Trip Date: January 26-28, 2021

Dutchman – Three Creek Ski Traverse:  Dutchman Flat Sno-Park to Upper Three Creek Sno-Park

Dutchman Flat
Tumalo Creek
Happy Valley Hut
Lone Lake & Wolf Lake
Lone Wolf Hut
Three Creek Meadow
Jeff View Shelter

Trip Report Summary

Region: Oregon

Sub-Region: Central Oregon Cascades

Sub-Sub-Region: Deschutes Mountains

Area: Deschutes National Forest

Starting Point: Dutchman Flat Sno-Park on Cascade Lakes Highway #46 (Elev. 6350 feet)

Way Points: Dutchman Flat & Middle Fork Tumalo Creek & Falls Crossing & North Fork Tumalo Creek & Happy Valley Hut & Happy Valley & Rock Creek & Lone Wolf Junction & Bottle Creek & Lone Lake & Wolf Lake & Lone Wolf Hut & Three Creek & Three Creek Meadow & Little Three Creek & Jeff View Shelter (ski tour) 

High Point: Moon Plateau (Elev. 6800 feet)

Ending Point: Upper Three Creek Sno-Park on Three Creek Road #16 (Elev. 5150 feet)

Accommodations: Happy Valley Hut & Lone Wolf Hut (owned by TSBC)

Approximate Stats: 20 miles traveled; 1900 feet gained; 3100 feet lost.

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Trip Overview

Doug, Eileen, and I teamed up for a mid-winter backcountry hut-to-hut ski traverse in the Deschutes Mountains of central Oregon.  During three splendid days, our traverse covered 20 miles of varied terrain in a wide arc around the eastern boundary of Three Sisters Wilderness.  We were entirely self-guided but followed the route and enjoyed the facilities of Three Sisters Backcountry, Inc. (TSBC), a local ski adventure company.  By good fortune, our schedule coincided with a vigorous storm cycle; we started our trip with 12 inches of fresh powder snow and finished with an additional 6 inches.

Route and Terrain

The Dutchman – Three Creek Ski Traverse begins at Dutchman Flat Sno-Park near Mt. Bachelor Ski Area and ends at Upper Three Creek Sno-Park near the town of Sisters.  Parts of this northbound route follow existing ski trails and snowmobile roads, whereas other parts involve cross-country travel through open forests and expansive meadows.  Nearly all of the terrain is fairly flat or gently rolling—and purely delightful for ski touring. Except for the final descent on Day 3, the entire traverse stays between elevations of 6300 feet and 6800 feet.

Navigating the maze of ski trails and snowmobile roads along the traverse route is pretty straightforward, thanks to ample blue diamonds and good junction signage.  Cross-country navigation is a bit more difficult but greatly assisted by hundreds of yellow or orange flags placed on trees at frequent intervals.  In addition, TSBC has installed blue mile-marker disks indicating the distance to the next hut.

As a further navigation aid, TSBC provides each traverse party with a set of large-format, laminated, topographic maps showing the established route.  I kept these maps clipped to the outside of my backpack throughout the entire trip. Doug and Eileen found this arrangement to be both convenient and comical.

Accommodations

Overnight accommodations are provided by two comfortable huts—Happy Valley Hut and Lone Wolf Hut—located at one-third intervals along the traverse route.  This spacing divides the trek into three segments of 6 to 7 miles each.  Both huts are virtually identical in construction and layout:  they consist of modular wooden structures with a monitor-style roof and twin rows of clerestory windows. 

The interior of each hut has a wood-burning stove, a small kitchen, a well-stocked pantry, a central table, four perimeter bunks, and four loft bunks.  Although mountain huts are often dark inside, the monitor windows help to gather more daylight.  LED tube lights and a propane lantern offer nighttime illumination.

Both huts have an outhouse privy and a storage tank for gray-water disposal.  Because there are no creeks or springs nearby, water must be obtained by melting snow—ideally, collected far from the “P” spot.

Transportation

All trips begin with an instructional meeting at Upper Three Creek Sno-Park on Forest Road #16.  Cars are then left there during the ski traverse, and a local shuttle service (Cog Wild) transports skiers and gear up to Dutchman Flat Sno-Park in a van.  This shuttle between the two sno-parks takes approximately 90 minutes.

Hut Provisions

Both huts have a full arsenal of pots, pans, and kitchen utensils; a pantry stocked with a variety of canned, bottled, or dry food staples; and a large stash of quality beer. Consequently, traverse parties don’t need to carry any utensils or provisions except for perishable foods and special beverages, as desired.  We elected to supplement our dinners and breakfasts with sausages, vegetables, and cheese, plus wine.  Our other hut gear included a sleeping bag or quilt, a pillow, and slippers or booties.

Ski Equipment

Based on recommendations by TSBC, we all used medium-width, fishscale-base, backcountry touring skis with either 75-mm bindings or NNN-BC bindings. These were combined with compatible touring boots and adjustable ski poles, as well as climbing skins, which we used on one steeper ascent.  Overall, this setup worked very well for the terrain and snow conditions encountered. 

For more information regarding the various equipment that I used for this particular trip and that I typically use for this type of trip, see my gear reviews on the following pages:

>>> Backcountry Nordic Ski Touring Gear

>>> Backcountry Ski & Snowshoe Packs

>>> Wintertime Comfort Accessories

Full Trip Report

Day 1: Dutchman Flat Sno-Park to Happy Valley Hut

Doug, Eileen, and I headed out from Dutchman Flat Sno-Park on a partly cloudy Tuesday morning with a light snow falling.  The temperature was 14 degrees F, but a stiff wind blowing across the flat made it seem much colder. 

After a level mile of kicking and gliding, we turned left onto a marked Forest Service ski trail and followed it for another 1½ miles to a snowmobile road crossing.  Here, we donned climbing skins and ascended moderately steep slopes for 300 vertical feet to gain the broad, forested Moon Plateau—the high point of our entire traverse.  Colored flags and previous ski tracks then led us northeastward across this plateau, around the headwaters of Tumalo Creek.  The morning’s light snowfall became heavier as the day progressed; by early afternoon, large snowflakes were falling.

We eventually encountered a 1-mile-to-go marker and began angling down to North Fork Tumalo Creek, which flows through Happy Valley.  It was about 3:00pm when we arrived at Happy Valley Hut, hidden in deep woods beside the creek (4.9 hours + 6.5 miles + 850 feet from starting point).

Inside the hut, we found a warm fire glowing in the woodstove—a much-appreciated service provided by TSBC.  We unpacked our gear, and then while Eileen got things organized, Doug and I made a 1-hour reconnaissance of the local terrain.  Not to complain, but we discovered that there was actually too much fresh powder snow to facilitate telemark skiing on the gentle slopes!

Per TSBC custom, dinner in the Happy Valley Hut always has an Italian theme.  We used pasta, marinara sauce, and canned vegetables from the hut pantry, supplemented with sausages, fresh vegetables, and red wine from our backpacks.  This all seemed pretty epicurean for a mountain cabin!

Day 2: Happy Valley Hut to Lone Wolf Hut

A night of steady snowfall delivered several inches of new snow by morning. After devouring a hearty breakfast of eggs, hashbrowns, and sausage, we packed up and headed out.  Our ski day started with an easy 2-mile kick-and-glide through Happy Valley on a snowmobile road.  

We left the road at Lone Wolf Junction and began a long traverse through pleasantly open, undulating forest.  Because the combination of fresh and windblown snow covered up all traces of previous ski tracks, the rest of our day involved continuous trail-breaking and an incessant search for colored flags.

The flagged route took us up Bottle Creek, then northward past Lone Lake and Wolf Lake.  Beyond these small lakes, our ski route coincided with the Metolius–Windigo Trail, a 140-mile-long hiker/horse trail extending through central Oregon.  Snowfall ranged from light to heavy throughout the day, thereby adding several more inches to yesterday’s accumulation.

We reached Lone Wolf Hut at 3:30pm (6.0 hours + 7.2 miles + 800 feet from Happy Valley Hut) as an afternoon blizzard ramped up.  Because this hut sits atop an exposed ridge, wind gusts were battering the walls and scouring the snow.

We hustled through the front door, stoked the already-warm woodstove, and spent the remainder of our day relaxing inside the hut.  Keeping with Lone Wolf tradition, tonight’s dinner had a Mexican theme—again using ingredients from both pantry and backpack. 

Day 3: Lone Wolf Hut to Upper Three Creek Sno-Park

The storm gradually abated during the night, such that we awoke to calmer, slightly warmer, and partly sunny weather.  By 9:30am, we had chowed down, packed up, and headed out.  Our ski route initially took us through Three Creek Meadow on a confusing array of campground roads.

Once past Three Creek Meadow, we crossed over the Metolius–Windigo Trail and entered a burned-out forest.  I always marvel at the artistic effect created by this combination of stark snags and pristine snow. 

We soon came upon a set of fresh ski tracks that had been laid down by our friend Greg, who had skied up from Upper Three Creek Sno-Park earlier this morning. After several miles, we arrived at Jeff View Shelter, where Greg was waiting for us.  This modest shelter sits among an impressive network of ski and snowshoe trails established by Deschutes National Forest.

The final leg of our traverse involved a 2-mile descent on a wide, well-traveled trail.  We zoomed down the trail and arrived at Upper Three Creek Sno-Park in early afternoon (3.8 hours + 6.3 miles + 250 feet from Lone Wolf Hut).  It had been a thoroughly fun and satisfying traverse, greatly enhanced by a thick blanket of fresh snow.

Route Maps & Profile

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Photo Gallery

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