Exposed Summit

3 X 3 X 3 X 3 X 3 = Three Activations in three days with three, 3X3 (weak signal) contacts, amongst about 50 contacts overall.  During an early Spring vacation in the Bend, Oregon area, we enjoyed all that Central Oregon is famous for!  Good spring skiing, snowshoeing, hiking, SOTA Activations, and a sampling of several of the more than 80 breweries that exist in the greater Bend area.  This report, number 1 of 3, deals with the Activation of Mount Bachelor, 9,065 feet, 2,763 meters.

First SOTA Activation of Lookout Mountain, a smallish, somewhat obscure SOTA peak, above the town of Cle Elum.  Lookout Mountain is 3,465 Feet in elevation (1,056 Meters), which makes it feasible even in winter, when the high country is still buried in snow.  This Lookout Mountain is NOT to be confused with Lookout Mountain (W7W/CW-037).  This joint Activation, together with my SOTA Buddy, Tim, KG7EJT, took quite a bit of reserach and planning to achieve.  The easy / old way to reach the summit was from the South.  However, over the last decade or so, the entire southern exposure of Lookout Mountain has changed hands in ownership, and is now a "gated" community of large land parcels & homes. This necessitated a cross country brush beat to summit from the North.

On midwinter trip to Southern California to visit family, once again we set aside time for several SOTA Activations.  This report details the Activation of Point 4202, off SR2, the Angeles Crest Highway, in the San Gabriel Mountains.  I had previously Activated many nearby SOTA Summits, and had driven right below and by Point 4202 without being aware of it.  Being our last day in So. Cal. we looked for a short Activation with easy to get to trailhead.  Point 4202 fit the bill easy, allowing us to get back to Burbank in plenty of time to catch our afternoon flight from Burbank Airport back to Seattle.

On midwinter trip to Southern California to visit family, once again we set aside time for several SOTA Activations.  This report details the Activation of Occidental Peak, very close to the famous Mount Wilson Observatory.  I has previously Activated the adjacent San Gabriel Peak, and had observed Occidental close by.

Winter Adventures in Joshua Tree National Park, California.  On a recent trip to California to visit family, we took some time to visit Joshua Tree National Park, and Activate a couple SOTA peaks.  We made the town of Twenty Nine Palms our base, "roughing it" in the relatively new Holiday Inn Express facility, and making day excursions on February 1 & 2.  This is report 2 of 2, detailing Activation of an unnamed peak, Point 5540.

Winter Adventures in Joshua Tree National Park, California.  On a recent trip to California to visit family, we took some time to visit Joshua Tree National Park, and Activate a couple SOTA peaks.  We made the town of Twenty Nine Palms our base, "roughing it" in the relatively new Holiday Inn Express facility, and making day excursions on February 1 & 2.  This is report 1 of 2, detailing Activation of Ryan Mountain.

A return trip to Table Mountain, this time for a "winter" Activation.  This SOTA Summit has a ski area at the peak of the mountain, Mountain High North, with the ski runs going downhill (north) from the summit.  The ski area is part of the Mountain High complex of ski areas, near Wrightwood, California.  Therefore, there are excellent roads leading to Wrightwood, and beyond to the ski areas, including Mountain High North.  On this sunny winter day, a Monday, this particular part of the Mountain High ski complex was closed.  This was one of the reasons we chose a weekday for the Activation.  Nobody there!  We had the entire place to ourselves.

A cold, windy & snowy winter activation of Amabilis Mountain, 4,580 feet, located east of Snoqualmie Pass, Washington, was undertaken by me and my SOTA Buddy - Tim, KG7EJT.  The forecast was for a substantial change from the sunny but cold weather this area had been enjoying the previous week.  The TH is easy to reach, most of the time, being right at Exit 63, Highway I-90.  The route we took followed the XC Ski groomed logging road leading from the Lodge Creek / Swamp Creek Basin to the summit area of Amabilis. The route was 11.18  miles RT, gaining approximately 2,050 feet elevation.

Here's a fairly accessible activation close in to Portland that could offer nice views...on a clear day. The road is passable to a certain point in a passenger car - past the first berm and you'll find the road rather...rutted (see photos).

Here's a 1.1 mile one-way hike with 800 feet of gain just a ways south of Bend, Oregon. It's got some great views and a nice summit with a bit of lookout history.