Mostly exposed (to sun, wind, etc) trail
Willamette Pass is a really fun activation if you are a downhill skier/snowboarder. The resort uses a demand pricing model so you can get really smoking deals on tickets if you can buy early or go on off days. We paid $34 per ticket for our April Saturday, not bad considering they also gave us $10 per person credit at the ski shop or restaurant.
NO VHF!
Full report here
I'm not sure if Sheepy is technically "PNW" but I wanted to make sure those in the area know about this fabulous summit. It's a steep climb just over a mile up the SE ridge starting at the Tulelake NWR Headquarters-now I think Klamath Basin Refuges. It was an amazing experience of a hike with interesting plateaus and ridges and seeing and hearing plenty of songbirds, raptors, eagles, deer, etc. There is nothing to block your 360 view and it is absolutely amazing.
A couple years ago William, W6BIL, reached out to me through a local facebook hiking page because I had a bunch of free local hiking books to give away and he saw I was a ham. He too was a ham but had not been operating for years. We touched base and I found out he hiked Nugget Butte fairly regularly but was not a summiter. I got info from William on the legality of hiking, he never had an issue but I eventually gave Gold Hill a call.
This is a burned-over scattered forest summit with few live trees. Parking at the trailhead is limited but several places within 200’ exist. Finding a place without snags limited parking to a couple of areas west of the trailhead at the curve in the road. The one above the road is near an Idaho/Montana boundary post. That post was placed in 1905 at mile 393.121 per information received from W7LIX.
As I mentioned in my previous report from Rattler Benchmark, my Dad and I followed that activation with a trip up to Cleman Mountain. If you are coming down Game Department Rd from Rattler, you need to drive south back towards town for a while on N Wenas Rd until you reach the entrance.
Unfortunately, the map shows many roads leading up the mountain but we were only able to find one that was passable at (46.833565, -120.711814). The signs at the gate read "Closed from Dec 9th thru May 15th."
For Thanksgiving this year, we drove to Yakima to visit with family and the day after my Dad and I drove up to Rattler Benchmark. Starting in Selah, we took N Wenas Rd turning right on Sheep Company Rd up to where it turns (46.778909, -120.563142) to become Bell Telephone Rd (going straight eventually leads you to Gracie Pt aka W7W/CW-096, see my report here). This is a goat trail with many ruts and requires steady nerves and high clearance. Fortunately, my Dad has both. This ro
A near drive-up summit in the Coast Range. From Highway 36 near Milepost 18, take paved Nelson Mountain Road east. When the pavement ends just before 3 miles, turn uphill to stay on Nelson Mountain Road (my GPS called it Chickahominy). Do not go through the yellow gate - that's the 17-8-14 Road. Continue up to just past the 4 mile sign at a four way intersection turn right onto Walker Point Road. Go 3.2 miles on Walker Pt Road, Head up to a yellow gate about 0.1 miles from the summit and go on foot into the AZ. I activated near some spur roads off the summit to avoid any RFI.
This unnamed summit is a bald rocky grassland overlooking a large mostly roadless area (Allan Mountain 01946) and the southern end of the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness Area. It has a very good trail, FS #178 due in part to regular trail maintenance through a huge amount of fire-killed fallen trees. The hike also travels through large southerly-aspect grassland-slopes that could be quite warm during mid-day summer months.
Snags are available around the summit for hanging wire antennas.
FS #728 is a good road suitable for all highway type vehicles to the trailhead.
Saddle Mountain is near the Lost Trail Pass Ski Area. The SOTA summit access road serves the upper facilities of the ski area. A high clearance vehicle can drive to within 0.25 miles of the summit. The summit has good views. It is very open and rocky with limited space for long wire antennas.
Trail miles: 0.5 roundtrip
Elevation gain: 140’
Water: Available at the Rest Area at Lost Trail Pass, Highway #93. None along the access road or summit.
Pansy Mountain has not been activated since the 2021 fires. I originally intended to do both Pansy Mountain and Bull of the Woods, but I did not get an early enough start for a late autumn hike. Getting there is straight forward. A high clearance vehicle is helpful for a couple of sections, but it is probably not absolutely necessary. Follow the directions from the Forest Service:
https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/mthood/recarea/?recid=52988
