Finally got the round-tuit for my first activation. First Butte had not yet been actiivated and looked pretty easy so off we went. It isn't much of a hike. There is a high clearance forest road that takes you to the summit. Some internet sites report that the Bromas Creek approach is closed due to a washout on NFR 37. The Forest Service has built a detour, NFR 3700-805 that is not on the FS map but connects to 3700-825.
The W7 region Summit-to-Summit (S2S) Party the weekend of 3-August was a great success. Folks all around the region took advantage of good weather and decent propagation to work other Activators on SOTA Summits across the west.
Particular thanks to Phil-NS7P for suggesting the 'meet-up' schedule on 40m and 20m - that worked great for us and I'd like to see it used again for the NASOTA Weekend 7-September. And thanks also to Guy-N7UN for leading the way with the idea for a region-wide event to put W7 on the SOTA map and leverage some S2S fun.
This was a wonderful day for an activation of Scott Mountain. The trailhead is reached by taking the turnoff for Scott Lake Campground off of OR242 a few miles west of the Dee Wright Observatory. Follow the gravel road past all the campsites to the quarry at the end of the road. There are two trails that start from there. Take the Benson Trail 3402 to go most directly to Scott Mountain.
Here's the final plan for the W7 S2S Party this weekend (8/3 and 8/4, with a little spill over): On the hours (1500z, 1600z, 1700z, etc.) activators can look for S2S opportunities on 40M (7.033 MHz and 7.195 MHz).
I activated Eagle’s Rest (W7O/WV-078) on July 23, 2013. There are several routes to get to the summit. There is a long trip (over 13 miles round-trip) from a trail head on Highway 58. There is shorter (perhaps 5 miles round-trip) hike from a trail head part way up on the long trail. N7UN, NH6Z and I took that last year. Finally, there is a short, 0.8 mile, hike up an alt change of about 430 feet. That is the option I chose this year.
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.
On July 27, 2013, my wife, Christina, and I activated Castle Rock (W7O/CM-116) near Cougar Reservoir in the middle Cascades. This 3808’ summit is easily reached by roads and a moderate hike.
First Activation of Norse Peak, Pierce / King County Line, Washington.
Beautiful hike on sunny but cool day with my wife, Sharon and Dexter the dog. Enough breeze / wind to keep us cool and the bugs away. This is a trail hike up to summit of Norse Peak, 6,858 feet elevation. Trail is about 10.6 miles round trip, with 2,800 feet +/- elevation gain.
The views are amazing!: Mount Rainier; Mount Adams; Mount Stuart & Enchantments; Central Cascade peaks all around, including Crystal Mountain Ski Resort.
W7 S2S Party
Next weekend (Aug 3-4) is going to be busy with SOTA activity - Goat chasing and 14ers along with regular operations. We would like to take advantage of the activity levels by focussing some attention on W7-land activations. We’re calling this event the “W7 S2S Party.” We hope to see many W7 activations and want to facilitate S2S contacts.
To that end, it is proposed that we earmark some ongoing times and frequencies for S2S emphasis. This might go something like this:
I attempted to activate Horsepasture Mountain in the middle Cascades on 27/7/13. At the base of Road 1993 that leads up the mountain, I encountered a sign saying that the road was closed at 3.0 miles. Curiously, I drove up to have a look. At a little over 3 miles up the road there is a large landside with dirt, rocks, boulders and large trees across the road. I may take awhile for that to be cleared. If you are thinking about activating the summit, check with the Forest Service.