Diamond Peak, Oregon – October 24, 2008

A business trip, a three week sinus infection, and finally some early cold weather and snow conspired to shut down my autumn climb plan, a climb up Diamond Peak north of Crater Lake. I finally recovered mid October but by then many roads were snow covered and closed. Then the miracle I was waiting for happened. We got a 10 day period of summer-like weather in late October. I waited a week for most the snow to melt in the mountains and then picked my day, a 60 degree Friday. It was a long drive to the middle of nowhere near Diamond Peak so I needed an early start to reach my destination – I snuck out of work at 3:30 pm and made the trailhead by 7 pm. I made camp (with my beer chuggin’, bonfire burnin’, generator runnin’ hunter camp neighbors) in my VW Jetta camper.

Diamond Peak (8744 feet) isn’t a particularly tall mountain but it’s unique among most Cascade peaks. Its most prominent distinction is its broad and complex shape. There are at least three large and long ridges that meet up to form a multi-peak top. Several other ridges fill out the shape. Each ridge is populated with many interesting gendarmes which is quite scenic.

Sunrise was about 7am so I figured a 6am start would be good. I woke up, compared plans with another climber also camping nearby, and made my 6am start. I hit the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) at 7am on a ridgetop and took this picture right before sunrise. Notice the two owls perched in the tree top.

My climb instructions indicated I should find small Marie Lake nearby the PCT and then bushwack north to the peak. Bushwacking is always risky business, even with a compass so I carefully watched my compass until I could see some reference points for visual navigation. I finally reached the tree line at about 6500 feet and here’s my view looking south. It’s Summit Lake at the bottom and the pointy Mt Thielsen above it.

The trail ended at Marie Lake for the obvious reason that there was so much ash and crumbly rock that a trail could never be permanent. It makes for difficult but not impossible climbing. I finally reached the false summit at 10am and here’s my view to the peak, the left most high point. You can barely see the trail that leads across the ridge directly ahead.

Here’s a close up view of a large block of rock on the east ridge. That’s South Sister just peaking out to the right.

Here’s one of many gendarmes encountered on the way to the top. You hike around the rock, not over it. The route is actually to the right of the foreground rocks and then up the ridge to the left. The rocks in the center of the screen and to the right are part of the complex ridge structure that makes up the broad multi-peak area.

Here’s my last approach to the top, a nicely laid out sidewalk of snow. It was very convenient.

Getting closer to the top, the views open up quickly to the north. In the distance and from left to right, there’s Middle Sister, South Sister, Diamond Peak’s east ridge block, Broken Top, and Bachelor Butte.

Here’s South Sister nicely framed by Diamond Peak’s many gendarmes.

Here’s the trail looking back (south) from where I came. I’m minutes from the top.

Here’s my last approach to the top, proceeding through a rock gate.

Here’s a distinctive gendarme with a dizzying perspective.

Here’s a wide view from the top looking north. From left to right: My Jefferson, Three Fingered Jack, Mt Washington (the pointy stack by itself), Middle and South Sister (North Sister hiding behind Middle), and Broken Top. Note Mt Yoran poking its top out in the lower left. It’s another pointy but smallish block of rock like Mt Thielsen.

Here’s Diamond Peak’s large and cold northwest basin. It appears to be permanent snow if not a glacier. You can see several moraines along the right edge of the picture.

Finishing up my pictures, I turned around and standing before me was the climber I talked to at the trailhead when I woke up. Dave is a retired 63 year old man from Terrebone, OR. He told me that he wondered how long he’ll be able to continue climbing. He had a few complaints about his recently repaired knee after a fall down the stairs of his house which is ironic for a lifelong mountaineer as he described himself. For myself, I envy Dave and hope to visit far away difficult places when I’m 63 too.

The hike back was quick and uneventful. I got back to my car by 3pm for the long ride home.