountains is rare for me as I don’t prefer hiking down and driving in the dark, so I was overcome with gratefulness to be able to experience such wonder. It became very windy so we decided to head back down to set up camp. We could see the rain in the distance and hope thunder didn’t follow. We spotted so many flowers on the way down we couldn’t help but take at least a hundred photos. All the mini flower bunches completely and totally captivated our attention. It was difficult to break away but sadly we did need to set up our tents and we didn’t want it to be completely dark. Somehow we escaped the rain and stormy weather and had a peaceful rest of the evening.

With the arrival of morning, we excitedly woke up and headed back up to the lake to witness sunrise on the water and mountainside. Sarah wanted to snap a particular shot with lighting and a headlamp so we captured her vision as we waited for sunrise.

Photograph by Sarah Tuttle

It was a little cloudy that morning so even though the sun rose, we didn’t get the colors we had envisioned. I was determined it would happen for us so we waited nearly an hour for the sun to creep up and we were so happy we did! It was amazing to see the change from blue to orange within a minute. We enjoyed the view a little while longer and then decided it was time to pack up and head out.

Feeling grateful and blessed to have been able to experience this hike for sunset and sunrise, we made our trek down already reminiscing on the beautiful adventure we shared. Once we got back to the truck we decided we wanted pizza, so we drove to Sisters and had the most amazing lunch. It is so satisfying to enjoy a meal after a great adventure.

This unique trip is a memory that won’t be forgotten by either of us, and hopefully repeated for many years to come.

Thank you for following along and reading my story, it was a fun one to tell.

One of the benefits