Along Highway 22 between Salem and Detroit there is a near drive-up summit. In 2013 the road was passable (with some care) in a passenger car. (It may be a bit overgrown now.) This summit could be a back up plan when nearby Rocky Top can't be accessed due to snow. In fact,
Here's another suburban SOTA summit with little to offer but a narrow road shoulder for activation space. Still, it's close in to Newberg, Oregon and if you've only a limited time, it could be a good choice.
Here is an urban 'pavement' activation - the closest one to downtown Portland. The summit proper for Cornell Mountain is on private property with the Activation Zone accessible from a neighborhood street with very limited shoulders. This summit is near a number of very large comm installations and 2m FM was totally blocked with S9 noise on my Yaesu VX-8G - 70cm FM might be a better choice and HF isn't a great option as there's only a small shoulder spot in the AZ big enough for HF antennas - and that's where you can park.
A fairly short snowshoe near Mt. Hood gets you two points - in the summer this activation may be a bit more challenging in the bushwack. From November 1 through April 30 an Oregon Sno-Park permit is required - from May 15 to October 1 a National Forest Pass is required.
A near "drive-up" two-point summit in the Clackamas River drainage with good views. This area is likely busy in the summer but it was mostly quiet on this December day. Note that this area seems to be a popular place for target practice, although there are some areas where the discharge of firearms is prohibited.
UPDATE March 2023: W7O/CE-213 has been retired (prominance 480 feet).
Awbrey Butte is a summit in suburban Bend, Oregon. Although the Activation Zone is surrounded by private property and the summit proper is a fenced site for multiple radio installations, there are several Bend city parks near the summit and a trail between them that make an activation possible.
Quickly, after Old Scab I activate this plateau as well. So far the most-most easiest "hike", or more like a walk in a park. Driving only a mile further up from Old Scab trailhead I reach the top of the mountain. Here is a big open space. Park the car in the shade and start to collect this giveaway six point.
Yes, yes, I know it's a bit early but here's the three and a half major 2014 NA SOTA events for folks who need to orchestrate travel time around summer family vacations, etc.
1) International SOTA Weekend: The 3-4th of May this year. Many European Activators and Chasers will be active so it's a great opportunity for "across the pond" SOTA activity.
A pleasant activation nearly any time of year near Draper, Utah. In January there was snow enough for snowshoes or cross-country skiing to the summit - in summer hiking or a mountain bike could work for the 1.4 mile one-way.
The trailhead starts at Maple Hollow Trailhead Park and the 'trail' is a partially developed road - Deer Ridge Drive. The Park is at the intersection of Deer Ridge Drive and Elk Glen Drive, Draper, UT.
I had been wondering about the peak Thomas Cairn for awhile after
elk hunting in the Snow Peak area in Linn county this year. Although
it was not eligible for winter points, I just had to get up there
and see what it looked like up close.
Thomas Cairn is in an remote part of Linn county closest to the
town of Scio. I got there by first going to Scio then taking Oregon
226, 6.75 miles to the Camp Morrison Road. This turnoff is easily
identifiable by the Hannah covered bridge there.
Follow Morrison Camp road for 4.7 miles to a unmarked, nondescript