Good Views From Summit

If you are touring anywhere near Crater Lake National Park, Garwood Butte is a quiet destination for an activation. The forest road is fairly Priusable and the hike is reasonably short, even if a bit steep in places. As for a number of other summits, one reward for making it to the top is a historic fire lookout. The "upper" trailhead is about 1 mile and 600 feet of gain - from road 3703 it's about 2.3 miles and 1000 feet. 

From Roseburg, Oregon turn on OR-138 East / Northeast Diamond Lake Boulevard.

Quick update for this semi-popular summit. If you need directions, see WTA... it's very easy to get to.

The road: it's not terrible but I'd recommend a Subaru or better. There are a couple bad spots where high clearence is helpful.

The summit was BUGGY today. I had to wear my rain gear, head net, Deet... was sitting in a massive swarm, sweating. They still managed to bite me. It was hot and muggy, and quite a bit of smoke from the fires in EWA in the air. Views were still very nice despite the smoke.

Summary - Three Corner Rock (TRC) is easy to get to, includes a lovely forest hike with a steady climb, and a open summit with great views. 2M contacts into Portland are easy to make with a half-wave whip. Bring a mast if you want to put a wire in the air as there is only one, eight foot tall, tree to work with.  The drive is about 90 minutes from the east side of Portland. The hike climbs about 1100 feet over two miles and is mostly on the well-used PCT.

5774 Entiat Ridge Peak (W7W/CH-197) is a short, steep hike from a trailhead reached out of the Leavenworth area. The summit has expansive views of the area.  A high clearance vehicle should be used.

The summit is on the Entiat Ridge that also includes Sugarloaf Peak (W7W/CH-195), 5221 Twin Lead Mtn (W7W/CH-206), and Chumstick Mountain (W7W/CH-196).  All four summits can be done in one long day.  Two of the three summits (Sugarloaf and Chumstick) are drive-ups, Twin Lead is a drive-up or short hike, and Entiat Ridge Peak is a short hike.  

Chumstick Mountain (W7W/CH-196) is a drive-up summit that can easily be reached out of the Leavenworth area. A high clearance vehicle should be used, particularly for the alternative route described below. 

The summit is on the Entiat Ridge that also includes Sugarloaf Peak (W7W/CH-195), 5221 Twin Lead Mtn (W7W/CH-206), and 5774 Entiat Ridge Peak (W7W/CH-197).  All four summits can be done in one long day.  Two of the three summits (Sugarloaf and Chumstick) are drive-ups, Twin Lead is a drive-up or short hike, and Entiat Ridge Peak is a short hike.  

DISCLAIMER: This summit should not be attempted without knowledge of rope systems, crevasse rescue and snow travel. It is a serious climb that should not be taken lightly.

Little Tahoma Peak is a sister summit of Mt Rainier. At 11,138' it is the 3rd tallest peak in Washington State. It is far less popular than Rainier due to the fact that the final few hundred feet is some of the loosest rock in the state.

Sugarloaf Peak is a drive-up or near drive-up to a fire lookout that is staffed in the summer.   This is an easy summit in the Leavenworth area that can be done with any medium-to-high clearance vehicle. 

K7ATN provided a good winter access trip report, but there is a very easy trail to the summit of Multorpor mountain that bypasses having to deal with any Ski Bowl access. This activation would be good for new SOTA activators. It is easy to get to and is an easy summit trail under the shade of a forest canopy on the way up. My hike was under 3 miles and under 800 feet of climbing, you could shorten it by parking closer on the road, see below.

Summary - Saturday Rock is easy to get to, about two hours from Portland, has awesome views and a short, sometimes gnarly and steep, bushwhack. Park at 45.85645, -122.17190 and follow the ridge to the summit. The first clear area you encounter on the top isn't it, keep going!  Trees to hang wires, easy 2M QSOs, good APRS connectivity, spotty cell service. National Forest parking pass required.