Spencer Butte is the site of a former fire lookout in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, just north of the town of Northwoods. At the time of my attempt, the simplest access is to go north on FR 25, turn onto FR93 (if you go through the winter gates on 25, you just missed it), and follow 93 to the trailhead. This route is mostly paved, just a short section of gravel from the Muddy River up to the junction with road 9039.
After two previous attempts I finally made my first SOTA Contacts.
Granite Peak is a picturesque summit with huge granite boulders with interesting eroded patterns. It is a great operating location with outstanding views of the Great Burn of 1910. The trail is easy to follow and in-season wanders through some good huckleberry patches.
Having hiked 2.5 miles to a saddle you might as well activate both close summits to the north and south, W7I/IC-139 & 167. These summits require a bit of somewhat steep scramble through open subalpine vegetation and open ground after the trail hike. Views from each summit are similar and overlook undeveloped wild forest area and the Selway Bitterroot Wilderness.
Having hiked 2.5 miles to a saddle you might as well activate both close summits to the north and south, W7I/IC-139 & 167. These summits require a bit of somewhat steep scramble through open subalpine vegetation and open ground after the trail hike. Views from each summit are similar and overlook undeveloped wild forest area and the Selway Bitterroot Wilderness.
1.6 mi, +1,300 feet, -40 feet
This is an easy off-trail hike. There are likely nice views from the summit, but it was socked in when I was there, so I can’t say for sure.
A gentle pitch trail terminates at Savage Ridge. Of interest to hams might be the Natural Resources and Conservation Service Snotel Site near the trail head. This is snow water content and weather measuring station is complete with snow pillows and a 40-50Mhz meteor burst telemetry station/antenna.
The hike to Eagle Cliff on Stateline National Recreation Trail #738 has many scenic views along the route including alpine cirque basins and alpine lakes, Cliff and Diamond, and some small unnamed lakes. Wildlife encountered along the trail were mule deer, several dusky grouse and a family of Clark’s nutcrackers.
A steep trail climb breaks onto an open grassland with scattered Rocky Mountain subalpine fir makes this summit a great operating position. Located on the Idaho/Montana border it has panoramic views of the regrown forest after the great burn of 1910. Early season wildflowers can be abundant including glacier lilies, buttercups and western pasqueflowers.
Blackrock Peak is named for the dark gray to black lichens growing on the summit boulder field. The rock itself is mostly light tan-colored and from a distance the dark lichen patterns appear like large stationary cloud shadows draped over the summit and adjoining ridges.