May 18th was the Puget Sound S2S party. I had plans to take my son dirt biking in Walker Valley in the afternoon, so I needed a quick summit that was resonably close to Walker Valley ORV park. Mount Cavanagh fit the bill nicely, and was surprisingly pleasent!
(IMPORTANT NOTE! Everything in this post is true with the exception of the peak designation: W7O/NC-022.
After reading K7EEX's warning about Stimson land, I reviewed the maps and Peakbagger reports, and found that a 2.6-mile trail existed starting right from the edge of US 26, up Shields Road, and staying on Tillamook State Forest land for the majority of the trip. In fact, this summit can be activated without ever stepping foot on Stimson land, as the boundary of their land is just a little higher than the activation region, but Stimson has a permissive access policy for non-motorized, leave-no-trace day use, so read their stipulations and head right up.
First time activation of 2011 Good Copy Hill on April 7th. There is no trail to the summit, but a you can drive within .25 miles, with a 4x4 you don't mind getting scratched up. It's a narrow dirt road thru sagebrush. Follow the game trails up to the summit. Was able to make contacts on 20m & 40m. (SSB)
I won't give all the details of how to get to Red Top, etc. This summit has been well covered by others. Here is an interesting report from K7MAS for comparison:
Summary: On 31MARCH19 I decided to complete the first activation of W7O/NC-072 currently called only '2905' I had briefly attempted this summit for the S2S party on 23MAR19 but found the road covered in snow. Today however I was able to drive the majority of the way up with the actual hike portion being fairly short but sweet. I made the mistake of completing the activation during a big CQ competition so the entire 20m band was full of signals but I was still about to get 18 contacts including 3 s2s contacts.
To get to Stacker Butte, Washington, from Interstate 84, take exit 87 at the Dalles and go north across the Columbia River for approximately 3.5 miles to Highway 14. Note; After taking exit 87 and turning north, there is a McDonalds on the left. This is the last opportunity for "facilities". If you don't use them, Stacker butte is very exposed all the way up, and you will be too! Also, this bridge crossing the Columbia is NOT a toll bridge. When you get to Highway 14, turn right (east) and go about 0.9 miles to Dalles Mtn Rd and turn left.
Summary: On 28MAR19 I decided to knock out the first activation on Field Effect Hill (aka Megler Mountain). The weather started out beautiful and sunny but I ended up having to complete my activation in the rain which contiuned until I had started the hike back down when the sun returned. Overall, the hike isnt bad but the the horrible wide band RFI in the vincinity of the summit made this less fun for an HF activation than most summits which tend to be far quieter.
5.9 miles, +3,100 ft, -300 ft
Mostly on-trail, Some Off-Trail
The trailhead (Glacier National Park – Lubec Lake / Firebrand Pass Trailhead) is easy to get to, but also easy to miss. The trailhead parking is on a short (500-foot) loop turnoff from Highway-2 that is squeezed between the highway and the railroad tracks. The trailhead is 6.25 miles from the main intersection in East Glacier, and 8.6 miles from the John F. Stevens monument at the summit of Marias Pass.
West Tiger Mountain is one of W7W's most frequently activated summits. It is part of the 'Issaquah Alps', and being close to Seattle is a very popular day hiking area. Arrive early to get parking near the trailhead, and don't forget your Discover Pass!
There are a series of summits called 'West Tiger' - the one we are interested in for SOTA is known as West Tiger 1.