Good Views From Summit

The recent Grayback Mountain WA pnwPOTA Blogs by K7ATN (11/03/2021) and KJ7EHA (04/12/2021) highlight the recent difficulties of gaining public access to the summit. In the past, Western Pacific Timber LLC (WPT), the State of Washington and the few private property owners didn’t restrict entry to walk-in visitors, horseback riders or hunters – just unauthorized motorized vehicles. Ironically the inviting “Feel Free to Hunt” come on in sign is still near the main gate. However, I noticed a pair of new No Trespassing signs approximately 1,500 feet from the main gate.

Summary - This is an easy climb up a series of switchbacks cemented to the side of the basalt plug that is Beacon Rock. Given the proximity to Vancouver and Portland, the short hike, and the fabulous view, this is a very popular destination. For uninterrupted operating time you'll want to combine arriving early, bad weather, and mid-week day. HF operation is possible, 2M contacts are easy, APRS and phone service are good. Parking requires a Washington Discover Pass or a ten buck day pass.

Whisky is a fun hike up a rocky trail to where there used to be a lookout and still are remnants of it and other buildings including the outhouse. I had never seen a lookout built so close to the edges of the mountain. Two sides of the foundation basically came to the edge that to get to the far side of the lookout you would have to go through it when it was standing. Some of the best views of Red Buttes and the wilderness, and beyond. 360 view.It was very windy when I was there so I set up a little below, near a pile of rubble for a bit more elbow room.

I did Condrey the second day of CQP with call K6G, needing to get some walking in after sitting for so long. We were camped a few miles away from it. It is a pretty easy and short hike up from the main road. I went up the SW ridge and it was probably about a mile RT. Nice open summit with great views. Some brush and plenty of rock for an easy set up. If I am in the area again I will probably do Condrey and White same day, they were both very nice summits to hike and activate.

de AG7GP

I hiked to White Mountain in a hurry in a race against sundown, we still needed to find a place to pitch a tent for the weekend before CQP started. It was a very pleasant hike and I wish I had more time. Most of the trek is on the PCT until you climb the final 400' up to the peak. The trail is beautiful, well forested and lots of great views and interesting rock formation. White is basically a bare rock mountain to the north consisting of milky green rock, maybe serpentine?, so it is white in appearance from a distance.

Before I dive in to the trip report, I want to make the access concerns clear to anyone reading. This summit is part of Cashmere Canyons, a privately-owned wildlife preserve. It is open to the public for hiking, but because its primary purpose is wildlife protection, it has a very short and specific list of allowed activities, and amateur radio is not among them. I am fortunate enough to be friends with the owner so I asked for permission to operate my KX2 here.

Summary - Red Mountain is an easy two mile, 1400 foot climb from the gate to the summit along a poorly maintained road. There is a lookout tower and a couple of VHF/UHF installations on the open summit. The views are amazing! FSR6048, the road to the summit, is in poor condition but passable with 4WD and clearance. The gate location shown on the USFS maps is incorrect, it is actually at 45.920, -121.824. There is only room for one vehicle near the gate.

17.6 miles; + 5,900 feet; -1,900 feet; From the TH near Gibson Dam

Bear Mountain is an easy hike with a reasonable approach. The hike is about a 4 mile round trip with around 800 feet of elevation gain.

Hickman Butte is located within the Bull Run Watershed Management Unit (BRWMU) and is restricted to the general public by federal law. Locked gates are at all road entry locations. Authorized access is required to enter. The BRWMU is patrolled by Portland Water Bureau security personnel. Electronic surveillance is used to keep an eye on things.

The City of Portland offers guided tours June through October. Unfortunately, none of the tours include any of the SOTA summits.