10-Jul-2024 -- This ‘forgotten’ Degree Confluence Point (visited just once before, almost 23 years ago) is probably one of the most remote Degree Confluence Points in the United States outside Alaska. The point lies in Oregon’s Three Sisters Wilderness, and is a 6.7-mile hike (each way) from the nearest road. (Even the trailhead is quite far from civilization.)

Fortunately, however, all but 0.3 miles of this 6.7-mile hike is on a trail, making it quite manageable. I ended up taking the exact same route as Jerry King, the previous visitor. I parked at the Pat Saddle Trailhead at [44.06121,-122.06195], and began hiking South along the Olallie Trail (#3529). At first, the trail passed through an especially beautiful section of forest, but then passed through a less-beautiful section of forest that - in recent years - had experienced a forest fire. One benefit of this section of trail, however, is that its cleared-out vegetation offered a good view of the Three Sisters volcanoes.

At [44.03684,-122.05352], after 2.3 miles of hiking, I encountered a trail junction (with the Olallie Mountain Trail). I continued left, along the Olallie Trail.

At [44.01681,-122.02592], after 4.4 total miles of hiking, I encountered a branch in the trail. I took the branch to the left (towards the Degree Confluence Point). It was here that I got a bit of a scare, because I saw signs posted saying that there was an "active fire in the area", and that I should “return to the entry trailhead and evacuate the area”. At first I was a bit puzzled, because I had seen no reports of current fires in the area, and I couldn’t see any smoke nearby. I then looked at the date posted on the sign, and saw that it was dated August 26th, 2023 - almost 1 year earlier!

I continued along the trail until its closest approach to the Degree Confluence Point - passing about 0.3 miles North of the point. At [44.00449,-121.99960], after 6.4 total miles of hiking, I left the trail and bushwhacked towards the point, which lies in a small clearing. (Fortunately I didn’t see (but also didn’t look for) any sign of the geocache that Jerry King left here in 2001.)

Because this is a wilderness area, I couldn’t legally fly my drone here to get an overhead view. However, I did record a video from ground level.

I returned to the Pat Saddle Trailhead by retracing my route. The 13.4-mile round-trip hike was the longest hike that I have ever done to visit a Degree Confluence Point. Nonetheless, the hike wasn't especially difficult, because there wasn't a lot of elevation change. However, there were a lot of annoying downed trees across the trail (because, in U.S. wilderness areas, rangers aren't allowed to use chainsaws to clear downed trees).