Summary - From Portland, a long, relatively easy drive (2WD okay) and a short, difficult bushwhack will net you a big beautiful view from a very small summit. 2M is likely to be difficult, bring a mast if you want to do HF, and be prepared to scramble if you want to operate from the summit itself.
Mission Peak is an 8-point summit, that is reachable from Wenatchee. This activation was a joint effort with Drew-K7DDC. We tried to make the best of the last few days of fall by activating this summit before it gets snow clad.
NOTE: Forest Road 9341 is blocked by a rockslide at 46.23071, -121.82871 and there is an additional 3 mi approach to the trailhead on pavement.
This was summit 2 of a 2 First Activation day.
This summit is inside a WA Resource Management Area near the Spokane Indian Reservation. I parked along Rail Canyon rd. to access the state land. A gate at the access road marks the beginning of the hike. I used two main dirt roads to get close to the summit and then bushwhacked the last 1,000 ft. Use caution, this area had a forest fire this summer; fallen trees and loose objects make this hike challenging. At the summit I was able to get simplex contacts on 2m with ease. Plenty of trees to use with a throw line for my EFHW setup. No water; moose tracks in the area.
1.2 miles round trip. ~900ft elevation gain. Moderate bushwhack.
Gold Peak is a one point steep bushwhack in the Tillamook State Forest. To get to the trailhead one needs first to get to the Trask River Road out of the town of Tillamook. From Portland there are two cutoffs. One is longer and paved, the other good gravel. Travel times are similar, but the gravel route is shorter.
This summit was a bit of a challenge with 11 miles round-trip trail and ~2500' elevation change. It took us 4hrs to hike in. (NOTE: no dogs on trails in the MSH National Volcanic Monument.)
Summary - Steamboat is an easy (if longish) drive from Portland, reached by a short climb along a lovely trail, and has terrific views of all your favorite volcanoes. There are trees for antennas and plenty of places along the ridge to sit and enjoy the view. VHF is relatively easy when using a decent antenna.
The trail is a relatively easy 7 mile hike round-trip with elevation gain of ~900'
There is an excellent view from the summit of Tolmie Peak towards Mt. Rainier on a clear day.
It can get super busy on weekends with folks dragging their picnic baskets up to the top, especially around the firewatch tower.
9/25/2021 had a favorable weather forecast and also happened to line up with the first weekend where permits are no longer required. Casey (non-ham) drove out from Eugene and met me at the Devils Lake trailhead at 10pm (9/24). We slept a couple hours and started the climb at 2:10am.
This is almost a drive-up, with a 200-ft scramble through what is currently totally-burnt forest. In a few years, this will probably be thick low trees. Drive as in my report of nearby Sister Rocks, but turn north onto NF-6406 to NF-214, which leads almost to the summit. All of these roads are passable to the average passenger car. Park at the end of the road, and head west up the slope. The route is steep and the soil is especially loose because of the burn, but you can get up it with care.