Trail contains no technical obstacles
It was a bit surprising that this summit had not been activated. It is a fairly easy hike but it does require a back country permit for access in the Three Sisters Wilderness, which may have put some folks off. Also, Todd Lake is quite busy in the Summer tourism months and permits are limited, though we had no trouble getting one a couple days prior to our planned outing.
Bald Mountain, above Sun Valley, Idaho, is one of the most interesting and picturesque activations I’ve ever done. There is no need to describe access due to the myriad of information available on-line (i.e., hike/snowshoe, mountain bike, drive, etc.) If you choose to hike, there is a foot traffic permit required. Though it costs to ride the gondola/chair lift up, there is no cost to ride them down. We decided to make the activation a family affair and took the gondola to the Roundhouse restaurant, transferred to the Christmas chair lift, and then hiked the .44 miles along
2.73 miles, +1,895 feet
Instructions to Trailhead (Note that there are few, if any, road signs along this access route):
See Etienne's report for more details. I wanted to add just a few words on the road condition to the upper trailhead (road 370).
It is definitely high clearance and 4WD recommended, quite bumpy with large ruts in places.
However, we made it here and were able to park 500 ft east (43.140115, -122.280369) of the upper trailhead (43.139310, -122.281990).
Frog Lake Buttes is a popular SOTA destination that was moved slightly from its old high point in March of 2023. The old summit plays host to a cell tower and is accessible via both road and trail. The new summit lies approximately 0.4 miles NE of the old one with a deep enough col between the two that a new designator was assigned. This new summit requires a short bushwhack from the old and is easily accessible during summer months.
Hager Mountain, W7O/CE-028 is a moderate to hard hike depending on the length you choose. It can be done as either an 7.5,6 or 4.5 mile RT depending on where you park. Parking at the trailhead on FS RD 28 is the easiest access with longest hike, but if time or energy is a concern driving up the 28-000012 road a couple of miles is worth it. Bring plenty of bug spray and extra water... also some kind of shade if you have it, summit is pretty exposed. There is a picnic table, vault toilet and the fire lookout on summit.
Tallowbox is nice easy summit. <.5mi hike up a gated road. There is equipment, camera lookout, etc up there and I did not get any interference this trip on 20 and 40 with my MTR3B. The drive up is very nice too, paved part way. Great 360 views. de AG7GP
W6/NW-388 is a pretty summit with views of Shasta Bally to the West and Lassen/Mt Shasta to the East. It overlooks the Whiskeytown Lake to the west and the greater Redding area to the east. Simple route finding and around a 3 mile round trip made me wonder why it hasn’t been activated more frequently, I being the second.
TL;DR - Posts on official Multnomah county blogs indicate that E Larch Mountain Road is closed at the ten mile gate for 2023, see: larch mountain road closed and multnomah county larch mountain, so this hike starts at the gate. Note that it requires a 1.6 mile traverse along the road before turning onto FS road 315 (which intersects with trail 441) for a 3.75 mile hike with
Steep, but Priusable route for activating Peak 2905. A one way hike of about 0.9 miles and 100 feet gain. The AZ is on Stimpson Timber land . - not accessible during weekday hours or active logging.
Near Highway 26 milepost 30, turn south onto Shields Road. (About 1.3 miles east of the Sunset Rest Area.) Travel uphill on the main track for 2.1 miles. Note that Google Maps offered several turns just before Shields Road that DO NOT lead to the TH.
