TL;DR - Activation Details
Summit: Black Mountain, W7W/WH-172
Operator: N7JTT
Distance: 14.21 miles
Ascent: 4,087 feet
Moving time: 5:06:18
Average moving speed: 2.8 mph
QSOs: 8
Activation time: 17 minutes, 17 seconds
Radio: Elecraft KX2
Power: 5 watts QRP
Antenna: AX1 with 13-foot counterpoise
Cell coverage: Usable T-Mobile service at the summit
5497 is a 4-point summit in the Malheur National Forest, about 23 road miles northeast of Prairie City, OR. It is about a 1 mile road walk/bushwhack (each way) to the summit through open terrain and forest. The area around the summit is closed to motor vehicles but has good remaining roads for walking. The summit is semi-open, no views and plenty of trees for antennas. Don't expect 2m contacts here and AT&T data service was non-functional, so I relied upon RBN for spotting. I didn't think to check APRS.
After sleuthing some maps in Gaia GPS, a means of access was determined for Green Mountain. It should be noted that most mapping sites do not have good or accurate maps for this area. Prior reports cast some doubt but the route provided is all on public land, Washington DNR to be specific. On my trip, the outer gate was locked but the land is not signed as prohibited for access, so i hoofed it in. If you park at the gate, don't block it and bring your Discover Pass.
I had meant to activate a different summit on my drive down to Lakeview for the 2023 Eclipse, don't know how I got Slide Mountain in my head (this was planned for the drive home).
I was surprised to find what looked like an un-activated drive up summit only an hour drive (to the base) from Bend, OR. From Bend, head South on 97 and take the exit for South Century Drive. Head through Sun River on Spring River Rd, which turns into Conklin Rd. Hang a left on Upper Deschutes Road aka NF 40. Follow this and it crosses Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway afterwich it becomes NF 4630. Hang a right on NF 640 and follow past Little Cultus Lake. I parked at the pullout at 43.81061, -121.88230.
Summary - An hour to the trailhead from SE Portland, followed by a 1.5 mile steady climb along a well-used (by ATVs) forest road, Bob's Mountain is an easy morning activation. There are trees for hanging wires, an open view a bit below the summit (but still in the AZ), and open space to operate. APRS two way worked well, ATT data was okay. Given the ATV traffic, this hike is better done on a weekday.
