Trail contains no technical obstacles
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.
First Activation of Norse Peak, Pierce / King County Line, Washington.
Beautiful hike on sunny but cool day with my wife, Sharon and Dexter the dog. Enough breeze / wind to keep us cool and the bugs away. This is a trail hike up to summit of Norse Peak, 6,858 feet elevation. Trail is about 10.6 miles round trip, with 2,800 feet +/- elevation gain.
The views are amazing!: Mount Rainier; Mount Adams; Mount Stuart & Enchantments; Central Cascade peaks all around, including Crystal Mountain Ski Resort.
First SOTA Activation of Mount Houghton, Washoe County, Nevada - Ace Number 2.
The reference to Aces is because of this mountain's proximity to Reno / Lake Tahoe (Nevada side) & proximity to gambling casino's.
This is a trail & scramble up to summit of Mount Houghton, 10,490 feet elevation. Trail is about 9 miles round trip., with 1,600 feet +/- elevation gain. Together with the same day First SOTA Activation of Tamarack Peak, the elevation gain was about 2,500 feet.
Little Tahoma is a 11,138 ft summit on the east flank of Mt. Rainier. The route requires crossing the Frying Pan and Whitman glaciers. From the trailhead it is about 7400 ft of elevation gain and often done as
an overnight trip. We wanted some exercise so we decided to do it in a day.
We set a moderate pace and made good time up to the Frying Pan glacier. The snow was still hard enough that we only sank a few inches. There were some small crevasses starting to open up. One in
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.
Shafer Butte is an excellent activation not far from Metro Boise - about an hour up Bogus Basin Road will get you there - and another 1.25 miles or so and 700 feet of hiking will gain you the summit proper. Or consider that there is a ski lift a few feet away from the summit - buy a lift ticket and climb a little and earn the bonus points for a "ski" activation during the winter.
Cooper Mountain might be another typical urban activation as at first glance nearby Cooper Mountain Nature Park could be a place to activate if you can be low-key and quiet. There are alternative spots - one across the street from the summit on a sidewalk and perhaps the best at nearby Winkelman Park (see the trip report).
Spencer Butte is a Eugene city park about four miles south of downtown. The address for the most convenient trailhead is 85401 South Willamette Street and the trailhead parking lot is well signed as the Spencer Butte Trailhead. This trailhead has the shortest routes to the summit.
