Summit has good "views"
Summary - Most folks drive to the Larch parking lot and walk up to the observation platform. This is the long way up. You will start from Multnomah Falls on I84 and climb 4200 feet over seven miles.
Update July 2025:
I noticed this trail on my first hike and again on my second ascent. I decided to give it a try on the way down. It avoids the false summit and saves a little time.
http://www.pnwsota.org/content/goat-mountain-w7wlc-035-better-trail
This is another summit I activated with my mountain bike and in this case that turned out to be a mistake as the bushwhack to the top is very steep, very thick, and not at all fun to do in bike shorts and shoes with spd cleats in them.
Dean Mountain, also labeled on some maps "Dear Mountain", as in Dear Mountain it's been such a long time, sorry I haven't written.
Most of the difficulty with these peaks is the drive not the hikes. The road to Lookout Mountain is not bad and can easily be done by itself. But if you are activating 6001 or Badger Butte, might as well go for the hat trick. For a total hike of 5.4 miles with 1400 feet of elevation gain, you get 16 points. Bring a GPS on 6001 and Badger Butte for the bushwhacking.
Overview:
On a clear, calm day with smoke creeping in from eastern fires, I set out to activate Winchester Mountain (W7W/WH-122) and 30.06 Peak, also known as Bear Mountain (W7W/WH-123). This report details the equipment used, trail conditions, band conditions, and memorable moments from both activations.
Weather and Views:
Ascent:
Our adventure began at 8 a.m. from the Hannegan Trailhead. The trail offered a mostly shaded ascent to Boundary Camp, which was a welcome relief in the early hours. However, it's worth noting that this section is south-facing and can become quite hot by midday. The initial elevation gain was relatively gradual, with about 500 feet per mile over the first four miles.
Heading into the 2024 W7O Campout weekend, I was 36 points shy of Mountain Goat. K6ARK and I hit some strategic drive ups on the way down for 10 points, and then knocked out 24 points on the Siskiyou Crest. That left me at 998 points going into Saturday. I didn't want to activate just any summit for my MG, I wanted something that called back to the mountaineering I was doing when I first got licensed and learned of SOTA.
Summary - Table Rock from the Rooster Rock trailhead is an adventure hike: rough trail, one bog, some very steep sections, a bit of bushwhacking and route finding. The hike, which climbs to Rooster Rock and then traverses the ridge to Table Rock is 8.5mi round trip with 3000ft of up, is probably not for the faint of heart.
