An icy wind had been blowing hard all morning; smacking into the Sisters and forming summit hiding lenticular clouds before funnelling down the pass. On the drive up, the spectacular fall color was showered with billows of fir, pine, hemlock and tamarack needles. The needles falling looked like amber snow.
After leaving Huckleberry lake, I drove up to the top of the pass to see if the mountains had finally been released from their cloudy shroud.North and Middle Sister
The dogs were not pleased about sitting on sharp lava and left me no time to focus this picture. 
For years Camper lake has intrigued me as I dreamt of adventures old and new while reading the Three Sisters Wilderness maps. I have never seen a trail head and wasn't sure the lake had not just evolved into a meadow. I decided to give Google Earth a try and sure enough there was a water filled lake just where the map said it should be. (Google Earth takes map dreaming to a whole new level.)
I searched a mile of the roadside for a trail into the lake. Finding none, I parked at a pullout, set my compass and bushwhacked. Not 50' into our trek we came upon a butchered deer carcass abandoned by hunters. The smell was unmistakable and extremely enticing to the dogs. What dog could resist rolling in the stench?
The bushwhack was exactly that along with climbing over numerous downed trees. The new growth of hemlocks was so dense that I headed up and over the ridge rather then follow a narrow valley to the lake. Thousands Lodgepole pine killed during the bark beetle infestation had fallen like tiddlywinks. The dogs and I found our individual way up, over, around and through the piles of trees and thick underbrush.
Our arduous excursion was more than worth it. We broke out of the woods to this view
and a pristine lake.
The only footprints were wildlife and ours.
While the dogs played in the water, I searched the shoreline for a trail back to the road. I did not even find evidence of an old campsite. I am not the only one to have overlooked this gem. 
Not wanting to clamber over the ridge again, I took the longer, bushier, lower route along the lake outlet back to the road. No compass needed. The dogs headed right for the discarded carcass. Fortunately I always carry "dog towels" in the van. I used the water they had carried on the hike and gave each dog a quick bath before loading up.
.jpg)
