Exposed Summit

Update (5/18): Private Property Alert!

I received a note from Doug W7ZV letting me know that I had crossed private property on my hike to Wagner Mountain. In fact the SUMMIT of Wagner is apparently private property, owned by Young Life's Washington Family Ranch. The river map I was using did not indicate this, and there are no private property signs in this remote area. In short, I had no way of knowing that I would be entering private property on this hike.

Scouted the summit while in the area. Too far into the Coast Range for 2m contacts in the valley. Might be good for S2S contacts or other bands. Summit is easy to drive to, less than a mile off Boundary Road between the Trask & Nestucca drainages, no low-profile vehicles but anything else should be fine. Can drive right to the top, which has decent views and might make a good place to camp out.

Myself and AC7MA set off to activate Hex Mountain (1534m, 6 Points + 3 winter bonus) this past Tuesday (20th March). Here is a short video I made at the summit:

Good parking along the road in a pullout (during winter).  Note for winter ascents, stay left of the track at the bottom so you keep high.  Do not go right into the quarry as you will need to climb out.  We had to snowshoe up mud!  We stayed high on the descent.  On your climb up, work your way to the left hand summit ridge.  No trail and steep, but doable.  Metal posts at the top to strap antenna to.  Great views

In the summer you may be able to drive into the gravel quarry and take other ridgelines.

A bit over 11 miles from Tillamook on Highway 6 you will find this easy drive-up summit – Peak 2300. The road was graveled smooth in early 2018 and would be drivable in a passenger vehicle, even if a little steep in a few places.

“Bah,” said Scrooge, “Humbug.” At least that was what we thought to ourselves as we looked at the weather forecast for the weekend. The Weather Channel splashed the headlines of a series of epic storms that were lashing the west coast. Regardless, the lead sherpa was determined to get the family out of the house. There would be no sour moods for us! “There is hiking to be done, geocaches to be found, and a summit to be activated!” she proclaimed.

Scrambling much of the Rocky Mountain Front’s limestone summits keeps you looking for good footing as well as viewing the many ancient fossils of life when these high mountains were an ocean floor some 300 million years ago.   The fossils are common and so are trails of big horn sheep and mountain goats.  The views are outstanding of surrounding rugged SOTA summits and to the east, the vast plains of Montana. 

Homer Youngs Peak is a great hike/scramble over mostly good trail.  The final ascent is in open terrain and somewhat arduous bouldering.  It is typical of high alpine in the area and the views, barring summer wildfire smoke can be tremendous.  Several alpine lakes are visible and other high summits that you’ll deem ‘gota get’.  A good base camp is at Miner Lake, a popular, but underutilized US Forest Service Campground with good facilities and a fine grayling lake fishery.

This is a delightful mile scenic hike to an active US Forest Service Lookout. The staff was very friendly and knew about ham radio. Views are spectacular unless you are there in the middle of an active fire season when smoke obscures the mountains. Getting there is over the better-maintained portion of the Magruder Corridor Road approximately 14 miles west of the Magruder Crossing. The lookout trail begins as an old road, but then transitions to a single-track trail through a very open grass/forb corridor, a snow glade, where deep winter snow drifts persist into the late spring growing season and prevent trees from growing. Steep mountain cliffs, cirques and mountain lakes are adjacent to the trail to the east.

It’s an experience traveling the Magruder Corridor road, part of a 100-mile narrow road. According to the US Forest Service brochure, the road constructed by the CCCs in 1930s has changed little over the decades. It shows, and the narrow rocky in places road is used heavily by snowmobiles in winter and 4-wheelers in summer. There are no services available along this route or the adjoining roads for 130 miles. The portion of the Magruder Corridor road approaching Burnt Knob from the east is narrow, but it is very scenic and at high elevation. Much of it is over 7500’ high for northcentral Idaho roads.