Good Views From Summit

18.7-miles, +5,750 ft; -1,590 ft; From N. Fork Trailhead

Evans Peak is an iconic mountain that is the 4th highest peak in Lewis and Clark County.  I activated it as the fifth summit on a multi-day backpacking trip that went up Lake Creek, down Canyon Creek, up the Dry Fork & Cabin Creek, and then down Dobrota Creek and the North Fork of the Blackfoot back to the car.  This route description is the reverse of the final leg, which is the most efficient approach.

15.9-miles, +4,320 ft; -1,060 ft; From N. Fork Trailhead via Dry Fork

I activated this as the third summit on a multi-day backpacking trip.  We camped at the mouth of Dwight Creek and climbed from there.

15.7-miles, +3,230 ft; -1,100 ft; From N. Fork Trailhead via Dry Fork

I activated this as the second summit on a multi-day backpacking trip.  We camped at the mouth of Dwight Creek and climbed from there, but it is also possible to camp in the area of the Dry Fork – Flathead Divide.

19.7-miles, +4,848 ft; -1,158 ft; From N. Fork Trailhead via Dry Fork

I activated this as the fourth summit on a multi-day backpacking trip.  We camped at the mouth of Dwight Creek and climbed from there, from which the summit is a 6.5 mile on-trail hike with 3,200 feet of net elevation gain.

For those speedy hikers Rhodes Peak can be hiked in a day. For those like me, a trail sloth, a backpack camp at Goat Lake half-way there is a fine alternative for a multi-day hike to three nearby summits. The lake is within a scenic alpine basin next to W7I/NI-108 and looks across a valley to Williams Peak W7I/NI-003. Rhodes Peak is Clearwater County’s highpoint and is sought by those summiting every County highpoint in Idaho.

Williams Peak is a good trail hike with a short off-trail hike and a short rock scramble. The summit has good views but little room for operating. A good alternative is to hunker-in just below the summit and tie off to one of the few snags or live trees on the south side. 

Summary - A long drive then a short, steep hike up to a nice meadow with a view. Good hiking shoes and trekking poles will be handy, as will GPS. Easy to make 2M contacts and APRS spots. Lots of trees for holding up wires and not a bad place to hang out for a few hours. Finding the trailhead can be a little challenging because of the unmapped roads in the vicinity and the Weyerhauser gates. Given the drive and the gates, plan on doing Ginsberg as part of a multi-summit day.

Oreana Ridge is a picturesque summit with scattered trees, grass/forb land, an old US Forest Service L-4 Lookout and a log garage.  There are fine views of high peaks in the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness and the steep slopes of Salmon River breaks.   The lookout built in

Looking at maps, I took off for a morning hike to Wilcox Peak figuring there would be a gate part way down the hill. Surprisingly you can drive pretty much just into the AZ. The road finishes at a turnaround/shooting area, unfortunately with a lot of trash. Wish I took some large bags with me, putting it on my list as trash really bothers me in the woods!

During a 12-day, Self-Guided tour through the Dolomite Mountains of Northern Italy, I had the opportunity to activate a few mountains that “happened” to be right along our route.  I was with my XYL, Sharon, and 2 other couples, so my opportunities were somewhat limited by time and patience (or lack thereof) of my travelling companions.  None the less, I managed 4 Activations.  This report deals with the Activation of Monte Pic, I/AA-181.  This easy to ascend peak is 7,753 Feet / 2,363 Meters in elevation.  The reason I report this Activation on the PNW SOTA reflector is to illustrate the outstanding opportunities that await those that venture out to Northern Italy, Switzerland, France, Austria and Germany.  These countries all share in common superb tourist infrastructure and ease of access to thousands of SOTA peaks, ranging from walk ups to world class alpine climbs. There is also the attraction of great food and beer, and hospitable local populations.  Finally, there are also opportunities to reach out to local SOTA Activators, and perhaps go out for joint Activations.