Access: Since SR26 is closed from the north due to a washout, you must come in on SR26 from the south. Take SR25 south out of Randle then SR99 west towards Windy Ridge. At approx 7 mi in, take SR25 north to 1/4 mi past the Ryan Lake Interpretive Site road. Take the TH road west for about 1/2 mi.
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.
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
Made a couple of contacts. Not sure if Plummer Peak has a sota identifier. Will return to the range later in the season and likely activate other peaks such as Unicorn.
Like a 50 mile long sapphire snake, sparkling Lake Chelan dominates north central Washington State as a geological and recreational wonder. The name Chelan is a Salish Indian word, "Tsi - Laan," meaning 'Deep Water'. Ringed on both east and west sides by giant mountains leaping skyward steeply, the Lake Chelan Gorge is one of the deepest in the US. With a water level of 1,100 feet, and Bonanza Peak topping out at 9,511 feet, there is vertical relief of 8,411 feet within 10 miles of Lake Chelan. Our crowning objective on this SOTA outing was an un-Activated Pyramid Mountain, 8,243 feet high and a mere 3.16 miles from Lake Chelan. This afforded the opportunity of gazing down 7,143 feet at the crystalline water reflecting the bright Eastern Washington summer sun. Along the route are strung 3 other SOTA summits, none of which had been previously Activated. 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 1 of 4, Crow Hill.
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.
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 fantastic Activation together with my SOTA Buddy, Tim, KG7EJT, along with his wife Masako, my wife Sharon & Dexter the SOTA Dog on Memorial Day 2016. Great weather, fantastic views from the summit and a successful SOTA Activation for both of us, yielded a memorable outing. "Mount Attenuator", mostly known as Summit Lake Peak, is approximately 3 miles north of Mount Rainier National Park. Thus it affords incredible sweeping outlook of the north aspect of mighty Mount Rainier. Mount Attenuator is 5,780 feet (1,762 meters) high, and is reached via approximately 6.1 mile RT trail. Elevation gain is approximately 1,360 feet.
The easy access to this hill is off of forest road FS-6081 (you’d want a high clearance vehicle) which was not passable for us. It leads to a spur road that goes almost to the top (this is also blocked to vehicles by windfall and some erosion). Good thing we had a plan B – which was to follow the PCT - Trail #2000, south from the nearby Crest Horse Camp.