Summit is forested and/or has ample tree cover.
A short hike to Mount Defiance in Oregon is from Wahtum Lake Road and is about 3.6 miles roundtrip with 1140 ft gain. From Dee near Hood River, it's about a 10-mile drive on FR 2820 to the Upper Mount Defiance trailhead.
Decided to kick it up a notch this time, (but only one notch) and do a 4 pointer. But feeling a bit lazy I went looking for a 4-pointer that I could reach without a really long hike. Gold Mountain, just east of Darrington, fits the bill. I headed north from downtown Darrington on SR530, and then east on Sauk Prairie Rd. After a couple miles, turned south on FS24 (pretty good gravel road), and after 4 or 5 miles turned right on FS2420 (OK gravel road with a few potholes to dodge).
A good dirt/gravel goes all the way to the top. There is a small radio tower, container and photo cell structure. Park somewhere down the hill and make the final hike to the top. There is good cell coverage and I was able to self spot. The top is forested so the view is through trees to the Sisters and Mt. Bachelor to the north.
I did not spend a lot of time at the top since the mosquitos were out in force.
This is an easy 6 pointer but remember to bring your bug spray if you are there in summer.
UPDATE (as of June 18, 2017): Weyerhaeuser now requires a recreational permit in order to access this area.
My Adventures in fitness and SOTA continue! This was a fun one, spur of the moment decision to do it. Hours drive to the trail head, hour up, 30 minutes operating, hour down and an hour drive home. The view from the top was really nice and there was a ledge with a really good drop off as well!
GPX and Google Earth files here.
Beacon Rock is an 848-foot basalt column (860 feet ASL) that formed the core of an ancient volcano. It is located in a Washington State Park of the same name about one hour east of Portland, Oregon.
Today JD (K7JDF) and I headed out for an easy 1-point summit: Wildcat Mountain. This summit is on the eastern edge of the Tillamook State Forest and is very accessible from the Portland metro area and provides an excellent operating position at the top as well as a fantastic view. After turning left on Hayward Rd from US26, we went a few miles and parked at the gate blocking Wildcat Mountain Rd.
Taylor (K7TAY) and I activated Bunker Hill this weekend in southern Washington. This relatively easy hike starts flat on the Pacific Crest Trail before heading up a spur to the summit. All of the elevation is gained in a relatively short period of time, but the trail is not technical and easy to follow. The actual summit is forested with very little in the way of views of the surrounding territory. However, just before the summit, an outcropping of rock provides a good vantage point. Once on top, I set up for 18 meters and started calling CQ with my FT-817.
