The Skinny:
Trail head: 44.9022, -121.7979
Trail Turn: 44.8958, -121.8424
Hike Distance : 6 miles round trip
Hike Elevation gain: 1600 ft
The Story:
Here's an easy first activation I thought. It has a write up! http://www.pnwsota.org/blog/kf7qlp/2015-may-28/sisi-butte-hour-late-and-dongle-short How often is that going to happen?
With those directions and help from two GPS programs, I made it to the trailhead. I went up 46 to 4690 and then to 4220. However, I returned by 4220 to 46 directly. I suggest that latter route, unless coming from the Detroit side. Both roads start out as single lane pavement. 4220 turns into good gravel. 4690 turns into a pot hole big rock mess. However, both were navigable by what used to be called an econo-box, and is now called a car. I wasn't in such a conveyance mind you, but my social distancing hiking companion was.
Once at the gate, hike up the road until it forks. Take the right fork that contours around the summit with the lookout on it. It leads to the saddle in between the lookout summit and the one you want. The road ends in the saddle. From there follow your GPS through the woods. I would call this bush whacking light, or faint trail. Anyway, the road ends and you head up hill in the same general direction the road was going. The forest ends in a scree slope and you clamber up that. On the way down we spotted a bit of a trail, but not much better than a random route up. The top is rocky and there are a few short trees about. There is more summit beyond where I stopped that might be better for using trees and still be in the activation zone. I noticed from aerial photos that it was rocky and brought my vertical. I made four contacts on 20M as well as four on 2M. Made it all the way back to Hillsboro on 2M which surprised me. Especially on a Tuesday.
According to “Oregon Geographical Names”, Sisi is Chinook Jargon for blanket (pa' see-sie). But one of the contacts and the other write up pronounced it sigh-sigh. However, I am tempted to rename it. That is because KF7OLP, took two tries to activate it and was not able to. I took one try and did activate, but it cost me my phone. Such bad luck. It will always be Cultus Butte to me.
