Barlow Ridge is a pleasant three mile or so hike east of Mount Hood. Although relatively close to Portland the trail is seldom used, (especially past Barlow Butte) and has a nice 'wild' character about it. In other words, the trail seldom sees maintenance. It's a leg stretcher with about 1000 feet of net gain, but quite a bit more elevation change with all the ups and downs along the ridge line. Quite a bit more.
My wife, Christina, and I hiked/climbed Llao rock for the views and the activation. For those new to this summit, this should be on your to do list. The 1 mile or so hike with about 700' of elevation rise is a moderate climb up a mostly meadowed hill. When you get to the top, the views are breathtaking. Note closure in 2013: http://www.pnwsota.org/blog/k7atn/2014-july-27/llao-rock-or-closed-public
My wife, Christina, and I climbed Mt Scott, the highest point in Crater Lake NP. At 8938' ASL, it is an 8 point summit (just shy of 10 points). The popular trail is moderate, climbing 1250' over 2.5 miles each way. The trees get smaller as you climb, and much of the trail is in sunlight. The trail winds and switchbacks up the west and south sides of the mountain, finally following a sharp ridgeline to the summit and its lookout tower.
When a more complex plan failed to come to fruition Friday night, we decided late that we would head to Lookout Mountain in Oregon for Saturday's activation. We had been there before, and it is one of our all-time favorite SOTA summits. Just before we were heading out the door Saturday morning, I realized I had forgotten to alert us because the decision had been so late. I was shocked to see that K7ATN was scheduled for the same summit that day!
UPDATE JUNE 2018 - Road 27 has deteriorated to the point that getting to the trailhead may prove challenging even in a Subaru Outback. It's certainly unpleasant and rough and slow going. So much so that you may want to hike a few more miles and have an easier time getting to the northern trailhead.
Buck Mtn and its "sister" summit, Mt Tom make a good two summit day, which is how I did it. They are north of Mohawk, OR and accessed from the same mountain/logging roads. They are easily reached from the Eugene/Springfield area. Take the 42nd St exit from I-105 in Springfield, which provides access to the Marcola Rd north. Follow that road to Hill St, and turn L onto Hill. Take that a very short distance to the Mohawk Store. Go R at the store on Donna Rd. Turn L onto McGowan Creek Rd toward the rifle range. From there follow your
This past weekend, Taylor K7TAY and I successfully executed our first overnight SOTA activation. We went to Waldo Mountain in Central Oregon, a 6-point peak with a three-mile (each way) trail ending at a spectacular view and one of the few remaining lookout structures in Oregon.
For Taylor's first post-surgery activation, we were looking for a summit we could nearly drive to in order to minimize the required walking. The morning of the trip was the first time she had donned her boots since the procedure, so we weren't sure how much walking she'd be up for. We had originally planned a 2-point summit in the coast range because we knew we could get within a few hundred feet in the Jeep. However, a late tip from N7AAM on Friday had us rolling towards Lookout Mountain on the Washington side of the gorge.
A short hike to Mount Defiance in Oregon is from Wahtum Lake Road and is about 3.6 miles roundtrip with 1140 ft gain. From Dee near Hood River, it's about a 10-mile drive on FR 2820 to the Upper Mount Defiance trailhead.
South Tiger Mountain is the easiest of a trio of peaks in the Tiger Mountain State Forest near Issaquah, Washington.
(Note of August 2018 - temporary closure of South Tiger Traverse - access from the north is still possible.)
I-90 Exit 25 for Highway 18 is the easiest way to reach the trailhead parking area. I've used the upper parking lot for two activations here - note that a Washington State Discovery Pass is required. There is an unattractive toilet at the upper parking lot.