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Runt Mountain, Idaho | September 2022

KJ7OKW's picture
Summit: 
W7I/NI-157
Voice Cellular Coverage: 
Decent, workable
Data Cellular Coverage: 
Decent, workable
Cellular Provider: 
Verizon
APRS Coverage: 
Don't know

Runt Mountain is a SOTA peak at the top of the chairlift at Lookout Pass Ski area. Lookout Pass Ski area is on Interstate 90 at the Idaho/Montana border.

From Idaho, take exit 0 on Interstate 90 and turn right into the parking lot of the ski area. You will have to purchase a lift ticket ($13) for the ride up the main chair. I activated this in the summer as they open the area up to hikers and mountain bikers. You might be able to activate this in the winter but with much more difficulty with skiiers buzzing by you. 

See my YouTube Video of this activation here.

At the top of the chair lift you are in the activation zone. I walked down the hill of another chair lift that was not operating that day and set up my rig with my antenna pointing southwest. If you look at the map of the area, I should have walked down the south facing chairlift a few hundred feet as I would have been in Montana and could have also activated Lolo National Forest, a POTA park. 

I got 11 QSOs on SSB phone and 6 QSOs on FT8 on my Elecraft KX3.

This is a very easy summit to activate. A 15 minute chairlift ride, walk about 100 feet and set up. 

Lookout Pass Ski area shuts down for the summer after the Labor Day weekend so you will have to attempt this next summer unless you can navigate the snow and lots of skiiers. 

Pictures: