I started out the day with much enthusiasm. This was a yet to be activated summit which made it a tad more exciting. I knew it would be an easy trip to the top, having ridden my mountain bike to within a quarter of a mile from the summit last year. All the gear (well, almost all the gear) was packed up the night before with a total weight of about 13 pounds, including bike repair items just in case.
This is a decent stop-off on the way to the Marys Peak day use area. The easiest approach is from the west, which has the least gain and the shortest path up to the logging roads up there.
NOTE: This route is only available during ski operations of Mt Bachelor Resort. The Summit Chair ski lift only runs during winter and spring ski operations.
Mount Bachelor offers one of the easiest 10-pointers in Oregon, if you want it. It is possible to buy a lift ticket and take the Summit Chair ski lift nearly to the activation zone. It is only a short hike to the summit proper from the top of the lift.
Thomas Cairn is a 4321 ft peak located 0.6 miles northeast of it's better known sister Snow Peak (4292ft) in Linn County, Oregon. The peaks are 14.3 miles east of the town of Scio. This summit could be accessed entirely on public lands (BLM) but it would be extremely difficult and treacherous when there is snow on the ground. This attempt was completed using a combination of BLM and private lands. The 7.0 mile round trip hike featured 1325 feet of elevation gain and was mostly done on BLM-access roads, jeep trails, logging roads and a bit of bushwacking.
Anderson Butte is a beautiful, year-round hike with incredible views of higher peaks throughout the Siskiyou, Coast, and Northern California ranges. There are multiple parking/trailhead options with access to both the peak and the Jack-Ash trailsystem connecting the Applegate Valley, Jacksonville, and Ashland.
0.5 miles; + 687 feet
This is a pleasant hike that begins at the historic Greenstone Mine just west of Apex, MT in the foothills of the East Pioneer Mountains.
First the TL;DR: This is a five star bike ride. I HIGHLY recommend this route. This route passes many different trailheads and parking areas along the Deschutes River, so it is possible to put together a ride that is shorter and easier. Much of the route is gradual uphill with Lava Butte itself being the real kicker.
This first time activation was done entirely upon private property. Written permission from the property owner was obtained prior to the attempt. Any subsequent attempts must granted prior written permission. Franklin Butte WV-097 is a 909ft peak located 2.5 miles south of the town of Scio, Oregon. The 2.5 mile round trip hike features 1 mile on a powerline access grass road and 1.5 miles of bushwacking to the summit along a ridgetop. The elevation gain is about 550 feet.
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