Forested Summit

Aschoff Buttes is located within the Bull Run Watershed Management Unit (BRWMU) and is restricted to the general public by federal law. Locked gates are at all road entry locations. Authorized access is required to enter. The BRWMU is patrolled by Portland Water Bureau security personnel. Electronic surveillance is used to keep an eye on things.

The City of Portland offers guided tours June through October. Unfortunately, none of the tours include any of the SOTA summits.

This Wildcat Mountain is the one south of Mt. Hood and is just an hour east of Portland, reachable on a paved road. The 2 mile (OW) trail is pleasant with a bit over 1000 feet of gain. In a few places along the trail there is some nice scenery but the summit itself is surrounded by trees and thus has no views.  

Foley Peak is a short hike including a "choose your own adventure" bushwhack where there used to be a trail but there is no longer, up to the site of what used to be a fire lookout but is no longer. There might be ghosts.

Summary - West Twin Butte is another easy-to-reach summit and can be paired with Squaw Butte for a two peak day. The summit is small, flat, has trees for wires and good operating positions. As with other peaks in this area, two meter contacts are a challenge, cell service (ATT) works okay, APRS is good.  Google maps gives good directions for the two hour drive from Portland.

Summary - About two hours from Portland, Squaw Butte is an easy drive, hike, and bushwhack to a forested summit. There are limited views, trees for wires, and a number of good operating positions. Two meter contacts are likely to be difficult, as is spotting with a cell phone; APRS works okay. Google maps gives good directions.  Pair this one with West Twin Butte.

Summary --  The trailhead for 6001 is on Bennett Pass Road, about two miles from Windy Camp. It may be possible to hike it from Windy Camp on Gunsight Trail but we didn't test this assumption.

Summary -- Badger Butte is broad, treed summit, with a fairly easy climb from the road.

Summary - An easy to reach trailhead (2WD friendly), a nice trail, easy bushwhack, and not much of a summit view. 2M contacts are likely to be difficult, APRS okay, and cell service marginal to nonexistent. The summit is small and brush covered; there are lots of places for putting up a HF wire.

Summary - This Haystack Butte is easy to get to, if you don't mind the possibility of new pinstripes (and it is not the MC-070 peak). The bushwhack is about a quarter-mile, not steep, and mostly requires negotiating large deadfall. The summit is broad, flat, tree-covered and doesn't have much of a view. VHF contacts are likely to be difficult.

Peak 1650 is the highest point in the Drift Creek Wilderness area, a special area that preserves some of the oldest trees on the Oregon Coast and a nearly pristine ecosystem along the creek.  To get to 1650, set your GPS to the Horse Creek North Trailhead at 44.4411, -123.9091.  There are multiple paths through the paved and well-maintained gravel roads eventually getting you to the trailhead where you’ll find spots for five or six cars.  Along the road you’ll get glimpses at the backsid