Hillman Peak is the highest summit on the rim of Crater Lake at over 8150' ASL. This pointed peak is not an easy climb, not because of the distance (1/2 to 3/4 mi) or elevation increase (less than 600'), but because it is so steep with a loose scree surface. Poles are essential to getting the traction to get up the slope.
My wife and I launched up this challenging slope in the afternoon as our second summit of the day. We quickly saw how difficult it was and picked a strategy for this essentially trail-less summit. Part of the way up, we realized that it was going to be too much for her, so I left her in shade part of the way up slope and continued on alone. After about 45 mins of struggling, I was in the activation zone. The very top looked too tricky to safely reach, so I set up about 40' below the top.
Moving around on this summit was difficult, so I decided that deploying the 88' inverted vee was too much. There goes 40m. I used the 31' Jackite pole to push up a 20m EFHW wire. I stayed on 20m CW and made 6 QSOs. At that point, I thought I heard Christina yelling for me. I called back to her but heard no reply. I decided to repack and head down the hill to find her. I am sorry to those chasers that I missed. Maybe next year, although my wife said I could do it without her. Anyway, we survived and the activation is in the log.
Remember that this is a national park and that everything is protected - trees, rocks, soil. No tying antennas to trees or putting stakes in the ground. Broken Arrow Campground at the south end of Diamond Lake is a convenient and plesant place to stay compared to the NPS campgrounds: https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/231979.
