South Sister Adventure Elopement Photographer

This is a guide to how and when to plan your adventure elopement at South Sister here in Bend, Oregon.

2024 Permit Update

Permits are now required to hike in the wilderness (from May – October). Which includes South Sister. Permits are released 10 days and 2 days prior at 7 am. Head here to plan how to grab your permit.

https://www.recreation.gov/permits/4675312

Our Giveaway winners were married on the top of South Sister last September. Here are their photos and Mike Hiatt’s video.

Here is a fast slideshow of the entire wedding day.

We’re better behind the camera;)

Elopement Giveaway

Mike Hiatt Media, Amanda Claire and Company, Hey You Flowers, Wedventure Mag, and I (Ely Roberts Photography) are offering up an elopement giveaway. We are including a full day hike package for one lucky couple.

Photography:

Photos will be captured by Ely Roberts Photography and delivered in an online gallery with full print rights are included. Coverage date options are September 1st-3rd. Coverage is only of a South Sister Elopement. Rescheduling is not an option and there is no cash value.

Videography:

Mike Hiatt will provide an Online Video that will be delivered and Coverage date options are September 1st-3rd. Coverage is only of a South Sister Elopement. Rescheduling is not an option and there is no cash value.

Officiating:

Amanda Claire and Company will be officiating. Ceremony officiating is only good for one day on September 1st-3rd. and on the top of South Sister Elopement. Rescheduling is not an option and there is no cash value.

Florals:

Britney from Hey You Flowers is giving away two Floral Items: (Bouquet, Boutenier, or Floral Crown). Only good for September 1st-3rd. Rescheduling is not an option and there is no cash value.

Publication:

There is a strong chance that Wedventure Mag will be publishing your elopement. Wedventrue Mag is one of the PNW most amazing wedding and elopement magazine’s

How to enter to win:

Follow Hey You Flowers, Amanda Claire and Company, Ely Roberts Photography (@elyseyes), Mike Hiatt Media, Wedventuremag and Bend Oregon Elopement on Instagram, and then fill out our form at the bottom of the page. Put “South Sister Giveaway” in the title and tell us your story and why you are choosing to do an Adventure elopement. We will pick the best story. We are taking entries until August 4th and we will announce a winner on August 5th. Must be a real elopement.

About South Sister

South Sister is located just outside of Bend, Oregon, and is the 3rd tallest mountain in Oregon sitting at 10,362 feet (3158 meters). You will most likely see snow at the top and the view is outstanding. On a clear day, you can see Mt. Bachelor to your south, Broken Top and Bend to the east, and middle and North Sister, Mt Washington, Three Finger Jack, and Mt Jefferson to your north.

When to plan your South Sister Elopement?

Summer is your only option for hiking South Sister. From the months of sometime in October till July, there will probably be too much snow to access the peak, so mid-July until mid-September are the best months. The photos below are from the second week in September of 2019 and we had 1″ of fresh snow on the last mile.

How to hike South Sister?

The South Sister Trailhead is located at Devils Lake and costs $5 to park for the day. It’s mostly recommended to leave early in the am. You will want to bring a lunch and plenty of water. The hike is 6 miles each way (12 miles round trip) and a 4820-foot (1469 Meter) elevation gain. In 2021 you will most likely have to obtain a permit to hike to the summit, so be sure to plan ahead. Feel free to contact me for more details on where to get a permit.

Our First Hike up South Sister.

My wife, Abby, and our friend Ashley hiked to the summit for a scouting trip to get a good sense of the views and difficulty of the trip. We definitely felt the lack of oxygen in the last mile but it was worth it.

Unfortunately, we reach the top around 10 am and the clouds rolled in to stay for the rest of the day, but we did get a peek down on some lakes and smaller peaks. Scroll through these images to get an idea of what you could see. We did find it to be pretty warm with the sun bouncing off of the snow and heating us up.

The beginning of the hike is pretty steep and then you reach a flat area and re greeted with an amazing view of the mountain.

Just over halfway through the hike, you start climbing again and it is pretty steep.

You will come to a small glacial lake before you reach the last mile or so. The last stretch from here is very steep and there is a lot of loose gravel. The loose gravel just adds a little extra challenge to each step, but we never felt like it was dangerous.  

Once you reach the top, you feel like you are on top of the world and then you travel around what looks like a small crater.

The east side of the summit is where you will see most of your views and might want to be careful if you are afraid of heights.

I think the whole trip took us around 6.5 hours from the trailhead and we had lunch and hung out at the top for about an hour.