I was looking for a reasonably tough snowshoe that could be accomplished in a day, and with few bonus point opportunities, and only so many sno parks, I kept coming back to my favorite mountains from last year. I decided to give this a try, and all things considered it went very well.

1.3 mi, +780 feet

0.3 miles, +290 feet

North Grand Ridge is an easy summit to activate with a short (3.4 mile RT, ~600' elevation gain).  The summit might be considered part of the "Issaquah Alps" series of summits that include Tiger Mountain, West Tiger Mountain, South Tiger Mountain, Taylor Mountain, and Rattle Snake Mountain.  This report provides details on how to legally access the activation zone (AZ) and summit.

Walker Mountain is a Southern Oregon summit that could be a drive-up for those with a fully capable 4x4. However, the roughest part is also the start of a decent hike and getting to that rough spot is easy with a vehicle with decent clearance. Note that there is another Walker Mountain in Oregon - this is the one near Grants Pass.

Update February 2021 - Lost Dog Road is now gated with no motorized vehicles allowed. It's only a one mile road walk to the AZ.

This is a very much out of the way summit, along Highway 101 on the Oregon Coast, about 14 miles north of Bandon. Note that there are other Peak 740 in Oregon - make sure this one is your intended peak.

NOTE in January 2021 there was a NO TRESPASSING sign posted on the Stimson Gate Placard. See photo below.

There are FOUR Wildcat Mountains in Oregon, so be sure you want the North Coast version south of Highway 26. The road to the trailhead is short and easy in any passenger vehicle, there's a good spot to park, and summit is in the Tillamook Forest, although the shortest access crosses private timberland. The hike is about 1.5 miles one way, and 400 vertical feet gain. This description I consider the 'no bushwack' version.

A friend of mine wanted to try a new, never before activated summit to start off his SOTA career and bring me along as his guide. Doing some preliminary research, this looked very much like a summit that would be very difficult to impossible to reach. From Google Maps, it wasn't too far from the road to the summit, but checking Google Earth, I could see that it was really going to be a steep climb for the initial part of it and through what looks like dense forest. I wasn't expecting that we would be successful. Luckily, I was wrong.

Lone Butte is a "small" hill in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. It is easily accessible from the Columbia River Gorge via Wind River and NF30, or from I-5 up the Lewis River Hwy to Northwoods and then NF90/Curly Creek Rd. (which connectes to NF30). There is a large area for parking where road 401 cuts to the West. If you aren't particular about your vehicles paint, the road is driveable to an old rock quarry at the west end of Lone Butte, there are some ruts a short way into the road, but they are easy to straddle and most any vehicle could make it past.

This is a drive-up summit near Tillamook in the Coast Range. Don't confuse this Peak 2260 with the other that shares it's name but is W7O/NC-101. (They are only 8 miles apart.)

Take Mills Bridge Road south from Highway 6 about 3.2 miles. You'll stay on the main track as you ascend this steep rocky road. You should be able to drive in a passenger car as long as it can handle a steep, rough grade.