K7VK's blog

K7VK's picture

Elk Mountain - Montana 2July2020

Summit: 
W7M/LM-129

Elk Mountain is a short scramble off a good US Forest Service road.  The scramble is mostly on a ridge through an old clearcut that has in places heavy ceanothus brush.  Wood ticks can be abundant in the spring. 

K7VK's picture

Miller Peak - Montana 2July2020

Summit: 
W7M/LM-099

Miller Peak is a large commercial communications site.  Given that, the road accessible to the public is narrow, brushy and with few places to pass on coming vehicles.  The road can become a bit crowded in later summer if a huckleberry crop along the road entices pickers. 

K7VK's picture

Haystack Mountain - Idaho 19June2020

Summit: 
W7I/IC-200

Haystack Mountain is one of several SOTA summits near the Magruder Corridor.  This road divides some of the most wild-country in Idaho, the Selway Bitterroot and Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness areas.   A trail system FS#26, and a non-system hunter trail is near the summit however it is much shorter to just bushwhack from the road through mostly open forest.  Only a short obstacle of downed trees slows the otherwise easy hike.&nbsp

K7VK's picture

Babcock Mountain - Montana 25May2020

Summit: 
W7M/GA-146

An opportunity for a one-day, three summits activation.  A good US Forest Service road system gets one close enough to activate three summits easily in one day, rare in Western Montana.  Babcock Mountain is forested summit.  The other two summits, Golden Mountain (W7M/GA-141) and Burnt Mountain (W7M/GA-145) are open summits and accessible via short hikes from the same US Forest Service road system.  Trees are available for attaching wire ante

K7VK's picture

Burnt Mountain - Montana 24May2020

Summit: 
W7M/GA-145

One-day, three summits.  A good US Forest Service road system gets one close enough to activate three summits easily in one day, rare in Western Montana.  Burnt Mountain is an open grass/scattered-tree summit.  The other two nearby summits are Golden Mountain (W7M/GA-141) and Babcock Mountain (W7M/GA-146).  Both accessible v

K7VK's picture

Golden Mountain - Montana 24May2020

Summit: 
W7M/GA-141

One-day triple-summits activation.  A good US Forest Service road system gets one close enough to activate three summits easily in one day, a bit rare in Western Montana.  The other two summits, Burnt Mountain (W7M/GA-145) and Babcock Mountain (W7M/GA-146) are accessible via short hikes from the same US Forest Service road system. 

K7VK's picture

Sula Peak, Montana | 16May2020

Summit: 
W7M/RC-138

At less than 4 miles of good road off Highway 93, Sula Peak is a popular ‘travelers’ summit for drive-up VHF DN25/DN35 and SOTA activations.  A modern US Forest lookout and a communications facility occupy the summit.  Frequently there are bighorn sheep grazing in the area and especially in the spring on the highway. 

K7VK's picture

Elk Point, Montana | 16May2020

Summit: 
W7M/RC-132

We selected the southern route for Elk Point.  This southern route allows for a double activation with Sula Peak W7M/RC-138. This mostly open-ridgeline route has good views of distant Bitterroot Mountains, Anaconda Pintler Mountains and closer views of the Sapphire Mountains

K7VK's picture

Montana - Bald Hill 26March2020

Summit: 
W7M-LO-138

Bald hill isn’t really bald.  It is a fine grassland on its south exposure, but is tree covered on the remaining west, north and east exposures.  Access is available any time of year, albeit steep.  It is prime winter range for 50-100 elk each year so avoiding December through February could prevent disturbing the elk.

K7VK's picture

Montana - Petty Mountain 25September2019

Summit: 
W7M/LM-086

You are entering bighorn sheep range in this summit’s area.  Two trail options are available.  Both are great trail hikes all the way to the summit.  The dry environment of this area makes it a good early Spring or late Fall season hike.  Wind can be challenging on the upper grassland