Here's a quick report on my activation yesterday of W7I/NI-106, ie, 6114. The mountain is on the Idaho-Montana border, just off Interstate-90, and across the valley from the Lookout Pass Ski area. This area seems to get snow when other places don't. So although the ski season has been rather boring here, this hike provided a nice opportunity to get into the woods and do an activation again.
Krell Hill is a 3600 foot peak to the south-east of Spokane. It's also known as Tower Mountain for reasons that are obvious to those from the area. The tower complex looms over the City of Spokane, spanning most of the ridge to the south-east of town. It hosts 3 major TV stations and numerous other transmitters. Access to the hill is either from a gated road to the south-west, or from the trail system of the Iller Creek Conservation Area to the north or southeast. Iller Creek has many hiking and biking options.
It was a cool rainy day in Spokane. My wife Sarah, our friend Kelly, and I wanted to do a hike. And I wanted to do an activation. So we settled on a hike to Quartz Peak. Quartz Peak is another peak within the Mount Spokane State Park. The peak is right in the middle of the Mount Spokane Nordic Park, a premier location for cross-country skiing in Eastern Washington. Parking for the hike is easy. Simply park at the cross country ski area parking lot. You'll need a Discovery Pass when the ski area isn't open, and you'll need a sno-pass when the ski area is open.
About 35 miles from downtown Spokane, Mount Spokane (aka W7W/WE-006 Jump-off Joe) is a fixture of Eastern Washington outdoor recreation.