Good Views From Summit

(3.6 miles, +2,400 ft, -300 ft, 7.4 mile approach)

 This peak is about 12 miles NW of McCall Idaho.  There is no trail to the summit, but it is an easy bushwhack.  To get to the "trailhead" take Hwy 55 north out of McCall and take the Brundage Ski area turn off a few miles north of town.  Follow this road to the Brundage Ski area, but instead of turning into the ski area parking lot remain on Goose Lake Rd.

Gem Peak is a drive-up with a fire lookout at the top that is available to rent.  This is an L-4 type lookout on top of a 30-foot tower that was constructed in 1964.  The road up is suitable for most vehicles, so long as they have a bit of clearance.  The road is gated just below the summit & it is likely that the lookout is being used if the gate is closed.

(2.8 miles, +2,200 feet)

Haystack Mountain is a nice hike up a well-maintained trail.  The summit is a large rockpile that has the scattered remains of an old fire lookout (“L-4” type lookout constructed in 1936 & destroyed on 1977).  Although there is room to setup on the summit rockpile, there is a more comfortable flat area about 20-feet below the summit that is well within the activation zone.  The trail may be accessed as follows:

Mount Pisgah is a 'near' urban summit just east of Eugene. It is known as Mount Pisgah Arboretum and as the Howard Burford Recreation Area. It's a short 1.5 miles, but steep with 1050 feet of elevation gain from the parking lot to the summit. It features some of the last remaining oak savanna that once dominated the Willamette Valley and the summit has good views. 

Here's a pleasant and easy pavement drive-up activation just east of Madras in Central Oregon. You might consider it as you travel between Bend and Portland sometime. There are nice views from the top, good parking, and trees and sagebrush to support most antennas.

Here's a quiet Central Oregon summit for those with a high clearance vehicle - or anyone that wants a bit of hiking as one could walk the rutted dirt road or even go directly cross-country to the summit (although direct would be a bit steep).

(1.4 miles, +2,000 feet)

Couldn't resist the quick walk-up summit of Ball Butte on our return to the trailhead from a day hike to the base of Broken Top Mountain in the Sisters Wilderness.  Although there's no human created trail to the summit, other than animal tracks, the route from the Broken Top Mountain trailhead is obvious - ascend the gentle, partially treed Southeast face to a saddle approximately 200 vertical feet below the summit ridge, then hike climbers left to the summit ridge. Non-technical, except for some minor exposure along the ridge.

One of the nicest hikes in the San Gabriel Mountains, Waterman Mountain is certainly worthy of repeat SOTA Activations, and this was our third time in about 2 years.  Being graced with a very reasonable access, well graded trail and magnificent specimens of Incense Cedar (see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calocedrus  ) and Ponderosa Pine (see:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinus_ponderosa  ) it’s a wonderful and popular SOTA objective.  The trail is 6 + miles RT, with 1,200 feet elevation gain.  The summit area is lightly treed, but still has views if you search them out.