Two summit summary here because these can easily be done back to back. Looking for any uniques to try to achieve my 200 unique goal, Robin and I drove north to check Malone and London Peak out. Both were very easy, near drive ups. These both are a possible quick break off I-5 on a commute.
I'm not sure if Sheepy is technically "PNW" but I wanted to make sure those in the area know about this fabulous summit. It's a steep climb just over a mile up the SE ridge starting at the Tulelake NWR Headquarters-now I think Klamath Basin Refuges. It was an amazing experience of a hike with interesting plateaus and ridges and seeing and hearing plenty of songbirds, raptors, eagles, deer, etc. There is nothing to block your 360 view and it is absolutely amazing.
A couple years ago William, W6BIL, reached out to me through a local facebook hiking page because I had a bunch of free local hiking books to give away and he saw I was a ham. He too was a ham but had not been operating for years. We touched base and I found out he hiked Nugget Butte fairly regularly but was not a summiter. I got info from William on the legality of hiking, he never had an issue but I eventually gave Gold Hill a call.
I did Eagle Rock late in the afternoon after both Ball and Willow Creek. It is basically a drive up. I am not sure on the accuracy of the elevation/topo for this mountain. I climbed through the buckbrush onto the high rocks where a lookout is collapsed into rumble and don't think I got above 6955'. Not a good place to activate on top. I just dropped down a bit into the AZ to activate using my best judgement. It was <1/4 mi hike from where we parked near 41.87825, -122.24398.
I did Willow after Ball. It is a trek up through the timber, navigating up a ridge around the lava rock and trees. Not bad at all. See my tracks. On top it is a little tight to set up because of the steepness and rock and brush but very doable in the AZ.
It had been 4 years since I went down to do Ball Mt and I'm not sure why I don't get down here more. Ball is a great <2mi RT hike on a gated lookout road. I love the lookout on Ball. There are great views with ample space and choice of location in the AZ, exposed around LO or go down into the trees a little. Each time I have gone I have also done Willow Creek Mt and this trip added Eagle Rock also. All can be done in a day if you plan accordingly.
There is already some written on Red Cone. I find a lot of the CLNP hikes difficult in the soft pumice which this is, most of the way. I am putting my 2c in on the AZ. I went alone and was told the first summit is in the AZ. When I arrived it sure didn't look like it so I walked the saddle, checked the low point in the saddle, and it seemed about 110' below the true summit according to all my GPS and topo lines on the map. I also used N6ARA's AZ app and it too says the first peak is not in the AZ.
Buckneck starts off by taking the Rogue-Umpqua divide trail from the west. The trail is pretty nice. There was one part I got off track due to many down trees and unable to tell which was trail. I tried to correct this with moving some branches and logs on my way back out. Even though this trail is nice, I still don't recommend this summit due to the final ascend of about 300'. You have to switchback off trail and ascend up the north ridge. It is all serious windblown burn scar that is being took over by young western hemlock.
This was short but very hard. Straight up off trail. Maybe there is an easier way but I doubt it. I started on the 1046B trail on the west side but it ends only about 500ft in so I just started climbing straight up. Soft, steep, forest duff that was hard to stay upright in and the I reached a outcropping of shale and boulder to carefully climb the final 150' before the AZ. Shaded. It is about 700' gain in .5 miles.No cell at all. I did decend through an open meadow which felt much safer, however, the plants started getting taller and taller and I got covered in burrs.
I did Fish, CS-159, and Buckneck the first day of my arrival preparing for the 2023 campout. I have been working on exploring the summits along the Rogue-Umpqua Divide. They are all HARD. Fish is about 1.8mi RT with about 1000'+ per mi gain. No trail, I took tracks from a peakbagger and hiked up the NW rim. It is a combination of navigating through the forest, rocks, and climbing. Half way up you will come to a plug I did not see coming but managed to navigate around the west side of it (to the right) and find a spot to boulder climb up.