Exposed Summit

Summary - Battle Ax, on the edge of the Beachie Creek Lionshead burn, is hiked from a trailhead above Elk Lake. The trail is often rough and rocky and the last quarter mile, steep. The hike from the trailhead to the summit is about 2.6mi and 1700ft. Trekking poles and shoes good on rock are handy. The summit is open, with the remains of a lookout and views of all the big mountains; you'll need a mast to put up an HF wire.  2M contacts, with a better-than-stock antenna, are possible. I did not turn on APRS and ATT digital service was in and out.

Table Rock lies between Summer Lake and Fort Rock in central Oregon. It's easily visible and obvious for miles--a large round platau surrounded by desert. Views are great, of course.

USFS-Yakima Tribal lands bisect this summit.  Activate to the west to be on USFS properties.  See the attached map.  Beautiful views of Mt Adams to the north but an exposed summit, i.e. can be windy.

This is another peak in the Stimson family of parcels, specifically the region they call "Wildcat/Munson Creek". Pleasantly, this parcel is open to recreational walk-in access all days of the week from sunrise to sunset. Note though as with all Stimson property, it will be closed during the summer fire season starting at IFPL2 and higher. Access aside, it's a pleasant enough hike and nice open summit but not much for views. The ascent takes you around the back of Munsen Falls State Park. The path is a 2.3 mile hike one-way with 1700ft gain.

Just to add an alternate route if you don't have an Inland Empire Paper permit.

There is a gated access road that starts at the same Blanchard Hump parking area as previously mentioned.

Follow the road upwards which has quite a few switchbacks so the distance uphill is more like 2.75 miles OW.

The road is part of Hancock Timber IX and is posted for non-motorized access only.  Partway up, the land ownership transitions to WA DNR for most of the rest of the way to the top.

This summit was a bit of a drive up from Highway 95.  Turn east onto E Ohio Match Rd and follow until E Forest Service Rd 1552.  This becomes gravel and then dirt and then rather rutted dirt.  A car might be able to navigate the ruts with careful driving but a high clearance vehicle or 4x4 would be better.  The upper portion of the road gets better.  Park at (47.87615426731026, -116.63432109643475) and follow the spur road around to the summit.  Hike is around 2 miles and 800' elevation OW.  The spur road had a couple tank traps in it and appears to dwindl

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.

You can access Baird Mountain if you purchase a Weyerhaeuser permit https://recreation.weyerhaeuser.com. You will need the “Longview – St Helens” one. The permit is valid for a year and gets you a map that you can load into an app on your phone as well as a key to the Recreation Access Gates.

 You can access 2060 if you purchase a Weyerhaeuser permit https://recreation.weyerhaeuser.com. You will need the “Longview – St Helens” one. The permit is valid for a year and gets you a map that you can load into an app on your phone as well as a key to the Recreation Access Gates.

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.