March 21, I left the trailhead (Upper Dungeness, across from Tubal Cain trailhead) at 1230. My Prius had chains on for part of the drive, just barely enought clearance with the snow. The trail had snow starting at 4500 feet. Microspikes were sufficient. Real snow started at 5000 feet, and I wished I had my backcountry skis. I was postholing up to my knees consistently, but deeper sometimes on the east aspect in the shade where the snow was more powdery. But it wouldn't have been a good ski tour, as I would have had to take the skis off many, many times due to wind-swept bare areas.
Good Parking At Trailhead
Cougar Mountain, OR | Feb 2020
Cougar Mountain is an easy drive up near Seaside, OR. Or is it?
The conundrum comes because of two gates. Both were open when I went up, neither had signs, not even the seemingly mandatory warning about closing at any time. I rolled the dice this time, but now that I know what's up there I'll bring a bike if I come back.
Here are the directions which work regardless of your mode of transport. That includes the carefully driven passenger car, although this route had less than the normal amount of potholes, so not so carefully? Watch out for log trucks anyway.
Peak 3594, OR|Feb 2020
Update: I hauled my bicycle to the gate to do a biketavation of this summit. However, the gate was open and the sign restricting access was gone. This is as of 29-May-2021. Not sure what has happened but I drove up without incident. Missed the bike ride, but there will be others. Always a gamble driving past a gate.
Burnaby Mountain, BC | FEB 2020
You are in Vancouver for a short time, and want to activate a summit. Where to go? Burnaby Mountain!!
Burnaby Mountain Park is located just 30 minutes east of downtown Vancouver BC. The park offers scenic views, hiking trails, sculptures, and gardens. It also happens to be an easy one-point SOTA summit! It might be the easiest summit in Canada, eh? Most importantly it offers great views and interesting sculpture to keep your significant other / non-ham friends busy while you play radio.
PEAK 1380, OR | FEB 2020
Here is an easy drive up near Cole Mountain. Unpaved roads are good gravel with a few pot holes here and there. Should be alright in any vehicle as of this writing. My Garmin gps and google maps were worthless finding this summit. So here is my attempt to make it easier for the next activator.
Peak 1093, OR (Eagle Crest) | February 2020
Here's an unremarkable drive-up summit in the mid-Willamette Valley west of Salem.
Peak 6001 (Jean Lake Peak), Oregon | February 2020
I was looking for a reasonably tough snowshoe that could be accomplished in a day, and with few bonus point opportunities, and only so many sno parks, I kept coming back to my favorite mountains from last year. I decided to give this a try, and all things considered it went very well.
Cole Mountain, OR | January 2020
Cole Mountain is a drive-up in the Coast Range south of Highway 26 off of Highway 53. The road is passable in any passenger car and it's a radio quiet spot.
Peak 1700, OR | January 2020
We might call this Peterson Summit rather than Peak 1700 - it's a drive-up in the Coast Range about 20 miles north of Tillamook and 20 miles south of Cannon Beach. The road is totally "Prius-able" (passable in a passenger car).