Tanner Butte is perhaps the most remote SOTA summit in Oregon's Northern Cascades. Despite many resources that point out the trail length at 17 miles, measured from the GPS track it shows up as right at 20 miles round trip, with 4500 feet of elevation gain. You won't see many other hikers on these remote trails.
I echo AK5SD's comments. Don't go thru the gate but park in nearby areas at the gate. This road is frequented by fire crews and other Rangers who may be only visiting the lookout for a few minutes. Don't get caught behind a locked gate! And the lookout road is mostly a one-way which would create problems if you met traffic. It's only about a mile hike (750 ft elev gain) from the gate to the lookout.
Chelan Crest SOTA Outing July 23-25, 2016 – Part 2. See separate report on PNWSOTA website with background on outing and day 1 description. The total trip was approximately 25 miles RT, with approximately 7,000 feet elevation gain, including ups and downs in between the various peaks. This is report 2 of 4, Graham Mountain.
This was my second activation of Mores Mountain. This Mountain makes for a nice double with Shafer Butte. See our (w/K7ZO) previous trip report for more information. Parking at the forest service picnic ground at the saddle between the two summits makes a nice base camp for restocking or having lunch before/after the activations. Note there is a $5 per car self-pay to drive into the picnic area. Picnic tables and pit toilets along with the central location
It makes for a very long day (about 17 miles total), but this Wildcat Mountain (WV-046) can also be reached from Huckleberry Mountain via the Plaza Ridge Trail #783 and the Douglas Trail #781. It's also quite beautiful - a stunning ridge hike in the Salmon-Huckleberry Wilderness.
This summit lies on the south side of Florence. The trail rises 350 to 400’ over about one mile. The summit is covered with RF equipment which did not seem to cause much interference to my HF station.
The Scalplock Lookout Trail is 4.7 miles and 3,100 vertical feet on a very nice trail that begins at the Walton Ranger Station near Essex, MT. This is a less visited side of the Park. No entrance fees are required and it is much less crowded than many other park trails. The following link offers an excellent trail description:
Broken Top is an eroded stratovolcano about 25 miles west of Bend Oregon in the Three
Sisters Wilderness. It can be reached by traveling to Mount Bachelor on the Cascades
Lake Highway (County Hwy 46) and then continuing west towards to the Green Lakes/Fall
Creek trailhead. Round trip to the summit and back is about 12 miles. The summit reaches
an altitude of 9175 feet.
A Northwest Forest Pass is required to park at the trailhead, or a one day pass can be
picked up at the trailhead for five bucks. A no-cost permit for entry to the wilderness
A nice hike through second growth forest will get you to the former fire lookout site on top of Stormy Mountain. You might consider activating Slide Peak, W7W/CH-202 as you'll be passing right by the trailhead for that summit.
Githens Mountain in the Clackamas River drainage is a short, one mile hike and only about 500 feet of gain. It can be activated along with nearby Tumala (Squaw) Mountain from the same trailhead. Finding the summit may require a GPS, as it's not on the trail and isn't particularly distinct.