K7ATN reported poor road/driving conditions when attempting to get to the Zig Zag Mountain trailhead on the south side of Zig Zag Mountain. This report shares activation information for the north approach from Riley Horse Campground. The drive can easily be done in a passenger car (recreation permit to park). There are two options from this point, I took Cast Creek trail, and it was 12.8 miles RT with 3900 ft vertical climbing total.
We have been planning this climb for over 18 months. Our entire family was going to do the adventure in June of 2020, but COVID closed the park. Really I began planning before that. Shortly after I started SOTA, I began refining my kit and learning CW with the intent of one day being prepared for this mountain.
Our group:
Well, we made it back alive. Bennett Pass Rd/NF-3550 is a single lane (which serves both directions) dirt track.
We had spent the night at Rock Creek CG and thus driving up NF-4860 to the turn at the intersection with NF-3550. There are, however, only 1 or 2 places to turn around after that. We had to digg (a 4-letter word) through 2 snow banks to gain passage and only saw one other vehicle (a Jeep) on the route. High clearance 4x4 vehicle required on NF-3550.
Full Quieting Mountain was instead fully quiet at least on 2m FM. Maybe it should be called Evil Step Sister as it lurks unattractively above Sleeping Beauty. (Did fine on HF)
Looks like there may be a shorter bushwhack from the north when examining the map. However, I was invited to hike Sleeping Beauty by some friends. Answering the question why isn’t Sleeping Beauty a SOTA summit leads you to Peak 5060, which has the required promonance.
So I started from the official Sleeping Beauty trailhead:
Trail access to Round Mountain is good, but the last 100 meters or so of vertical is not. Cell service at the parking lot and on the summit is present, but spotty in between. I heard good strong signals for APRS on the summit. A comfortable skill set with crampons and ice axle will certainly make the last 100 meters or so pleasant. I have summited twice, once in winter on skis, and once late spring. Lots of snow still in June hence my recommendation to use crampons and ice axe. Not totally necessary, but certainly easier and easier on the vegatation.
Indian Spring Butte is very near Strawberry Mountain (W7O/NE-018) and it is possible to summit both in a single day. It is 0.8 miles one way and 600 feet of gain. There is no defined trail, but the access is straightforward because of minimal undergrowth under the tree canopy and it is an easy ridgeline to follow.
One of the four Wildcat Mountains in Oregon, this one is a short bushwhack from a Honda-Fit-accessible road, and as it is directly across NF2655 from Bunchgrass Mountain W7O/CM-087, these peaks would make an excellent pair or trio with Iron Mountain.
On US 20, turn south onto NF15 and follow twists and turns, and several forks, to a sign on the left that says Fritz Wildcat, at 44.3437, -122.1303. Follow this road up to climb the ridge, and park at 44.3296, -122.1014, the saddle. Google has all these roads marked and it can get you there.
Sep 2023 Update: Buck Creek Road is closed a few miles from Highway 141 and so the shortest route to Monte Carlo described below isn't available just now. The longer routes appear to be acessable.
For my 2 year SOTA-versary and birthday this week I wanted to do something special,a couple days early because the wx looked perfect, I decided to try Grayback Mountain (W7O/SC-001) the HP for Josephine Co and South Coast that had never been activated. This was also my 50th First Activation.
2023 Update:
See latest update from Guy N7UN about DNR altering some roads in this area!
http://www.pnwsota.org/blog/n7un/2023-october-22/new-access-information-mt-mitchell
2021 Trip Report: