Summary - Mount Beachie, on the edge of the Beachie Creek Lionshead burn, is hiked from a trailhead above Elk Lake. The fire burned over the top here, so it is a little desolate on top. 2M contacts, with a better-than-stock antenna, are possible. I did not turn on APRS. The trail is rough the whole way and by turns, steep, rocky, buggy, boggy, and overgrown.
Summary - Battle Ax, on the edge of the Beachie Creek Lionshead burn, is hiked from a trailhead above Elk Lake. The trail is often rough and rocky and the last quarter mile, steep. The hike from the trailhead to the summit is about 2.6mi and 1700ft. Trekking poles and shoes good on rock are handy. The summit is open, with the remains of a lookout and views of all the big mountains; you'll need a mast to put up an HF wire. 2M contacts, with a better-than-stock antenna, are possible. I did not turn on APRS and ATT digital service was in and out.
Table Rock lies between Summer Lake and Fort Rock in central Oregon. It's easily visible and obvious for miles--a large round platau surrounded by desert. Views are great, of course.
USFS-Yakima Tribal lands bisect this summit. Activate to the west to be on USFS properties. See the attached map. Beautiful views of Mt Adams to the north but an exposed summit, i.e. can be windy.
While we used motorcycles to get to this summer, a descent AWD car should have no problem with the road. There is enough space just to the south of the cow area to park one or two rigs and the hike is relatively quick. Not much in the way of shade so plan accordingly and bring extra water. This is pretty remote country but in the event of an emergency, you could likely get into the HiDARG Repeater on Sharps Butte [147.300+, T162.2].
Just to add an alternate route if you don't have an Inland Empire Paper permit.
There is a gated access road that starts at the same Blanchard Hump parking area as previously mentioned.
Follow the road upwards which has quite a few switchbacks so the distance uphill is more like 2.75 miles OW.
The road is part of Hancock Timber IX and is posted for non-motorized access only. Partway up, the land ownership transitions to WA DNR for most of the rest of the way to the top.
This summit was a bit of a drive up from Highway 95. Turn east onto E Ohio Match Rd and follow until E Forest Service Rd 1552. This becomes gravel and then dirt and then rather rutted dirt. A car might be able to navigate the ruts with careful driving but a high clearance vehicle or 4x4 would be better. The upper portion of the road gets better. Park at (47.87615426731026, -116.63432109643475) and follow the spur road around to the summit. Hike is around 2 miles and 800' elevation OW. The spur road had a couple tank traps in it and appears to dwindl
A Weyerhaeuser "Longview St Helens" motorized permit is required for this route: Take I5 to Exit 32; head East on Kalama River Road to very end. That is gate 6000 unlock gate and pass through. Take Road 6000 all the way to the end where you run into a gate is for non-motorized access.
NOTE: not to be confused with the other Blacktail Mt, which is much farther north in the Idaho Panhandle.
For this 1pt summit, you really have to work for it. The elevation gain is around 1800' and distance is around 2 miles OW.
The Spence Mountain Trail climbs about 1800 ft in 7 miles. Its not ever terribly steep but climbs steadily without much relief. There are plenty of gorgeous views to the South and West.