For anyone heading up to Mount Hood or headed from Portland into Central Oregon, Clear Lake Butte would be a nice stop on the way. It's a well graded and mostly paved forest road, suitable for biking or bringing along those that aren't big hikers. And no one would mind arriving at a classic fire lookout.
If you are interested in an atypical activation, this rock might be just for you. A low elevation early spring attainable summit. Located in a WA state park North of Coulee City, WA. Much more expansive than Beacon Rock and depending on the day of the week, fewer visitors.
Great views and clear terrain for miles. Elevation at top is 2285 feet with a quick gain of 650 feet from the TH thru a steep slot in the cliffs which can be loose rock at times.
Steamboat Rock State Park offers campsites and boating opportunities.
With a clear weather window during a wet week, my wife and I decided we should go hike/run up Lucky Peak. The trail head is only a couple miles from our house so we spend quite a bit of time on the first few miles of the trail. This would be our second time hiking all the way to the top. It would be the first time hiking/running the peak with the SOTA gear on my back though!
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Our first activation of Bald Mtn in 2015 was very satisfying even on the overcast and misty day we did it. But opt for a sunny day if you can - the views at the top are really worth it. On a clear day, you will be rewarded with a wonderful vista of the Spada Reservoir and the mountains beyond. The pictures here were taken when we went back in 2016.
Stack Rock has become more accessible over the last few years due to private land being converted to public access. A private donation made it possible for the Land Trust of the Treasure Valley to purchase private land around and on the way to Stack Rock. More information here at this LINK. The trail is widely used by hikers, mountain bikers and is now used by those that have drank the SOTA Kool-Aid!
The payoff for this relatively short non-technical summit is huge! Fantastic 360° views from the summit. Closest prominent peaks include, Mount Baring, Glacier Peak and the Monte Cristo Group. I'd been to the summit of Beckler several times prior to learning of SOTA. I recalled the location of Beckler Peak was quite remote; there are no major towns within a 40 mile radius of the peak, and, Beckler is surrounded by many higher peaks.
UPDATE July 2020: Elk Rock has been posted "No Trespassing" by Weyerhauser. See sign below.
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This was my first attempt to activate a summit and all of this is a first attempt in terms of planning, tools used, the template I used to write this, etc. Let me know if there are other things you want to know about for future summits.
This was our third hike to Elbow Peak; this time it was sunny! Wow! Incredible views of the east side of all the Snoqualmie Pass peaks, and the mighty Stuart Range. We only saw 2 other couples the entire day, so a very peaceful and beautiful hike in the Teanaway region. Only a few minor patches of snow at the 5000 foot level, and these were in the shady areas. No trouble passes them with only hiking poles.
Attempt #1:
The rough road up to Kepros Mountain is only open during the fall hunting season. I had concidered attempting this peak with a friend who has one of those cool RZR 4x4's. However, that trip early last winter was called on account of bad weather. So I waited until Spring to make the first real attempt.
This is an easily accessed peak in an area that's currently undergoing logging activity. We went up on a Saturday and had the place to ourselves. The peak and ridge is rocky with a few trees and lot's of deer and elk sign. There is a pleasant view mostly to the east. The activation area is large with plenty of room for a dipole antenna.