South Sister is Oregon's 3rd tallest peak. It's a stratovolcano 10,363 ft (3,158 m) tall, part of the Three Sisters complex which includes dozens of smaller volcanoes and several older eroded mountains.
The upper 2,000 feet or so (~650 m) is a 20,000 year-old cinder cone, the result of a fire-fountain-type eruption of lava. One of the common features of that style of eruption are lava bombs - chunks of liquid lava flung through the air that cool in streamlined and elongated shapes. The upper flank of the mountain is very steep, and makes for slow climbing through cinders. Slope pitches average 30˚ in this area, and get as high as 58˚!
Perched at random on this slope is probably the largest lava bomb I've ever seen! It's probably about a meter across and shows the streamlined, elongated nature of a bomb very well. I'm not sure why it's still sitting at that precarious location, but up close you can see the vesicular texture of erupted lava (basaltic andesite). This might be classified (yes, there are sub-classifications of lava bombs - geologists love classifications!) as a breadcrust bomb because it looks almost like a crusty bread with cracked crust. These are very common on volcanoes like this. It's hard to see in this picture, but amidst the vesicles (bubbles) in the rock are numerous plagioclase feldspar crystals ~0.5-1 mm across.
i learned about Third Man Syndrome. An unseen presence reported by mountain climbers and explorers during traumatic survival situations that talks to the victim, gives practical advise and encouragement (x)
We set out for a peaceful hike up the mountain, but Mother Nature had other plans for us! Watch as our serene adventure turns into a wild battle against the elements. 🏔️💨 Have you ever had a hiking trip take an unexpected turn? Let us know in the comments below! Don't forget to like, share, and subscribe for more awesome hiking adventures. . . .
In case you didn't know, not only is Andy an incredible actor, producer, director, painter, photographer, dancer and musician, he's also an accomplished mountain climber, and summitted the Matterhorn in 1996!