Summary - 3420 (Mount Beacon) is on Weyerhauser's Longview land northwest of Merrill Lake and is most easily accessed through a gate at the end of Kalama River Road. The highway drive is roughly eighty minutes from PDX; to the trailhead, plan on another hour or so along logging roads. The hike is roughly 1.5 miles and an eight hundred foot climb and ends in a nice operating position with views to the west. Don't count on two meters to make your four QSOs. There is no ATT cell service but APRS pings get picked up.
Pass Required at Trailhead
3420 (mount beacon) wa | november 2022
2466 (amplifier peak) wa | november 2022
Summary - 2466 (Amplifier Peak) is on Weyerhauser's Longview land northwest of Merrill Lake and is most easily accessed through a gate on Kalama River Road. The highway drive from PDX is roughly eighty minutes; to the trailhead, plan on another forty minutes or so along logging roads to the summit. The last part of the drive is through an active logging area and the road is often closed, so you may want to have a backup plan. Don't count on two meters to make your four QSOs. Cell phone service is marginal, and APRS pings get picked up.
Lava Butte - OR - November 2022
Very easy walk in all seasons. Summer is very busy.
Full trip report at https://w7mtb.blog/2022/11/activation-report-w7oce-188-lava-butte.html
lakeview peak wa (snowshoe) | november 2022
Summary - Lakeview Peak is on Weyerhauser's Longview land north of Yale and is accessed through a gate on Rock Creek Road. The drive to the gate is roughly eighty minutes. From the gate to the summit is another 2.5 miles and a 1400 foot climb along logging roads. Don't count on two meters to make your four QSOs. Cell phone service is marginal, and APRS pings get picked up.
big bull wa | october 2022
Summary - Big Bull is one of three peaks (LC-100, LC-091, LC-068) in the Northeast corner of Weyerhauser's Longview land. It is a drive up roughly two hours from Portland, much of it over logging roads. There is a very short hike (twenty yards) to the densely forested summit and the best operating position is in an opening a little below the top. Don't count on two meters to make your four QSOs. Cell phone service is marginal, and APRS pings get picked up.
3860 (mount binary) wa | october 2022
Summary - 3860 (Mount Binary) is one of three peaks (LC-100, LC-091, LC-068) in the Northeast corner of Weyerhauser' Longview parcel. It is roughly two and a half hours from Portland, much of it over logging roads. There is a short hike (less than a mile) up an unused logging road which ends on an open ridge with nice views. Don't count on two meters to make your four QSOs. Cell phone service is marginal, and APRS pings get picked up.
3566 (mount diode) wa | oct 2022
Summary - 3566 (Mount Diode) is one of three peaks (LC-100, LC-091, LC-068) in the Northeast corner of Weyerhauser-owned land. It is roughly two and a half hours from Portland, much of it over logging roads that get rougher as you go higher. The summit is clear cut and covered with stumps and the best operating position is along the road. Don't count on two meters to make your four QSOs. Cell phone service is marginal, and APRS pings get picked up. There are good views of the surrounding hills.
elk mountain, wa | october 2022
Summary - Getting to the top of Elk Mountain, on Weyerhauser land west of Mount Saint Helens, is a either a steep two mile hike on an abandoned forest road or mostly a drive up with a short climb. It is the highest of a group of three summits about two hours from SE Portland. The summit is a nice operating position with views, a concrete communication shed, the remains of a lookout tower, and a hunk of airplane that crashed there years ago. Don't count on two meters to make your four QSOs, cell phone service is very marginal, and APRS pings get picked up.
butler butte, wa | october 2022
Summary - Butler Butte is part of a three summit group on Weyerhauser land that is about two hourse from SE Portland. Getting to the summit requires a short hike from a logging road. The summit is small, densely forested and without views. Don't count on two meters to make your four QSOs, cell phone service is marginal at best, and APRS pings get picked up. It can be done as part of a three or four summit day if you plan carefully.
3387 (mt astronaut), wa | october 2022
Summary - 3387 is a drive up on Weyerhauser land west of Mount Saint Helens and a two hour drive from SE Portland. The summit is treeless and has a great view of Goat Mountain and Mount Saint Helen. Don't count on two meters to make your four QSOs, cell phone service is marginal at best, APRS two way works. Overall, a nice place for a longer activation and can be part of a three or four summit day with careful planning.