Pass Required at Trailhead

To get to Stacker Butte, Washington, from Interstate 84, take exit 87 at the Dalles and go north across the Columbia River for approximately 3.5 miles to Highway 14.  Note; After taking exit 87 and turning north, there is a McDonalds on the left.  This is the last opportunity for "facilities".  If you don't use them, Stacker butte is very exposed all the way up, and you will be too!  Also, this bridge crossing the Columbia is NOT a toll bridge.  When you get to Highway 14, turn right (east) and go about 0.9 miles to Dalles Mtn Rd and turn left.

Summary: On 28MAR19 I decided to knock out the first activation on Field Effect Hill (aka Megler Mountain).  The weather started out beautiful and sunny but I ended up having to complete my activation in the rain which contiuned until I had started the hike back down when the sun returned.  Overall, the hike isnt bad but the the horrible wide band RFI in the vincinity of the summit made this less fun for an HF activation than most summits which tend to be far quieter.

West Tiger Mountain is one of W7W's most frequently activated summits. It is part of the 'Issaquah Alps', and being close to Seattle is a very popular day hiking area. Arrive early to get parking near the trailhead, and don't forget your Discover Pass!

There are a series of summits called 'West Tiger' - the one we are interested in for SOTA is known as West Tiger 1. 

Here's a nice 3 mile snowshoe or cross-country ski in the winter. OR...you may be able to drive within about a half mile in the summer. For a good ski experience, you might want to have at least 3 to 5 feet of snow on the ground - see the depth measure in the first photo below.

This was a winter activation of Bearhead Mountain.

WW7D and I decided to give this a shot based on some WTA trip reports that indicated it was possible to drive to the trailhead. We took my 1988 Toyota 4x4 truck that has big tires and is fairly capable off road.

“Bah,” said Scrooge, “Humbug.” At least that was what we thought to ourselves as we looked at the weather forecast for the weekend. The Weather Channel splashed the headlines of a series of epic storms that were lashing the west coast. Regardless, the lead sherpa was determined to get the family out of the house. There would be no sour moods for us! “There is hiking to be done, geocaches to be found, and a summit to be activated!” she proclaimed.

Burma Road High Point is accessed through Smith Rocks State Park, near Terrebonne, Oregon. An Oregon State Park day or annual pass is required.

(0.6 miles, 500 feet)

This is a short climb that is located immediately adjacent to I-15 south of Great Falls.  It was first climbed by Merriweather Lewis on July 16, 1805.  Lewis described it as follows:

(3.6 miles, +1,650 ft, -510 ft)

Peak 4620 (near Blue Box Pass) is a backcountry snowshoe activation that can be done in the winter if you don't mind using a GPS and are comfortable with off-trail navigation. It's about 1.7 miles one way and 700 feet gain.