Summit is exposed to wind, rain, sun (and good views)
“Tillamook Peak”, NC-091, is now a drive up. Can't tell you how to drive up because I hiked up the ATV trail described by K7EEX .http://www.pnwsota.org/blog/k7eex/2018-july-07/tillamook-peak-2399-oregon However, when I reached the ridgeline the trail t-boned into a road. Short walk up the road led me to the clear cut summit. Great view of the Wilson River. Don't expect trees for help, bring your own antenna support.
Ben Smith is now a drive up. It has been clear cut and there is a good road to the top.
A gentle pitch trail terminates at Savage Ridge. Of interest to hams might be the Natural Resources and Conservation Service Snotel Site near the trail head. This is snow water content and weather measuring station is complete with snow pillows and a 40-50Mhz meteor burst telemetry station/antenna.
The radio relays the data to master stations probably in Boise Idaho or Ogden Utah on a daily basis.
The hike to Eagle Cliff on Stateline National Recreation Trail #738 has many scenic views along the route including alpine cirque basins and alpine lakes, Cliff and Diamond, and some small unnamed lakes. Wildlife encountered along the trail were mule deer, several dusky grouse and a family of Clark’s nutcrackers.
An interesting historical monument is at the summit. It is an iron post survey monument marking the Idaho/Montana State Boundary. W7LIX informed me that the monument is MP177.1 placed there in 1904.
A steep trail climb breaks onto an open grassland with scattered Rocky Mountain subalpine fir makes this summit a great operating position. Located on the Idaho/Montana border it has panoramic views of the regrown forest after the great burn of 1910. Early season wildflowers can be abundant including glacier lilies, buttercups and western pasqueflowers. Illinois Peak is an old US Forest Service Lookout site with some scattered weathered lumber and concrete footings as the only remaining evidence.
Elevation gain: 1500’
Blackrock Peak is named for the dark gray to black lichens growing on the summit boulder field. The rock itself is mostly light tan-colored and from a distance the dark lichen patterns appear like large stationary cloud shadows draped over the summit and adjoining ridges. Distance views include the rugged Mission Mountains, the Bitterroot Mountains, the Cabinet Mountains and on clear days Flathead Lake and Glacier National Park.
NC-066, in my head named "Souther Saddle" (even though it's not part of a saddle pair), was a nice bike ride into Stimson forest land. This peak forms the lower point of a triangle between South Saddle NC-002 and NC-065, commonly a paired activation. One could easily do both NC-065 and 066 in a day, provided enough time to hike or bike this route. There are also a number of other nearby peaks on the way in/out of the forest area that could be paired if you had time in the day.
The hike up Mount Teneriffe is not an easy one - in my opinion, it's the most strenuous summit one can find for 4 points. There are 2 main routes to the summit; the new trail / road walk, which is about 13+ miles round trip, or, the more direct route; Kamikaze Falls then up Serendepity Ridge. I've done both routes multiple times - I prefer the much shorter Kamikaze Falls / Serendepity Ridge as it's only about 7.5 miles round trip. As this route is about half the length of the new trail / road walk, it's obviously steeper - really steep!
Tibbetts Mountain near the small town of Pashastin in Central Washington is one of my favorite early season SOTA destinations. Great views from the summit of the Enchantments and Stuart Ranges.
There are 3 ways to reach the summit; hike the trail (about 3 miles each way), hike the road (about 4 miles each way) or drive the rough narrow forest service road to within a half mile of the summit, then hike the last 1/2 mile with a few hundred feet of elevation gain. Google maps directions will take you to the summit, or within the last 1/2 mile of the summit.
Table Mountain is an easy, near drive to, summit with one of the best views in my opinion. You are looking down at Howard Prairie and Hyatt lake, with a fabulous view Mt. Mcloughlin on your left and Mt. Shasta on your right. Since this is near my home area it is a great place for us to look at all the summits we have done and want to do. See what still has snow, what is open.
