Exposed Trail

Trail starts at the east end of the Johnston Ridge Visitors Center parking lot. Need a USFS permit to park there. Trail is good most of the way and there is information on the hike here. You can actually see the peak from the trailhead and the majority of the trail is out in the open so make sure you bring sunscreen. Bring plenty of water as there is none along the trail. The hardest part is the last 3/4 mile which is steep climbing with switchbacks. Ran into lots of people along the trail but only 3-4 back towards the peak.

Elephant Mountain - interesting name for a small peak in central Washington, not too far from Yakima. For the right vehicle it might be a drive up - our rental car found the steep road to be a bit much and we hiked the rest of the way to the summit.

We climbed a little less than a mile and 500 feet to the top and then perhaps 50 yards farther east. The views once past the repeater sites are excellent and if you are thoughtful about supporting your antenna using a small shrub, you are set.

Activation of Mount Langley, 14,042 feet, High Sierra's of California, Inyo County.  Sunshine, blue sky & endless granite...but with a little price to pay.

 The Hike (Scramble) is 4.75 miles south - southeast of Mount Whitney, California, and 9.5 miles southwest of the town of Lone Pine, California. This was a father / son outing with my 28 year old son, who lives in the Los Angeles suburb of Sherman Oaks (sea level), and I, a 62 year old who resides in Bellevue, Washington, at the high altitude of 728 feet.

First Activation of Cirque Peak, 12,900 feet, High Sierra's of California, Inyo County.  Sunshine, blue sky & endless granite...but with a little price to pay.

The Hike (Scramble) is 5.25 miles south - southeast of Mount Whitney, California, and 10.5 miles southwest of the town of Lone Pine, California. This was a father / son outing with my 28 year old son, who lives in the Los Angeles suburb of Sherman Oaks (sea level), and I, a 62 year old who resides in Bellevue, Washington, at the high altitude of 728 feet.

UPDATE July 2021 - The lookout is sometimes staffed by a person (at that lookout for 42 years) that incorrectly believes that ham radio requires a Special Use Permit at this location. It is recommended to not activate at the summit or discuss radio with this person, but activate out of sight of the lookout tower off the road. 

This was a fun activation of Mt. Hood. I decided to splurge on weight and bring the FT-817 and Buddipole (no coils) for 6m and 2m SSB. Once I got the antenna up, I found a number of chasers waiting on 50.125, so I'm glad I brought equipment for 6m. The mast was supported by shoving it into the hard snow on the summit.

It was a beautiful day, all the way around.  Kelly Butte is a great hike, a bit steep and exposed on the beginning switchbacks, but with wildflowers this time of year, and open views from the fire lookout.

Rainier filled the view to the south, and Seattle was visible through the foothills.  Mt. Stuart, Glacier Peak and the "backside" of the southern Snoqualmie pass summits made a nice panorama.

Unicorn Peak was a short easy climb compared to the Little T attempt the day before. It's about a 6 mile round trip with 2500 ft of elevation gain. We were on snow most of the way. The snow conditions
varied significantly. Some places were soft and we post-holed to the rocks below. A steep shady section required the use of crampons. I suspect this is the last weekend this year for a snow ascent of
Unicorn. Once the snow melts, a boulder field route is available but this is not recommended.

Tuesday last week, with the help, support, and expertise of friends and an experienced mountaineering guide, I summited Mount Hood for my first time, and activated Mount Hood for its first time in SOTA. The climb began under a crystal clear starry sky around 00:37 on Tuesday, 11 June 2013, heading up the snowcat-groomed climber’s trail from Wy'East Day Lodge at Timberline Lodge. At midnight, I had met my guide, Rodney Sofich, at the Climber's Register just inside the day lodge to discuss what I was about to undertake.

Note that there is another Idaho "Squaw Butte-W7I/SR-089" and that this "Squaw Butte" is also the name given to the long ridge just to the east of this two-pointer. However, the ridge and it's associated peak, "Squaw Butte South" doesn't have the required prominence for SOTA. But hey, the real peak is only a few miles away.