This was meant to be the last of our 3 night expedition (although I did manage to sneak one more in :) ). This summit was not in my notes but on our way out after packing up camp, we decided to at least take a peak. It was a nice morning hike. Lots of wildflowers. Plenty of area to set up. There is also a large domed rock to view to the east on I guess would be it's false summit. There was also a lot of hooting from the blue grouse.
This summit I went ahead to give a try after deciding Fishhole Mountain nearby was not an option for the day. This little summit ended up being a very nice, peaceful stroll. Robin wanted to rest so I took the hike up solo after we had enough pinstriping of the truck and it ended up being about 2.25 mile RT hike. The top is a forested park like area. There are also grown over old skid rows that make for an easy hike, not really any log hopping. Plenty of area to set up and enjoy the magnificent view looking down at the brilliant blue Butcher Flat Reservoir.
My second SOTA required a longer hike (~2 miles each way) than Mt. Electric but was also a lot of fun.
This was number 2 for the day. A short hike but only if you are interested in driving through some brush. Walking the road wouldn't be bad though. Plenty of area to set up. This was a short and sad activation as we were informed of Robin's cousin passing while on top.
Take access road off of main road 28. 28 is main FS road that is paved.
This was where we chose to camp for our multiple summit trip, just at the northern base of the mountain, in a nice forested flat, just a jog up RD 105, the road is blocked a little further up. Where we camped is also about where you want to hike up the summit. Nice hike but we got really tangled up going down the mountain too far down the NW ridge rather than the face of the ridge and were caught in solid buck brush. Check satellite images to avoid, if you avoid this its about a 1.75 mi RT hike in a mixed forest with lots of Sugar Pine in a blanket of Indian Paintbrush.
This summit spans a property boundary between public BLM land and private Stimson land, and although Stimson allows the public to hike on most of their property on weekends, there is no need to enter their property to access the activation zone.
Lookout Mountain is a US Forest Service active Lookout. Though not has high as some surrounding summits, it is typical of lookouts having good forest views. The summit is accessible by automobile. Trees are available for hanging wire antennas. &
Bare Mountain is an easy bushwhack up from a decent-quality dirt road. There are several approaches, but this one is by far the easiest - and may have once been a trail to the summit. I recommend GPS, as there is no defined trail and coming down it is hard to follow your own tracks - though if you stay east of the original tracks you will still come out on the road. I could probably make it down NF-311 in a sedan. We walked from the pull-off on NF-311.
After two previous attempts I finally made my first SOTA Contacts.
I have to say, this was a fun hike, it's really my style. It is truly a bushwhack hike, there is no trail, and you will not be afforded a road or any kind of guide. A GPS waypoint of the peak is absolutely necessary, and even that won't help you at points from getting into trouble with really dense, thick undergrowth. Be prepared to climb over and through stands of pine trees, manzanita, and deadfall. This area is littered with old logging roads, which have given rise to dense thick stands of 1" pine trees 6 inches apart. The path you will likely take crosses t