Good Views From Summit

First Activation of Norse Peak, Pierce / King County Line, Washington. 

Completed my second SOTA activation on Black Crater on July 23, 2013. Black Creater trailhead is located just east of McKenzie Pass on OR 242.  The trailhead is well marked.  Parking and the trail are both very good.  Trail to the top is about four miles with about 3000ft elevation gain. Trail starts in dense forest and the forrest thins out as you go higher.  There were lots of bugs at the parking lot but once on the trail, they were not a problem.

First SOTA Activation of Tamarack Peak, Washoe County, Nevada - Ace Number 3.

Great outing on sunny and warm day (80F at 2:00 PM).  With Loren Chotzen, Dexter the Labrador and Max the Husky.

This was a fun activation of Mt. Hood. I decided to splurge on weight and bring the FT-817 and Buddipole (no coils) for 6m and 2m SSB. Once I got the antenna up, I found a number of chasers waiting on 50.125, so I'm glad I brought equipment for 6m. The mast was supported by shoving it into the hard snow on the summit.

It was a beautiful day, all the way around.  Kelly Butte is a great hike, a bit steep and exposed on the beginning switchbacks, but with wildflowers this time of year, and open views from the fire lookout.

Rainier filled the view to the south, and Seattle was visible through the foothills.  Mt. Stuart, Glacier Peak and the "backside" of the southern Snoqualmie pass summits made a nice panorama.

Unicorn Peak was a short easy climb compared to the Little T attempt the day before. It's about a 6 mile round trip with 2500 ft of elevation gain. We were on snow most of the way.

Little Tahoma is a 11,138 ft summit on the east flank of Mt. Rainier. The route requires crossing the Frying Pan and Whitman glaciers.

Tuesday last week, with the help, support, and expertise of friends and an experienced mountaineering guide, I summited Mount Hood for my first time, and activated Mount Hood for its first time in SOTA. The climb began under a crystal clear starry sky around 00:37 on Tuesday, 11 June 2013, heading up the snowcat-groomed climber’s trail from Wy'East Day Lodge at Timberline Lodge. At midnight, I had met my guide, Rodney Sofich, at the Climber's Register just inside the day lodge to discuss what I was about to undertake.

Goat Mtn is located southeast of Molalla. It is a radio comm site with numerous VHF antennas (+ other transmitters) on one tower at the summit.