Day 5/6 - Pacific North Quest (Mt. Hood)
A classic camping spot with an amazing view of Mt. Hood across Trillium Lake. The campground is nestled deep in old growth forest with spacious sites and running water. The best feature though, is the easy access to the trails and fishing at Trillium Lake, and proximity to Mt. Hood.
From Trillium Lake we made the short drive up to Timberline Lodge where you can access the Palmer Glacier and the zones on the south side of Mt. Hood. On the first day we skinned up to Illumination Rock for some sunset turns and on second day we explored the natural terrain and build a jump at the top of Big Zigzag canyon.
Check out the three other campgrounds we visited on our Pacific North Quest summer ski touring trip (Smith Rock State Park, Trillium Lake, and Prairie Campground), and download the Snowledge App to see some incredible photos, along with touring stats and maps from each mission.
Day 4 - Pacific North Quest (South Sister)
This classic Eastern Oregon gem is located just north of Bend on the Crooked River. It was the perfect resting spot after a big day climbing six miles up the south side of the South Sister from the Devil’s Lake trailhead.
The campground is a short walk from the parking lot and has some excellent amenities including a cooking/cleaning area, restrooms and, best of all - private hot showers - which were glorious after four days of climbing and skiing volcanoes.
The camping area is a bivouac site, which has a spectacular view of Smith Rock and the limited parking in the lot means that there is plenty of space in the campground. The very best spots are on the north side, right up against the drop into the valley.
Check out the three other campgrounds we visited on our Pacific North Quest summer ski touring trip (Jackson F. Kimball State Park, Trillium Lake, and Prairie Campground), and download the Snowledge App to see some incredible photos, along with touring stats and maps from each mission.
Day 2 - Pacific North Quest (Crater Lake) 🏞
After sleeping in our cars at the bottom of Lassen Peak, we were excited to find this tucked away and relaxing spot just off of the road before Crater Lake.
The campgrounds is dotted with tall pine trees and sits next to a gorgeous river that comes out of the hillside just a short walk away. I’d imagine getting here early during peaks season would be key as there are only a handful of campsites. Early in the season however, it was uncrowded and an easy jump off point for our afternoon/evening ski mission to hike into and ski The Watchman Crater Lake.
Check out the three other campgrounds we visited (Prairie Campground, Smith Rock State Park, and Trillium Lake), on our Pacific North Quest summer ski touring trip and download the Snowledge App to see some incredible photos, along with touring stats and maps from each mission.
Day 3 - Pacific North Quest (Tumalo Mountain)
Prairie campground was a welcome find just off of Highway 97, just outside of Bend. After a late start and long drive from Crater Lake, this was a great spot right off of the road and just a few miles outside of Bend.
The lots are spacious and sit just above a meadows with and meandering stream through it. Despite being right off of the highway, there wasn’t much road noise, although some early morning construction nearby was less than ideal. However, the fresh water to fill up our water bottles / jugs and a nice, open campsite made this a solid find.
From here, we ventured past Bend to ski Tumalo Mountain, a popular local backcountry zone located just across from Mt. Bachelor.
Check out the three other campgrounds we visited on our Pacific North Quest summer ski touring trip (Jackson F. Kimball State Park, Smith Rock State Park, and Trillium Lake), and download the Snowledge App to see some incredible photos, along with touring stats and maps from each mission.