This summit is slightly prominent over the old Ninemile Lookout Site. A sign on the summit points to this old lookout site approximately 0.25 miles east. Elevation difference is 28’. All that remains of the lookout are four large concrete support blocks, burned wood and rusting hardware scattered on the ground. Slow growing subalpine fir tower to over 40’ on the site.
Stevens Peak is a forested summit overlooking Noxon Reservoir on the Clark Fork River. Much of the summit hike is along good loop Stevens Ridge Trail #1083. The summit is south of the small community of Noxon, Montana and the Noxon dam.
Engle Peak has spectacular views of the southern Cabinet Mountains Wilderness Area. Peak access is over good roads and a lightly used trail.
Oak Grove Butte is now a 3 mile RT hike with 750 feet of elevation gain. The rest of the write up here :http://www.pnwsota.org/blog/k7atn/2016-october-29/oak-grove-butte-or-october-2016, is generally correct, except the passive repeater now has a big brother and the road to that tower is good gravel. However, a gate blocks this road at the final intersection.
Driving Directions:
I tried an alternate route to 5060 (aka Full Quieting Mt.) in the Gifford Pinchot.
I parked at (46.10557, -121.66125) on NF-2360-071 (aka Eckhart Pass Road).
Proceed South up the ridge, which is mostly open with some deadfall/blowdown for about 0.55 miles. There is a false summit, just continue south.
East Canyon Ridge is a summit in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, near Mt. Adams. The summit is along a well used multi-mode trail that sees some mountain bike and moto traffic, though very light on the day of my activation. Huckleberries were ample during my visit in late summer, as well.
Getting there: I rode my mountain bike from Sherman Pass, activated Columbia Mountain, and then continued on to Wapaloosie Mountain before backtracking and descending Jungle Hill. Trails are in decent enough condition and there is nothing about the tread that would make them difficult to hike. I did drive the roads to all the trail heads and the road to this one is in good condition. I found it quite passable in my Subaru Forester.
Jumpoff Joe is a short bushwhack in the Malheur National Forest off of US-395 between Burns and John Day. Start of the hike is decommissioned forest road 1601-084 located at 44.07619, -118.81145.
I will not tell you how to get there because there has to be a better way. We were on FR 902 and FR 879 coming from the south. Those roads had bad water damage and were at the verge of navigability. We eventually hit road 3930 which was good gravel. Try to come in on that road.
Gold Hill is a short steep BW off of US-395 between John Day and Burns. To get there turn west on NF-31 a mostly paved road at 43.8136, -118.9831. turn right at 43.9528, -119.0760 on to FR 3765. then right again at 43.9710, -119.0594. onto NF 62. Arrive at 43.97597, -119.03468 and BW up to the summit. Note that it is a bit steep, but there is a cat track most of the way and it is open forest in any case. Forested top with no views, but plenty of shade which was welcome in August.
There is no poison oak on this summit, at least not that I was able to identify, and it is my mortal enemy, so I've gotten pretty good at predicting where I'll find it and identifying it from an appreciable distance. I just wanted to clarify that as a previous post claimed to have encountered poison oak.