With both the super moon (August 10) and Perseid meteor shower (August 11-13), this is truly a stellar week for sky gazing. And there are few places in the United States better than Central Oregon to stand slack jawed in utter astonishment or to make wishes on shooting stars.
Cascade Lakes Paddle
This is the event paddling toys were made for. Grab a canoe/kayak/SUP and head up to Sparks, Hosmer, or Elk Lake and see what I mean. Don't own said toys? Feel a little uncomfortable tackling paddling for the first time at night? Not a problem. Wanderlust Tours offers a guided, naturalist interpreted, moonlight canoe trip (they even bring the beer). wanderlusttours.com
South Sister Summit
Oregon's third highest peak presents a dramatic yet surprisingly accessible vantage point. South Sister can be summited via trail, and requires no technical equipment or expertise. That said, it is a 12-mile hike (six up, six down) with a 4,900 feet elevation gain; no cakewalk, but doable in one night.
Take Cascade Lakes Highway 25.5 miles to Devil's Lake trailhead just beyond Devil's Lake on the left. Until the junction with Moraine Lake trail at 1.75 miles, the first bit is heavy with Hemlock cover. Continue forward and the trees give way to expose South Sister, Broken Top, Rock Mesa lava flow, and Mt. Bachelor. At 3.0 miles the elevation ramps up, with a 3,000+ foot gain in 2.4 miles as you reach South Sister's crater rim. At 4.5 miles there is a respite in the saddle at Lewis Glacier. From here, it is a grueling 1,300 foot gain over 0.8 miles to the rim. But the climb is worth it: Once at the rim, follow it approximately 0.5 miles to the right to reach the summit. If the climb up didn't steal your breath, the moon-drenched vistas surely will.
