Skip to main content

Easy Trail

Trail contains no technical obstacles

Patricks Knob, Montana - July 9, 2020

Submitted by KJ7OKW on
Summit

This is an easy drive-to summit on Forest Service roads. See link below for map of route. It will take you approximately one hour from downtown Plains, Montana to get to the summit. Four wheel drive not needed. The only downside are the large communication towers that will interfere with your transmitting. I found that if you drive to the far side of the loop road and get the towers out of sight, you can get a good signal to and from Missoula and up to Whitefish. Let me know when you plan to activate this easy one and I'll chase you as I live in Plains.

Red Mountain

Submitted by K7FOP on
Summit

"Trailhead" for Red Mountain has been moved. Etienne's trip report is here. Follow his directions but now drive Road 6048 to   45.9186° -121.8189° and a gate (the last half mile or so of this road is not very Priusable). This makes the RT about 4 miles and 1300 feet of gain. There's a spot for 2 cars, maybe 3 or more if others agree to let their car be blocked in. Less hiking now. Or you can still opt to park at the old trailhead and walk the road.

West Soda Peaks JULY 1, 2020

Submitted by K7FOP on
Summit

West Soda Peaks is a nice hike. Probably better when it's not raining.

Guy, N7UN has provided access info HERE. I just wanted to add a little to it.

 

From Portland take I-84 to Bridge of the Gods.  Toll is $2. 

Cross the bridge and turn right onto WA-14. 

Travel to Wind River HWY and turn left.

Turn left onto Hemlock

Turn right onto Little Soda Springs Rd/Szydlo Rd

Montana - Sweeney Peak 26 September 2018

Submitted by K7VK on
Summit

Spectacular peaks of the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness are in view from this summit.  September visits are rewarded with brilliant yellow to orange needled alpine larch, a deciduous high elevation conifer and many times snowfall. 

The summit is an open scree with clumps of small <10’ tall whitebark pine.  Views are 360 degrees and the large open summit provides a fine area for antennas. 

 

Bare Mountain, WA | June 2020

Submitted by K7AHR on
Summit

Bare Mountain is an easy bushwhack up from a decent-quality dirt road. There are several approaches, but this one is by far the easiest - and may have once been a trail to the summit. I recommend GPS, as there is no defined trail and coming down it is hard to follow your own tracks - though if you stay east of the original tracks you will still come out on the road. I could probably make it down NF-311 in a sedan. We walked from the pull-off on NF-311.

Pelican Butte, OR June 2020

Submitted by AG7GP on
Summit

I have to say, this summit is now at the top of my list. I went expecting an easy drive to 8 pt summit, but there was still about 3-5 ft deep snow drifts about 1 mile before summiting, but boy was the hike nice. The view is incredible. You can see just about all the regional highlights, snowy side of Mt. McLauglin with Fourmile Lake at its base right beside you, Crater Lake Rim, Thielson, Shasta, Upper Klamath Lake, Siskiyou Crest, Red Buttes, Aspen Butte, some big ones west of Crater Lake I did not get the name for, lava flows, and natural lakes.

Idaho - Granite Peak 15September2018

Submitted by K7VK on
Summit

Granite Peak is a picturesque summit with huge granite boulders with interesting eroded patterns.  It is a great operating location with outstanding views of the Great Burn of 1910.  The trail is easy to follow and in-season wanders through some good huckleberry patches. 

There are plenty of trees to erect antennas and room to stretch wire antennas in the activation zone around a somewhat difficult to scramble large boulder summit.