Shady Trail

Sky Mountain is a high point on the ridge directly across US Highway 2 from Stevens Pass Ski Resort.  The summit is at Point 5,482 feet, and is not actually named on the USGS topo maps. Sky Mountain hike/scramble is only about 5 miles RT, and 1,700 feet elevation gain.  Despite the relatively short distance and modest elevation gain, this scramble is not trivial.  Tim, KG7EJT, tried it in winter, but turned back due to weather and avalanche hazard.  So now we returned for a joint Activation in the last we

[Left this in draft form too long, time to attach pictures and publish]

After a failed summit attempt the previous day, I was able to summit Buzzard Butte and make an activation. Although I was only able to make 2 contacts, I enjoyed the activity (first activation for this summit!) and look forward to future activations.

In the last few years, I've developed a desire to activate the top 10 summits in the
Willamette Valley region. Miller Mountain is in that list but I've put it off because
its so far from the valley. Its located in south-central Oregon, closest to the town
of Chemult. I guess the placement algorithm treated it like a lost sock that you can't
throw away but you're not sure where to put it.

My approach to Miller Mt. was to take US Hwy 97 south towards Chemult, Oregon. About
0.5 mile north of Chemult, FS 9772 heads west. This road is also marked "Walt Haring

Mount Bailey near Diamond Lake is a great hike to fantastic views but it requires some effort to get those views - with a hike of about 10 miles round trip and 3200 feet elevation gain. Like so many summits, it's the site of a former fire lookout with little bits of glass and a few nails the only significant evidence that a building once stood there.

Here's another summit in the Diamond Lake area to activate if you have a few hours to spare - it's a short hike, but there's no trail. And note that there are three Oregon summits with this same name.

Bates Point (Peak 2360) is a drive-up summit in the Coast Range of Oregon - specifically in the Tillamook State Forest. Roads in the Tillamook Forest are usually good - however the signage and documentation are remarkably poor. What's on the ground doesn't necessarily match your GPS map or what in Google Earth and vice versa. These roads are passable in a passenger car.

Ben Smith (Peak 2592) is a summit with a short but steep hike in the Coast Range of Oregon - specifically in the Tillamook State Forest. Roads in the Tillamook Forest are usually good - however the signage and documentation are remarkably poor. What's on the ground doesn't necessarily match your GPS map or what in Google Earth and vice versa. Roads are passable in a passenger car.

Just north of Detroit, Oregon are a nice bunch of summits - Dome Rock is especially good. The Tumble Ridge Trail takes you to Dome Rock on a pleasant forest hike of only about 1.5 miles and 500 feet total gain. The summit is a wide open former lookout site with great views.

There are several ways to get to Green Point Mountain - I choose the shortest hike, which of course required the most uncomfortable drive (i.e., high clearance and paint you don't care about). The summit has fantastic views - as do most all former fire lookouts.

Lesson learned: all forest roads are not created (nor maintained) equal. Buzzard Butte has two seeminly viable routes for approach: off HWY101 from the east via Farmer Creek Road, and from the west near Pacific City via Sandlake Rd. I discovered the east route, although still viable, is a much longer hike than I was planning for. Farmer Creek Rd becomes a forest road and is fairly drivable up to the point that it forks to NF-1034 (45.2585, -123.9035).