Peak 5580 is in a cluster of 2-pointers east of Mountain Home Idaho on the north side of Hwy 20.  They lie about 1.5 hours from Boise so it makes for a nice trip to knock off a few summits.  These summits are generally considered the most achievable around Boise even know it takes a short drive to get there.  Other summits in the area require off road driving or longer hikes.  Some of the peaks in the cluster are available for year round access (SR-130 being the best), but Peak 5580 is a ways off the highway.  In the winter the road is not maintained and could be sn

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.

This was a New Year's Eve activation with WW7D. You can find a .GPX file of our route here.

We parked on the side of HWY 2, just east of the turnoff for Smithbrook. This is where everyone who is headed up to Smithbrook for winter sports parks. There were some XC skiiers, and snow mobiles unloading as we pulled in.

Here's a long snowshoe in winter - 7 miles round trip and 800 feet elevation gain. The lookout is rented in the winter, so be sure no one is there if you climb up the stairs to take advantage of the additional height. 

We checked out access to Neskowin Ridge in January 2019 and found that it is Miami Corp. property and gated. Google Earth labels the road "Van Duzer Forest Wayside" as it is just a quarter mile west on Highway 22 to the state park with that name.

The current access status was "Walk In Only" and other times of the year it may be restricted further. It appears to be about 3 miles and 1200 feet of gain to the summit from the gate.  

By Rob - AE7AP - Activation across the UTC New Year.

Bill - N7MSI & myself had a fine time squeezing 10-points out of a 2-pointer!

Taking Gooseneck Rd off of Highway 22. Same approach as nearby Dorn Peak W7O/CC-013 http://www.pnwsota.org/blog/ki7emx/2017-december-10/dorn-peak-oregon

Once you leave pavement on to gravel, follow road for 2.4 miles. You will come to an 3 way intersection at 44°59'16.96"N 123°30'32.75"W (44.988044° -123.509097°). Turn left here. If you are going to Dorn Peak take the right - it will take you all the way to the summit.

Easiest way to get there is from highway 22. From there take SW Little Hebo Rd. (NF-2234) - near milepost 14 and next to the Suislaw National Forest sign.   45° 5'45.80"N 123°44'38.52"W.

Travel on this for about 5.5 to 6 miles. The road actually travels right near the summit. GPS works well for navigation on this one. On the summit there is plenty of room to setup antennas in several large laydown areas.

If you want you can get to Mount Hebo W7O/NC-006 from here relatively easy.