Bushwhack

Getting there: Access is relatively easy if your car has okay ground clearance. I got there in a Subaru Forester without difficulty. Drive up Forest Service road 25 to the intersection with 2565. There is some erosion to the road bed that might create a problem for a Prius. The two worst spots are near the intersection with road 25. Everything is clear past those two points. As of Summer 2026, vegetation is beginning to encroach on the road corridor but I avoided pinstripes. About a mile up, the road splits in three directions. Keep the summit to your right as you proceed.

5497 is a 4-point summit in the Malheur National Forest, about 23 road miles northeast of Prairie City, OR. It is about a 1 mile road walk/bushwhack (each way) to the summit through open terrain and forest. The area around the summit is closed to motor vehicles but has good remaining roads for walking. The summit is semi-open, no views and plenty of trees for antennas. Don't expect 2m contacts here and AT&T data service was non-functional, so I relied upon RBN for spotting. I didn't think to check APRS.

Panther Mountain is a 2 point summit in the Rogue/Siskiyou National Forest, east of Port Orford, OR. The summit is accessed from a short, disused and deteriorating road, followed by a VERY thick bushwhack up a steep slope. This summit could be combined with Father Mountain (which is en route) or Barklow Mountain, or possibly Chismore Butte.

Summary - Bird Mountain, in the Indian Heaven Wilderness, combines good trails and a steep bushwhack (not for beginners).  While makes for a longish day, link it with Lemei Rock for a two summit, twelve point outing.  The trip from Portland to the Cultus Creek Campground (day fee or pass required) is about two hours on mosly paved roads.  ATT digital service is good, as is APRS.

Summary - Lemi Rock, in the Indian Heaven Wilderness, combines good trails, a steep bushwhack (not for beginners), and some optional ridge scrambling.  While makes for a longish day, link it with Bird Mountain for a two summit, twelve point outing.  The trip from Portland to the Cultus Creek Campground (day fee or pass required) is about two hours on mosly paved roads.  ATT digital service is good, as is APRS.

Start the ascent at 45.99028, -121.80308 on the Thomas Lake trail.  Initially the trail threads between two lakes then starts up an old logging road (my guess) before Indian Heaven became a wilderness in 1984.

Note that it can be very windy on the easterly exposed summit, especially if there is any kind of east wind in the Gorge.

Summary - East Crater is approached via good trails and a steepish bushwhack through burn terrainFrom the Thomas Lake trailhead, hike both East Crater and Gifford Peak as a ten mile outing with 2500 feet of gain.  From Carson, WA take Wind River Highway up and all but the last bit of the two hour drive (from Portland) is on paved road. A NW Discover Pass is required and this is a popular area, so the parking will be tight on weekends.

Ball Mountain is a relatively easy drive-near summit in the Oregon coast range, east of Lincoln City. Your passenger vehicle will get you close to the summit, followed by a short walk and then a bushwhack, neither of which is challenging. The summit area itself is treed in with ample space to set up and plenty of trees for antennas.

Getting There: DO NOT USE GOOGLE MAPS TO GET HERE!!!! Google maps will lead you straight to a gated road. Have your GPS open or a map next to you while you try to navigate this. From highway 14, turn North on Rock Creek Driver like you're headed to Skamania Lodge. Continue half a mile and then turn left on Foster Creek Road. Next turn left on Red Bluff Road which will become CG-2000. Continue a little less than a mile until you see the intersection with CG 2022 splitting up the hill to the left.

This summit is best accessed via FR 4610, running east from the La Dee Flat OHV area. A high clearance vehicle with all-terrain tires is recommended, as the road is quite rocky and subject to rock slides and debris from steep hillsides. Note: as of this writing, there a section of 4610 that has been severely washed out, and may be impassable by anything but a 4x4 designed for off-road travel (45.21130, -121.95542).