Shady Trail

I posted a video of the activation and hike.

Triangulation peak is a great SOTA activation site. The trail (#3373) comes off
of FS road 2233. FS road 2233 intersects Hwy22 just east of Idanha. See any of
the hiker websites to find exact directions. The trailhead did not indicate what
trail it was but from the map its obvious.

The road to the trailhead is somewhat rugged. 4WD is not necessary, but I wouldn't
take a prized sports car up there. This road becomes gated later when snow starts
falling as this area is a mecca for snowmobile folks.

There is a maze of roads in the Tillamook State Forest - a good map, a GPS, and keen sense of direction will help you navigate your way to South Saddle Mountain (not to be confused with the other coast range Saddle Mountain, NC-004). It may not be the most scenic summit, but the clearcuts do provide some great views of the north Willamette Valley.

This was a wonderful day for an activation of Scott Mountain.  The trailhead is reached by taking the turnoff for Scott Lake Campground off of OR242 a few miles west of the Dee Wright Observatory. Follow the gravel road past all the campsites to the quarry at the end of the road.  There are two trails that start from there.  Take the Benson Trail 3402 to go most directly to Scott Mountain.

I activated Eagle’s Rest (W7O/WV-078) on July 23, 2013.  There are several routes to get to the summit.  There is a long trip (over 13 miles round-trip) from a trail head on Highway 58.  There is shorter (perhaps 5 miles round-trip) hike from a trail head part way up on the long trail.  N7UN, NH6Z and I took that last year.  Finally, there is a short, 0.8 mile, hike up an alt change of about 430 feet.  That is the option I chose this year.

On July 27, 2013, my wife, Christina, and I activated Castle Rock (W7O/CM-116) near Cougar Reservoir in the middle Cascades.  This 3808’ summit is easily reached by roads and a moderate hike.

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

On 5 June, 2013 I headed up to Wildcat Mtn. in the Salmon-Huckleberry Wilderness section of Mt. Hood National Forest OR for my first attempt at a SOTA activation. This is a quick and easy trip out of the Portland area, so give it a go!

Douglas Trail #781: route described below starts at Upper Douglas Trailhead

Driving Directions:

Just south of downtown Issaquah is Squak Mountain. It's a Washington State Park and so access is straightforward. From the north trailhead it's 2.3 miles one way on a maze of trails where it's a good idea to check the trail map carefully as there are several junctions on the way to the summit and one unsigned (very short) trail link.

Along this trail I observed the largest spruce trees I've seen in Oregon - the trail is nearly a perfect picture of the Oregon coastal rain forest. That being said, there are no expansive views, no place for your antenna, and no place to sit...but it is an nice hike on the Oregon coast and close to Highway 101.