From Bellingham , take Highway 542 to Deming and a few miles further to Mosquito Lake Road . Turn right on Mosquito Lake Road until road 38, a dirt road branching off on the left. Follow 38, a nice gravel road to the trailhead. There is a winter closure gate 2 miles before the trailhead.
Home
WillhiteWeb.com - Hiking, Climbing and Travel

Sister Divide

An obscure peak in a divine location, Sister Divide is part of a ridgeline that connects the Mount Baker peaks to the Twin Sisters Mountains . Both seem to tower over Sister Divide with the Twin Sisters giving an Amphitheater feel to the area. A nice trail up much of the route makes this an excellent late season snow climb.
Distance: 4 miles
Summit Elevation: 5,060 feet
Elevation Gain: 3,000 feet
Access: Good Gravel
Route:
WA Hikes & Climbs
Access:
The Elbow Lake Trail reaches the Middle Fork Nooksack River within a few minutes. The bridge is subject to washout. Soon the trail is climbing above Green Creek Valley in a nice old growth forest. At 2,600 feet the trail turns up into Hildebrand Creek drainage. Somewhere between 3,200 and 3,400 feet, turn south going off trail toward the Sister Divide Highpoint. As you approach the summit ridges, many rocky ridges appear. In summer, several steep hill slopes could easily be climbed to reach the summit area. In winter, caution will need to be used to pick the best one with least avalanche potential. Due to the ruggedness of the ridge north of the summit, the top is easily reached from the northwestern slopes on the Lake Wiseman side. Do not do this peak if there is any avalanche danger, steep slopes must be traversed.
nooksack river elbow lake trail sister divide climb sister divide climb sister divide washington Mount Baker sister divide cliffs sister divide ridge sister divide route mount baker sister divide summit Wiseman Lake sister divide traverse Wiseman Lake climbing in washington washington climbing sister divide elbow lake map Twin Sisters
Twin Sisters - East Side
Wiseman Lake
Wiseman Lake
Summit ridge we traversed below
On the summit ridge before the impass
On top
Nearing point 5197 north of the summit
Log crossing
On the trail
Reaching treeline
At 4,400 feet
Climbing to the crest just west of point 5197
Mount Baker
Cliffs north of the summit
Traversing below the rocky north summit ridge
Good stuff
Bonus Peak:
Shown on the map below is "Goat Cheese" Mountain. A simple ascent can be made from the trail as you get near Elbow Lake. The forest is mostly open and generally easy going.
sis divide