Prune Hill is an extinct volcanic vent, 755 feet ASL, located in Camas, Washington, about 30 minutes from Portland, Oregon. This summit is in a suburban neighborhood with no public space near the summit itself.
UPDATE MARCH 2022 - Permits required weekends April 23 to June 12, plus Memorial Day.
Dog Mountain is a wonderful climb nine months of the year - but in March we went from spotty sun and 38F to snow blowing sideways at 25 mph and perhaps 27F in a partial white out. It's a bit less than eight miles round trip with 2900 feet of gain.
This is a straightforward drive-up activation about an hour south of Bend with great views. Paulina Peak and North Paulina Peak are both in the Newberry National&nbs
This would be a great activation on a mountain bike - the single track looks like a good time. On busy weekends hikers might be outnumbered by bikes - however, for this early fall, late evening activation I saw no one on the trail. The trail is about 4.1 miles one way with about 0.3 miles of that cross country and 1300 feet of elevation gain.
The road to Glass Butte requires a high clearance vehicle and four-wheel drive is recommended.
The roads in this area to access Little Glass Butte might be Ok in a very carefully driven passenger car, but high clearance is recommended. If you are traveling through eastern Oregon this is a worthy six-point peak to check out, especially along with an activation of nearby G
Lava Butte is an easy and fun four pointer if you are ever in Central Oregon. It is a drive-up summit part of the year. There is a sometimes staffed lookout at the top and enough room for operating and most any antenna. Since it is a popular spot, you could get plenty of questions about ham radio when it is busy.
While in town for the Hells Canyon Relay race, Taylor and I planned to hit two 10-point summits in the Joseph, OR area, our highest elevation and point value yet. What started off as a well-planned day trip unraveled into a messy situation. This is a long report, but worth the read!
The trail is called the "Starway Trail" but it could be better named the "Stairway Trail" as it is one of the steepest trails I have ever hiked - but the views from the top are worth it. And then, the peak should also have the SOTA vanity name, "Starway." The elevation gain is in the order of 2400 feet in just over two miles and pretty much relentlessly climbs for the first half of the hike. Note that this peak can also be approached from Silver Star (from the south) with less elevation gain, although the trail is a bit faint in places.
I guess the winds must be blowing smoke from the fires in Wenatchee over the mountains. It was a pretty hazy day, especially at lower elevations. This one is a short hike (1.5 mi), but a steep one. The drive took me longer than expected, as did the hike, so I wound up about an hour late with the activation. The views were stupendous, though, inspite of the haziness, and the lookout tower at the top made a perfect support for my pole.