Here's a drive-up summit with a fire lookout (one you can rent) in Eastern Oregon. You might spring for a lookout reservation and enjoy being chased all day long - but you can also stay below te lookout on the road and let the occupants enjoy their solitude while you activate this peak.
Here's an easy road walk in Eastern Oregon of about 2.1 miles round trip and 400 feet of gain. Interestingly, there's only one "Lake Butte" in Oregon - and there's no lake near it.
If you find yourself along the eastern stretches of Highway 26 and have a high clearance vehicle, this would be a nice hike of about 2.5 miles round trip to an operating fire lookout. You may elect to drive to the summit, but you may find it more comfortable to hike the narrow steep section. There was snow partially blocking the road in late June, another reason to walk the last bit.
Here for some activation fun west of Trout Lake, Washington is Peak 4420 or Monte Cristo Range High Point. It's a bit out of the way, but is a near drive-up four pointer accessed by a road that a passenger car can handle. Check out this updated trip report here: http://www.pnwsota.org/blog/kj7eha/2020-june-24/monte-cristo-hp-june-2020-updated-info.
After my first activation on Black Mountain VE7/GV-013 a week ago, I wanted another activation before the rain season starts. I chose Hollyburn Mountain VE7/GV-011 because it seemed just a little more difficult than GV-013. An extra 100m gain shouldn't be too much, right?
My first SOTA activity was activating VE7/GV-013 on a sunny day in October. I find this mountain a great place for local hams to experience SOTA for the first time.
VE7/GV-013, Black Mountain is located in Cypress Provincial Park, just half an hour drive from Vancouver. Parking at Lot 1 of Cypress Mountain Ski Resort is free and it is mostly empty in the morning, as long as it's not ski season.
Easy driving access in a somewhat remote part of the Mt Hood National Forest. Best way in is to enter the forest from Hillock Burn Road off Highway 211 which turns into the 45 road. You follow that for about 13 miles to the turnoff to the 4540 road. It's notable as you go from gravel to pavement when you turn off from the main road to a secondary road. the 4540 meanders it's way up past a sometimes-there lake, taking a left turn there and is fairly overgrown but still passable. In about 3.5 miles, you pass the turn off to South Fork Mountain, an easy drive up summit.
Had the day off from work and headed out to activate this summit with Dave, N7LKL. Turned out to be a great day with nice weather.
We started off on 2m FM and each of us had at least 4 contacts in no time. And then proceeded to set up HF, where our good fortunes continued, reaching the East Coast. With the band conditions the way they are I consider that good DX, especially running around 4 watts from my MTR.
SEE ACCESS UPDATE Aug 2024.
See my trip report for Saddle Mountain for a map of this area. This summit is a drive up, on pretty good gravel roads. Most any car should make it with some careful driving. High clearence is helpful but not required. After you leave the pavement its about a 25 min drive.