Easy Trail

Trail access to Round Mountain is good, but the last 100 meters or so of vertical is not. Cell service at the parking lot and on the summit is present, but spotty in between. I heard good strong signals for APRS on the summit. A comfortable skill set with crampons and ice axle will certainly make the last 100 meters or so pleasant. I have summited twice, once in winter on skis, and once late spring. Lots of snow still in June hence my recommendation to use crampons and ice axe. Not totally necessary, but certainly easier and easier on the vegatation.

Cuddy Mountain, W7I/SR-055, is ALMOST a drive up summit, if your vehicle can handle it. The road to Cuddy and Summers requires careful driving, high clearance, and 4WD certainly helps. I was glad we gave an extra day for the snow to melt out because there were a couple spots that would've been more difficult to get through in the Explorer if it had been deeper. A couple mud pits looked suspect, but be made it through okay. The roads up here are frequented by off road enthusists and you'll likely see some UTVs, ATVs, and dirt bikers.

Indian Spring Butte is very near Strawberry Mountain (W7O/NE-018) and it is possible to summit both in a single day. It is 0.8 miles one way and 600 feet of gain. There is no defined trail, but the access is straightforward because of minimal undergrowth under the tree canopy and it is an easy ridgeline to follow.

Mckinley Mountain was my 3rd summit up on the Scott Bar ridge for the day. I was coming from the west and there is some very rough and narrow sections of road with steep banks, no shoulder, worst was driving around Deadwood Baldy Peak (not a SOTA). If you come up from Deadwood Creek Rd this may be avoidable, I'm not sure. Either way, this country is not meant for passenger cars and make sure you have good tires and a spare. The hike is about .8mi up a inpassable road from RD 45N28, with about 650' gain.

This was my first of three in one day in N. CA just west of Yreka in the  Scott Bar Mountains. It was a pleasant area to activate, forested knoll with some large open spaces to set up in and look down to Scott Valley to the SE. It was still early and we were in the clouds a bit so couldn't see the distant mountains such as the Marble Mountains and Shasta too well but probably you can on a clear day, and depending which side of the summit you are on.

Trailhead: Goose Lake TH, Google maps will guide you there. 2WD is probably fine for this road. 

2.5 miles; + 1,700 feet

Sep 2023 Update: Buck Creek Road is closed a few miles from Highway 141 and so the shortest route to Monte Carlo described below isn't available just now. The longer routes appear to be acessable. 

2023 Update:

See latest update from Guy N7UN about DNR altering some roads in this area!

http://www.pnwsota.org/blog/n7un/2023-october-22/new-access-information-mt-mitchell 

2021 Trip Report:

Update: as of 7/2024 add about 1 mile to ascent due to large tree fall.