I completed the first activation of Tenas Mountain today. The hike I took and the peak itself are both located within Indian Dan State Wildlife Recreation Area. My route is about a 4 mile round trip with 1000 feet of elevation gain. I parked at the parking area at (48.11129,-119.86790). A Discover Pass is required. The last two miles of the drive was on a dirt road, but it was in excellent condition. From the parking area, I hiked along an old double track road towards the summit. It's easily visible from aerial imagery.

On a recent Sunday, I drove up CG-2020 from Stephenson to the saddle where 2025 and 2026 split off (around 45.717500° -121.980944°) and parked on the side of the road.  From there I walked down the eastern branch of the roads that meet there towards Greenleaf Peak.  The other road that goes southeast heads towards the same direction but it seems to go down hill so I chose the other side of the ridge.

Ice Cave Mountain (Peak 2220) is a moderate hike that requires some route finding, with no established trail. Parking is along the shoulder of a paved road at an elevation of 1350 feet. I estimate that the hike is about 1.5-2 miles round trip, with about 900 feet of elevation gain. The peak and the approach are all on public land.

The recent Grayback Mountain WA pnwPOTA Blogs by K7ATN (11/03/2021) and KJ7EHA (04/12/2021) highlight the recent difficulties of gaining public access to the summit. In the past, Western Pacific Timber LLC (WPT), the State of Washington and the few private property owners didn’t restrict entry to walk-in visitors, horseback riders or hunters – just unauthorized motorized vehicles. Ironically the inviting “Feel Free to Hunt” come on in sign is still near the main gate. However, I noticed a pair of new No Trespassing signs approximately 1,500 feet from the main gate.

TL;DR: Trailhead for a good "trail" to the AZ: 45.79083, -122.17261

TL;DR: Trailhead for a good "trail" to the AZ: 45.79083, -122.17261

Summary - This is an easy climb up a series of switchbacks cemented to the side of the basalt plug that is Beacon Rock. Given the proximity to Vancouver and Portland, the short hike, and the fabulous view, this is a very popular destination. For uninterrupted operating time you'll want to combine arriving early, bad weather, and mid-week day. HF operation is possible, 2M contacts are easy, APRS and phone service are good. Parking requires a Washington Discover Pass or a ten buck day pass.

I left with not much ambition and the day wasn't really looking good. Lots of fog. We went to Arnold (not sure what's with the different name on maps vs SOTA), very early with the plan to also do Whisky, which we did. Arnold is an old mining area with cabin, shelters, outhouse, etc. It is still claimed as far as I know. It is a really neat place and I hope to go back and maybe camp for a day to explore more. Be sure to take a peek in the cabin if you can.

Whisky is a fun hike up a rocky trail to where there used to be a lookout and still are remnants of it and other buildings including the outhouse. I had never seen a lookout built so close to the edges of the mountain. Two sides of the foundation basically came to the edge that to get to the far side of the lookout you would have to go through it when it was standing. Some of the best views of Red Buttes and the wilderness, and beyond. 360 view.It was very windy when I was there so I set up a little below, near a pile of rubble for a bit more elbow room.

Not recommended at all. This was treacherous. I got pretty torn up trying to get through some difficult brush and rocky cliffs. I never made it to the very peak and had to call it good enough because of exhaustion, dangerous drops, being alone etc. I also lost my pole somewhere trying to get through the 10ft tall thickets I am guessing. It was rough. If I every try again I will try a different route and will definitely not do it alone.

de AG7GP