Exposed Summit

I recently had the occasion to spend some time in Northern Idaho and while there I activated this summit.

The road up to the summit starts from Hwy 95, heading East on Hwy 54 and North on N Perimeter and East again on Bayview Rd to N Cherokee Rd and north following that up.  N Cherokee Rd is also shown as FS 297 on Google Maps.  The road condition is not great with many ruts down the middle.  I had to straddle the ruts in many cases.  A high-clearance vehicle is probably required.

4.3 miles, +1,135 ft, -297 ft; Mostly on ATV Trail

Driving Directions from Lennep, MT

Pine Ridge is an easy to moderate hike along a double track and easy bush wacking. Any passenger car should be able to navigate to the place we parked and many would likely have no trouble driving further up the 2 track if desired. We had plenty of activity on 2M and I wouldn't expect any trouble activating 2M only. The views of the Grasslands and Central Oregon Cascades are fantastic and the solitude is remarkable for the ease of access.

Full Report here

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.

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.

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.

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.

Summary - A short but very steep scramble up game trails will get you to the top of this very visible summit in the Toutle Range. Combine it with 4562 and Castle Peak and hit Signal Peak on the way out to make it a four summit day.

Summary - a soaring rock summit visible from 4562 with awesome views of MSH, Castle Lake, Mount Adams and Mount Rainier. The summit road is 2WD friendly and the hike is steep but short. Bring a mast and don't count on two meters for contacts. ATT service is good, as is APRS.  Combine with 4562 and Spud Mountain for triple the fun.

Summary - At the end of a long drive along the ridge of the Toutle Mountains, a short hike brings you to the open summit with terrific views of Mount Saint Helens and Mount Adams. Bring HF gear and assume VHF contacts will be rare. ATT service is very good, as is APRS. The roads, up to the summit drive are 2WD friendly; the last bit requires high clearance and AWD or an additional quarter-mile of hiking.