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4869, OR | September 2023

Submitted by K7AMM on
Summit

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.

Start on the game trail just east of the turnout at 45.21254, -121.98528, and follow the ridge to the top. It's a fairly easy bushwhack, with a steady climb of 423' over 0.75 miles.

The narrow summit was just barely long and open enough for my 67' EFHW. Nice view of Mt. Hood to the NE. 

China Mountain | September 2023

Submitted by KI7EMX on
Summit

This Nevada peak was first activated on 29 November 2021 by KJ7WGM along with Hanks Peak. This is a very straight forward ½-mile hike with only 287 feet of elevation gain.  Follow the ridge line from where you park and head to a false summit.  You can walk over the summit or skirt around it on the south (recommended). The summit is very rocky and today was extremely windy.  I was able to find a rock outcropping that protected me from the wind on the NW side of the summit. There is an old fence post to attach an antenna mast to.

Hanks Peak, Nevada | September 2023

Submitted by KI7EMX on
Summit

This is one of those activations that I will most likely not repeat! The peak was first activated on 29 November 2021 by KJ7WGM along with China Mountain. The hike is a bushwhack of only .35 miles, but with 627 feet of elevation gain, half of which is through a boulder field and thick brush. The last portion is climbing up a rock/boulder wall.  It is easy enough to find a way up, but it is not what I would call easy.  The summit has 360-degree views of the north Great Basin vast emptiness.

Green Mountain, WA | August 2023

Submitted by K7AMM on
Summit

Green Mountain can be accessed by trail 110 (open to OHV and bicycles) from the west or southeast, or by bushwhacking from a spur off Spring Creek Road, SE of Orr Creek Sno-Park. The spur is narrowed by overgrown brush and trees, and the last 500' are deeply rutted, requiring a high-clearance vehicle. Deadfall across the road is likely, as this road seems mostly unused. There's a nice place to camp with a stone fire ring off a righthand spur toward the end of the road. 

Thunder Mountain, Idaho | September 2023

Submitted by KI7EMX on
Summit

AA6XA first activated Thunder Mountain on 14 October 2017. His write-up is a great description of the area and his ascent from the east of the mountain.  You can find the link to his write-up on the SOTAmaps Summit page. Ignoring his mention of “cliffs” I opted to plan a route from the west. The directions below describe the drive to the beginning of the west ascent. I knew the climb would be steep, but it would only be around a half mile (.53 to be exact).  This is a total bushwhack from bottom to top.

Mount Pisgah

Submitted by WJ7WJ on
Summit

Mount Pisgah is one of two Mount Pisgahs in Oregon, this one is near Prineville, the other near Eugene. The one near Eugene is a nice hike, this one is a tedious drive up.

The map shows several ways to get there. We drove on forest road 22 past Walton Lake. The pavement ends a bit after the lake. There is a connector road 150 and then we were on Summit Road, aka 2630.

The rode gets interesting at (44.46717, -120.25927). We continued on 2630 here where it splits with 450.

Wizard Island, OR | September 2023

Submitted by W7MTB on
Summit

Wizard Island was on my “Must Do” list since I learned it was a SOTA summit and it did not disappoint. I’d highly recommend it to anyone who is in the park doing some of the other summits or just making a special trip as we did. Plan for 5 hours from start to finish, 30 mins on the boat and 3 hours on the island plus hiking in and out of the boat docks. The total hike was about 4.5 miles from the parking lot down to the ramp, up to the summit and back and back up to the parking lot with approximately 1400ft elevation gain.

Ball Butte, OR | September 2023

Submitted by W7MTB on
Summit

FS-370/380 are both unmaintained roads and high clearance/4WD vehicles are highly recommended. FS-370 from Todd Lake to the intersection with FS-380 is passable in a less capable vehicle but FS-380 is very rough. I have driven both in the past in a front wheel drive Honda Element and we did see several passenger cars in the parking area but you have been fairly warned. There is not an established trail and the approach involves some steep and loose cinder slopes. I would classify this as an intermediate to advanced hike, requiring good fitness and route finding skills.