This summit is attained in a 4.5 mile, 3500 ft elevation gain hike with well maintained trial for the first half and reasonable trail with loose rock the rest of the way to the top. The trail head is easy to find once you know what you are looking for. There are a few key GPS waypoints that ease your way tremendously. I would not have been able to make this activation without tips from KC7DM, so a huge thank you to him.
West Butte (W7O/CE-111) is a prominent peak located about 23 miles east of Bend, north of Hwy 20. I completed it’s first activation in September 2020, which is surprising considering the mountain’s close proximity to Bend. While much of the summit is within BLM public lands, access is somewhat limited.
Mount Tiny is within the Anaconda Pintler Wilderness Area near Georgetown Lake. Mount Tiny is a great SOTA double with its neighbor Little Rainbow Mountain, W7M/BR-071.
Little Rainbow Mountain is within the Anaconda Pintler Wilderness Area. The summit provides excellent views of high mountain lakes and open alpine SOTA peaks. Little Rainbow is a great SOTA double with its neighbor Mount Tiny, W7M/BR-079
Three Lakes Peak is just within the Flathead Indian Reservation along the Reservation Divide. The summit has great views of the Confederate Salish-Kootenai Tribes land, the Flathead River, three alpine lakes, the Mission Mountains and the Ninemile Valley. A Flathead Reservation Use Permit is required.
Bunker Hill is an unremarkable summit that can be reached, cautiously, with a 4WD vehicle. After you leave the highway, the way up has a number of branch points; GPS or a map will be handy. When you get to the yellow gate, take down your antennas and be carefree about your paint getting scratched, otherwise, park here and hike up. It is roughly a 300' climb over half a mile.
Here is a gaiagps map with driving and hiking information: W7O/NC-038 route.
Vermilion Peak is accessed via a moderately climbing trail in the southern Cabinet Mountains. It also makes an easy SOTA double when teamed up with Mount Headley, W7M/LO-018. The summit has fine views of nearby summits and distant peaks, like the Cabinet Mountains Wilderness Area.
Mount Headley is easily accessed via a moderately climbing trail in the southern Cabinet Mountains. It also makes an easy SOTA double when teamed up with Vermilion Peak, W7M/LO-056. The summit is the tallest in the area and has fine views of nearby summits, lakes and distant peaks. Be sure to stop and view Graves Creek Falls w
0.9 miles, +500 ft, -100 ft
This is a pleasant hike through a thick lodgepole pine forest. The summit is a grassy meadow with some trees and views of the forested hills to the west. It is prudent to take a chain saw for the drive in, in case if the road is blocked. Note that the road is not open to motorized use from Oct. 15 – June 30. The road is suitable for all vehicles.
I approached this peak on a backpacking trip from the west, from Bear Lake, and hiked on Indian Heaven Trail to Lemei Trail; this made it 6 miles and 1100' gain. You can approach instead from Lemei Trailhead, making this a 9 mile, 2500' gain hike.