Here's a long snowshoe in winter - 7 miles round trip and 800 feet elevation gain. The lookout is rented in the winter, so be sure no one is there if you climb up the stairs to take advantage of the additional height.
Good Parking At Trailhead
Hat Point, OR | June 2017
In the remote corner of the remote corner of Northeast Oregon are the Wallowa Mountains. On the eastern edge of the state, looking down into the Snake River Canyon is Hat Point, a drive-up six-point summit.
Head east on 350 from Joseph, Oregon 30 miles to Imnaha. From there, you'll take Hat Point Road another 10 miles to the lookout and summit of Hat Point. This gravel road is steep in places, and narrow, but can be driven in a passenger car.
Fall Mountain, OR | July 2017
Here's a drive-up summit with a fire lookout (one you can rent) in Eastern Oregon. You might spring for a lookout reservation and enjoy being chased all day long - but you can also stay below te lookout on the road and let the occupants enjoy their solitude while you activate this peak.
Lake Butte, OR | June 2017
Here's an easy road walk in Eastern Oregon of about 2.1 miles round trip and 400 feet of gain. Interestingly, there's only one "Lake Butte" in Oregon - and there's no lake near it.
Wildcat Mountain, OR | July 2017
Here's a nice 2.4 mile round trip hike on a quiet forest road, east of Prineville. Don't get this Wildcat Mountain mixed up with the other three summits with the same name in Oregon.
Monte Cristo HP, WA | Nov 2018
Here for some activation fun west of Trout Lake, Washington is Peak 4420 or Monte Cristo Range High Point. It's a bit out of the way, but is a near drive-up four pointer accessed by a road that a passenger car can handle. Check out this updated trip report here: http://www.pnwsota.org/blog/kj7eha/2020-june-24/monte-cristo-hp-june-2020-updated-info.
Humbug Mountain, South Coast OR | Nov 2018
Humbug is a great hike on the South Coast, even if it is a steep six miles round trip and 1700 feet of gain. Find the well-marked and large parking lot for the trailhead about five miles south of Port Orford, Oregon on the west side of Highway 101. No parking pass is required.
After you climb about a mile, there is a slightly shorter (and slightly steeper) option to take the West Trail - I suggest that you try both, as the West has some nice peak-a-boo views, and the East has some amazing old growth. All trails are well-graded and likely busy during the summer months.
Hollyburn Mountain, BC, Canada
After my first activation on Black Mountain VE7/GV-013 a week ago, I wanted another activation before the rain season starts. I chose Hollyburn Mountain VE7/GV-011 because it seemed just a little more difficult than GV-013. An extra 100m gain shouldn't be too much, right?
My First SOTA: Black Mountain, BC, Canada
My first SOTA activity was activating VE7/GV-013 on a sunny day in October. I find this mountain a great place for local hams to experience SOTA for the first time.
VE7/GV-013, Black Mountain is located in Cypress Provincial Park, just half an hour drive from Vancouver. Parking at Lot 1 of Cypress Mountain Ski Resort is free and it is mostly empty in the morning, as long as it's not ski season.
Trask Mountain
I had mapped out three different routes to the summit “trailhead” and opted to drive up from the south off Nestucca River Road. Turn north at an unmarked road/intersection .7 miles west of the NW Boundary Road/Nestucca River Road intersection. Most roads in this area are unsigned.