Here's a drive-up summit a few miles off Highway 26 when you are on your way to the coast. Not from from the well-trod Saddle Mountain, W7O/NC-004, it's one more point for the ambitious activator. The roads are easily traveled in a passenger car.
Huckleberry Mountain and its lookout is well known and for very good reasons. The catwalk around the elevated lookout offers wonderful, 360 degree views. All of the major snow capped peaks from Mt Hood to Thielsen and McLoughlin are visible. In addition, detailed views down into the nearby foothills are there for our enjoyment. The lookout makes a great place to do radio.
NF-2611 road leads to two summits north of Highway 126 near Leeburg, OR. Coming from Springfield, go about 27 miles east of the Main St/126 intersection. Turn north on NF-2611 (near MP 34) and follow the main road 4.5 miles to a large intersection and clearing. Each summit is worth two points.
Had fun today Sunday 5/7 up at Skyline Ridge in West Linn. I got a last minute notice that Etienne K7ATN and Glenn KG7TDC were going up to this park not far from me, so why not? I loaded up the KX2 and my new toy the W4OP loop.after working a few guys on 146.52 (KG7VAK and NS0TA) we set up the loop on a camera tripod. we tuned it up on 20 and Glenn worked a few using my paddle as a straight key, and then I took over for a quick 11 Qs-into the Midwest, southeast and CA All the sigs were strong - goes to show the band may be open even if you don't hear anything!
(0.2 miles, + 155 feet)
This summit is on USFS land & is covered by the Beaverhead-Deerlodge-Central map. The area is open to motorized vehicles on designated routes Dec.3 – Oct. 14.
The trailhead may be approached either from the north (Moose Creek / Maiden Rock I-15 exit), or the south (Melrose I-15 exit). The northern road has two stream crossings that could be problematic during high runoff. The road from the Melrose exit (Trapper Creek Road) is better.
(0.6 miles, + 560 feet)
This summit is on USFS land & is covered by the Beaverhead-Deerlodge-Central map. The area is open to motorized vehicles on designated routes Dec.3 – Oct. 14.
(1.5 miles, + 930 feet)
From I-15: Take Exit-99 (Moose Creek) & head east up the Moose Creek Road towards the Humbug Spires Wilderness Study Area. Drive 2.9 miles up the Moose Creek Road (gravel) & park on the left side of the road near the fenced culvert that conveys flow for the drainage to the north under the road. It is likely best to climb directly up this drainage. I will describe the route that I took, which is a bit more circuitous, but still quite nice.
A bit of research showed several gems waiting to be Activated, while the high country is still buried in deep, unstable snow. Tibbetts Mountain is a 4 point SOTA Summit, of a modest 4,115 feet elevation. It has a fantastic vantage point, overlooking the beautiful Wenatchee River Valley, the City of Wenatchee, and several towns lying along SR 2, the major east / west highway connecting western and eastern Washington State. We opted for the more reasonable north approach, which is mainly a very steep forest service road, with about 1/4 mile of easy off road climb along the summit ridge. The total distance is 6.2 miles RT, with approximately 1,850 feet elvation gain. A bonus was that the apple orchards in the Wenatchee River Valley were in full bloom, and the mountain flower were awaking from winter slumber.
We finally got to Activate Old Pass Hill, after snowshoeing by it a number of times before. Old Pass Hill is a 4 point SOTA Summit of 4,885 feet elevation. In winter, the route is mostly avalanche free, and so is a semi popoluar snowshoe trip. A nice spring day, right before a change in weather, yielded a mostly sunny early morning, with increasing wind and clouds later in the mid day. The temperature at departure from the TH was 37 degrees, and the snow was firm enough to hike on without snowshoes. On the return trip, it had warmed up enough to require snowshoes, and we were gald we had carried them in. The trip is approximately 8.15 miles RT, with about 1,500 feet elevation gain, including many ups and downs along the ridge beween Swauk Creek & Scotty Creek in the Wenatchee Mountains, west of Blewett Pass. We only saw 2 other people the entire day.