Here's a fairly easy SOTA summit not too far from Boise. It has good views from the top and some simple navigation challenges as it's cross country with no trail. This could be a good summit to try out using a GPS - it might help you end up in the right place.
Spencer Butte is a Eugene city park about four miles south of downtown. The address for the most convenient trailhead is 85401 South Willamette Street and the trailhead parking lot is well signed as the Spencer Butte Trailhead. This trailhead has the shortest routes to the summit.
A nice activation winter or summer, Frog Lake Buttes has that strange plural name that is so easy to get wrong. Only a bit more than an hour from Portland, it's one of our recommended Oregon activations. Hiking, mountain biking, snowshoeing, skiing or even driving are all ways to get there - depending on the season of course.
It was a winter wonderland on Bells Mountain above 2000 feet on Christmas Eve, pleasant to look at, not too bad to hike in, but a 'non-starter' for my rear wheel drive vehicle.It's always best to park on the right side of the gate and hike the road - it's an easy 1.6 miles to the summit.
The directions below are from Interstate 5 - some of the mileages seemed a bit off but otherwise it will get you to the gate.
This is the only 'drive-up' ten pointer in Oregon - but perhaps because it's eight hours from the Willamette Valley it remains a pretty quiet place. The scenery and silence of this high desert place have made it my favorite spot in the world for more than twenty years with many trips bringing family and friends to see this place. It was great to have a chance to activate it for Summits on the Air.
Diamond Craters is administered by the Bureau of Land Management as an Outstanding Natural Area. This is a great example of Oregon High Desert and although it’s not on the way to anything, it is very much worth visiting. It is about 55 miles southeast of Burns, Oregon.
I was in Medford for work and had an afternoon free – nothing better than a close-in activation of Roxy Ann Peak, probably one of the best-named peaks that I’ve activated. It’s just east of Medford and is surrounded by Prescott Park.
An easy two-pointer in SW Washington that is pretty close to Portland with pavement all the way to the gates where you start your short hike. The weather for this activation was chilly but dry. The directions below will get you there from Interstate 5 although directions from Exit 30/Kalama might be a bit easier to follow.
Bobs Mountain is fairly close to Portland, and with a short respite from the rain, an activation plan was hatched. I had the company of Grover, KG7O for a joint activation. We had a good time on the short hike to the summit on a four-wheel drive road and had a sucessful first time activation for this peak.
This fall I have been dreading doing activations in the rain - and I haven't yet - I did this activation in the SNOW. The weather reports described a snow level of about 4000' - I found some snow at 2800' and had to turn the car around less than a minute later because it was too slick. Fortunately, this was near the route to the summit.