Good Views From Summit

Cedar Springs Mountain is a peak near Grants Pass that is an easy walk from a locked gate, 1.7 miles round trip with 500 feet of elevation gain. There is communications equipment on the summit, but I suffered no RFI because of it. It has a nice operating point with lots of options for stringing antennas including large and small trees and the communications area fence posts. I found an all natural pole support. View is nice, but is blocked a bit by the trees so a bit of walking around is needed to see it all.

At less than 4 miles of good road off Highway 93, Sula Peak is a popular ‘travelers’ summit for drive-up VHF DN25/DN35 and SOTA activations.  A modern US Forest lookout and a communications facility occupy the summit.  Frequently there are bighorn sheep grazing in the area and especially in the spring on the highway. 

We selected the southern route for Elk Point.  This southern route allows for a double activation with Sula Peak W7M/RC-138. This mostly open-ridgeline route has good views of distant Bitterroot Mountains, Anaconda Pintler Mountains and closer views of the Sapphire Mountains

Bald hill isn’t really bald.  It is a fine grassland on its south exposure, but is tree covered on the remaining west, north and east exposures.  Access is available any time of year, albeit steep.  It is prime winter range for 50-100 elk each year so avoiding December through February could prevent disturbing the elk.

You are entering bighorn sheep range in this summit’s area.  Two trail options are available.  Both are great trail hikes all the way to the summit.  The dry environment of this area makes it a good early Spring or late Fall season hike.  Wind can be challenging on the upper grassland

0.5 miles, +160 ft, -35 ft

This is a short hike to a rocky knob on the continental divide.

From the Bernice Exit on I-15 (Exit 151) between Boulder and Butte, take the Boulder River Road west as follows:

0.0          Exit I-15 at Bernice

East Crater is a peak in the Indian Heaven wilderness. Three years ago, the south side and ridgeline of East Crater were completely burned by a fire that ended up burning about 500 acres in the area, and this fire caused the evacuation of the entire Indian Heaven wilderness area in September of 2017. Not much has grown back on the south side, while the north side, essentially untouched by the fire, is thick with trees.

Turn east off of Fields-Denio Road at 42.1606, -118.6033 onto Whitehorse Ranch Lane.

Turn north off of Whitehorse Ranch lane onto an unmarked road at 42.2577, -118.3200

Turn left at an obscure point at 42.2819, -118.3588

Make a hairpin right turn at 42.2622, -118.3870

Park near a locked gate at 42.2619, -118.3895

Turn east off of Fields-Denio Road at 42.1606, -118.6033 onto Whitehorse Ranch Lane.

Turn off of that onto an unmarked road at 42.3111, -118.2625

Go past the right turn to Willow Creek Hot Springs to turn left at 42.2769, -118.2624

Park at 42.2463, -118.2392

Pueblo Mountain with 4x4.

Turn off of the Fields-Denio Road at 42.1447, -118.6038.

Make a sharp left at 42.1346, -118.6350.

Stop driving a start walking at 42.0996, -118.6686.