Open Backpack - Many Lakes Loop via Deer Lake Trail (Three Sisters Wilderness)

I am requiring leader permission to ensure I check in with everyone in the group. Good candidates for this trip will love big dogs and high lake swimming, be willing to drive to Central Oregon, and be willing to hike slow.

This is a dog friendly hike with a large malamute participating. If you would like to bring your dog the dog will need to be easy going and friendly and you will need to have a good system for backpacking with the dog on a leash. I will not allow more than two dogs on this trip.

The plan will be to hike 5.5 miles to Kershaw Lake with about 1700 feet of gain, arriving at camp by 4:30pm. We will set up camp and explore the last 1.5 miles of trail after dinner.

On Sunday we will break camp around 8am, hike back the way we came, and get back to the trailhead around noon.

We will hike at a gentle 1.5mph, taking frequent breaks. We will stop for an extended lunch (~20 minutes).

Bear cans are not required. I will be using an ursack. 

Meet at the Deer Lake Trailhead at 12:30pm on Saturday September 13th. Please note that this is six hours from Olympia. There is optional camping there  at Little Cultus Lake.

Trailhead is 25 miles west of Sunriver at Little Cultus Lake on Forest Road 640. Trail begins on the left, 1/4 mile after turning right off Forest Road 4636.

I have a permit for 6 for Central Cascades entering at Many Lakes or Deer Lake for September 13-14. I thought my plan could be to start at Deer Lake Trailhead. The distance from there to the other end of many lakes trail is 7 miles with like 900 ft of gain. I thought we could meet up there around 12pm and hike 5.5 miles to one of the bigger lakes on the Many Lakes Trail Kershaw, arriving at camp by 4pm. Then people could explore the last mile and a half of the trail and lakes after setting up camp and we could hike back out Sunday. There is a reservable camp Little Cultus Campground near the trailhead and I will encourage people to book a night there on Sunday night if they want to stay a bit longer in the area. I can make this trip dog friendly if you want to join and will be posting it soon.