Camp Sherman Travel Guide

 mtncorg Says:  About 20 minutes from the first Three Fingered Jack stop, you come to a small pass from which the way north becomes visible. Mush of the central region of the Mt Jefferson Wilderness Area is now seen. Red Cinder Cone and Marion Lake. Many other lakes lie hidden. A literal... 

 mtncorg Says:  If you have reached the first viewpoint of the Jack, then continue. The PCT is faily level for the next couple of miles. Walk further north and look to the everwidening view to the west over innumerable peaks in the fron Cascade ranges - you can even make out Coast Range... 

 mtncorg Says:  Just before reaching the first Three Fingered Jack viewpoint, there is a short way trail leading to a grand spot where you can look out south over Santiam Pass and the mountains beyond. Wilderness pervails and glaciated volcamoes pierce the skyline - the Three Sisters,... 

 mtncorg Says:  US 20 crests the Oregon Cascades at Santiam Pass. At the pass, the Pacific Crest Trail leads one north or south. South into the Mt Washington Wilderness Area. North into the Mt Jefferson Wilderness Area. There is a large parking lot on the north side of US 20 - you need to... 

 mtncorg Says:  The path continues upward following the moraine crest until you reach a pass right at the base of the east wall of Three Fingered Jack. During August and September, the path is just very steep - a bit loose, too. Other times you will be dealing with snow. In such cases,... 

 mtncorg Says:  Slow, but sure, you gain the top of the moraine. The view is stunning. The north face of Three Fingered lifts straight up over 2000 feet above you. A small glacier feeds a cream-colored lake far below you. This is one of the most dramatic north faces in the Oregon Cascades... 

 mtncorg Says:  After about ¾ of a mile up from the lower meadow, the path winds above the highest meadow - really, an avalanche outwash plain. Finally, ducking through small trees, you come out and see the path going up the terminal glacial moraines above. Three Fingered Jack soars above... 

 mtncorg Says:  The cliffs of Three Fingered Jack pull you onward and upward. From the lower meadows, the trail begins to ascend - now through forest, now through meadow. Peak of the flower season in the meadows is late July. What to guess when the peak of the mosquito season is ;-] ? 

 mtncorg Says:  Acres of beautiful alpine meadows lying at the foot of the Three Fingered Jack make up the Canyon Creek Meadows. The trail is very well traveled on summer weekends when hundreds visit. It is only two miles into the lower meadows and only about a 300-foot gain making the way... 

 mtncorg Says:  To limit the number of people you meet on the trail, a four-mile loop goes out from the Jack Lake trailhead. The Forest Service asks you to go clockwise, turning left at the first trail junction. Coming down from above, you return to the lower meadow and follow Canyon Creek... 

 mtncorg Says:  To the north, Mt Jefferson rises with the meadows far below. Only the wind, an occasional rock and the raucous call of ravens soaring on the crags high above can be heard. 

 mtncorg Says:  To the south, the Three Sisters and Broken Top glisten in the sun. Black Butte rises a bit off in the east with its perfect symmetry. 

 mtncorg Says:  And Mt Jefferson looms ahead - probably another 10 trail miles ahead on the PCT. The south side has very little snow in late summer, unlike the north side where glaciers tumble off around Jeff Park. The silence is glorious. It is tempting to just keep walking. 

 mtncorg Says:   There are several places to camp around Jack Lake - made easier by the fact that the lake is right next to the road end. Horrific fires in 2003 edged around the lake but left most of its trees intact. Being at a road end trailhead means you probably won't be alone in...