NE7ET's blog

As we were driving through Winnemucca, NV on the way back from AZ, I seized the opportunity to activate W7N/HU-089, which is a paved, slightly potholed drive-up summit.

There are a lot of electrical wires going ever which way around the summit so I picked a somewhat open area towards the south side of the activation zone and tied my fiberglass mast to the fence surrounding the communcations towers.

I was able to quickly raise 11 QSOs on 20m and then switched to 40m for another 8 including a S2S with N6AN.

2m was pretty much dead with only 1 QSO to my dear XYL.

On a recent trip back from Arizona, we stopped overnight in Battle Mountain, NV.  A 10pt summit (W7N/EL-017) was a mere 50 mins away so I made time to head up there.  Previous reports indicated that it was an easy, if somewhat long, drive up to the summit and I found that the dirt road was still in excellent shape, though there are several tight switchbacks to be nagivated.

On a recent trip over to eastern Oregon, I had the opportunity to stop in Madras and a nearby summit Round Butte (W7O/CN-074) beckoned.  The directions from Google Maps led me up the approach from the north which turns onto a dirt road.  It is drivable in good, dry conditions but if you are at all worried there is another approach by continuing on west and around which finally climbs from the south.  That road is paved all the way to the top.  The paving is crumbling in places but still drivable.

I had planned to activate a few summits before helping with the Tillamook Burn 100 Miler race but it was cancelled and I had already made the overnight reservations so I decided to activate my way back from Cape Lookout to Portland via Blaine Rd / Nestucca Rd.

NOTE: please see this entry for updated details.

This summit is located on Stimson land and according to the Stimson office, which KG7WED called, can be access on foot.

One approach is via Flisram Rd which is gated with a sign.

(Actually there are 2 signs: one is the standard non-motorized entry allowed during non-business hours but just behind that one is the one which says no entry except by permit.  Apparently, the one behind is no longer correct.)

WARNING: Google Maps insists that there is a drivable road up through the South Fork Prison.  Let me assure you there is not.  It is clearly posted No Trespassing and they mean it.  The route should start from the intersection of Hwy 6 and Ben Smith Rd.

On the 3rd day of our Bend trip, I got dropped off at the Lava Butte Visitor Center while my wife and kids sped off to the Bend High Desert Museum.  The hike to the top was on a very nice, paved road for 1.75 miles.  I made it up in an hour and looked around the lower level of the firewatch tower on the summit and the surrounding views.

Following my activation of Wampus Butte (W7O/CM-095), I proceeded to the next stop on Pringle Butte.  It's only a couple miles drive to there and the summit is almost a drive up.  Google Maps gave excellent directions to the summit and I probably could have driven all the way but on the last turn up to the top there is a little bit of a washout and I decided to just hike the last 0.4 miles.  The summit has a large flat area with a turnaround.  It would likely be a nice overnight camping area though there don't appear to be any established campsites.

WARNING: Google Maps will route you on a road that is no longer publically accessible.

After activating Tumalo Mountain (W7O/CM-011), I proceeded south to Wampus Butte (W7O/CM-095) for another activation and winter bonus.  This summit had not been activated since 2014 and significant changes have occured.

On the second day of our Bend trip, I got up early and drove up to Dutchman Flat Sno-Park just across the road from Mt Bachelor skiing.  There were a few remaining parking spaces and some snowmobilers unloading.  I started up the snowtrack over by the restrooms.  At some point, the GPS points up hill and you pick out a likely set of ski or snowshow tracks and follow it uphill.  Eventually, they all seem to lead to the summit.  There are a few orange no-motorized area signs towards the top but those were the only markers visible in the forest.  I ran across a fe