ND7PA's blog

On Sept 12, 2015, I had intended to activate several peaks in Crater Lake National Park.
Having read Etienne's blog entry that Llao Rock was closed, I had written it off but thought
I would ask when I arrived. Since it had been about two years since the closure, perhaps the
area had been rehabilitated.

When getting my entry pass at the north side of the park, I asked the Ranger if the Llao Rock
area was closed to hikers. He said no, but that all areas of the park were open except where

Trout Creek Butte is a convenient activation site from the town of
Sisters, Oregon. Its only about 12 miles from the town center. This
summit could probably be considered a drive-up, provided the gate
near the top was open and you had a suitable vehicle.

From the west side of the town of Sisters, take Oregon 242 west. Just
after passing Sisters High School, NF-15 will head south on your left.
My description begins here (mile-point zero) at the junction of NF-15
and Oregon 242.

Take NF-15, heading south initially on blacktop. The blacktop turns to

Willamette Valley Summit to Summit (S2S) Party
Saturday, May 16th 19:00 UTC (Noon local)
Frequency: 146.55 - FM

This event is a perfect way to introduce both hams and non-hams to SOTA.
Invite hams from your local club, bring your kids, neighbor or invite other
curious hikers on the summit to make a contact. This is a great day to enjoy
and promote our radio sport. If you bring HF gear, we can share our party
with distant chasers too.

The party will convene at 1900 UTC on 146.55Mhz - FM, rain or shine. A central

McCulloch Peak is another great peak to actiavte if you are in the Corvallis area.  It is reached by taking OR Hwy 99W north from Corvallis and turning left about 3 miles from town on Lewisburg Rd. Take Lewisburg road  1.3 miles and bear right onto Sulfur Springs Road.  Proceed to the top of Lewisburg Saddle and head back down the hill. Near the bottom of the hill, which is Soap Creek valley, the road will take a 180 degree right turn. This point is 3.9 miles from Hwy99. Stay straight turning onto the gravel road.

This is a continuation of a trip I took to W7O/CM-132 during which I also
went to Sand Mountain, W7O/CM-077. Proceed as mentioned in the other blog
entry for W7O/CM-132, but before reaching the Big Lake Campgrounds turn
off FS 2690 onto FS 810, the Old Santiam Wagon Road. Road 810 is open to
mountain-bikes and apparently from the signage is also an active OHV area.

Take road 810 about 3 miles (estimated) until a road leads off to the left
marked with a sign denoting the Sand Mountain Special Geological area. Take

There is a small peak south of Big Lake and the Hoodoo Butte ski area that
has piqued my interest for some time. (Ah, bad pun) I was there during a warm
day in March. However, Big Lake road is closed beyond the Ray Benson snopark
until May. Therefore, I took my mountain bike and figured I could cover the
road mileage quickly and also ride over to Sand Mountain and get both peaks in
the same day.

Big Lake road is also National Forrest road NF 2090. It intersects US HWY 20
roughly at Santiam pass. Take Big Lake road past the entrance to Hoodoo Ski

The summit near "Dimple Hill" (W7O/CC-118) in McDonald forest near Corvallis
is a nice first summit or a good summit if you are in the area but don't have
much time to spare. To get there, travel north about 4 miles on OR 99W from
Corvallis until Lewisburg Road crosses 99w at the "City Limits Store". Turn
left on Lewisburg Road and travel 1.3 miles where Sulfur Springs Road heads
off to the right. Take Sulfur Springs road for 1.5 miles to the Lewisburg
Saddle (at the top of the grade) where there is ample parking for the trailheads

Mt Beachie is a peak in the Willamette Valley region just north of Detroit
Lake. To reach it, follow my other blog about Battle Axe. This blog begins
at Beachie saddle.

From Beachie Saddle go southwest on the trail that is marked, keeping a
level altitude along the north flank of Mt. Beachie. The trail sign is
up very high, badly weathered and nearly unreadable. Do not follow the
faint trail to the left at the beginning that leads up the very exposed
northeast ridge of Mt. Beachie.

Battle Axe is a peak in the Willamette Valley region just north of Detroit
Lake. To reach it, head towards the town of Detroit, Oregon. Just northwest
of Detroit at milepost 50, take Road 46 north at the Corner Post store. Head
north on road 46 and travel 4.4 miles and turn left on FS road 4696. 0.7
miles later, turn left onto road 4697. This road is not recommended for
passenger cars. Sure, you could make it to Elk Lake, but your car will never
be the same. ;^)

Proceed on road 4697 about 4.6 miles. You will reach a fork in the road

I've spent many wonderful fall weekends black powder hunting near Suttle Lake west of Sisters, Oregon.
I've hunted the slopes of Cache Mountain as well, so activating Cache Mountain has long been on my mind.
The B&B complex fire of 2003 devastated the area and the game in the area seems non-existent. Still,
I couldn't wait to go back, this time with smaller caliber hunting gear.

The access to Cache Mountain is via US Hwy 20. The turn off onto Old Santiam Wagon Road, FS 2067,