Here's a pleasant and easy pavement drive-up activation just east of Madras in Central Oregon. You might consider it as you travel between Bend and Portland sometime. There are nice views from the top, good parking, and trees and sagebrush to support most antennas.
Here's a quiet Central Oregon summit for those with a high clearance vehicle - or anyone that wants a bit of hiking as one could walk the rutted dirt road or even go directly cross-country to the summit (although direct would be a bit steep).
Couldn't resist the quick walk-up summit of Ball Butte on our return to the trailhead from a day hike to the base of Broken Top Mountain in the Sisters Wilderness. Although there's no human created trail to the summit, other than animal tracks, the route from the Broken Top Mountain trailhead is obvious - ascend the gentle, partially treed Southeast face to a saddle approximately 200 vertical feet below the summit ridge, then hike climbers left to the summit ridge. Non-technical, except for some minor exposure along the ridge.
One of the nicest hikes in the San Gabriel Mountains, Waterman Mountain is certainly worthy of repeat SOTA Activations, and this was our third time in about 2 years. Being graced with a very reasonable access, well graded trail and magnificent specimens of Incense Cedar (see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calocedrus ) and Ponderosa Pine (see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinus_ponderosa ) it’s a wonderful and popular SOTA objective. The trail is 6 + miles RT, with 1,200 feet elevation gain. The summit area is lightly treed, but still has views if you search them out.
Chelan Crest SOTA Outing July 23-25, 2016 – Part 4. See separate reports on PNWSOTA website with background on the entire outing and day 1 & 2 description, with 3 other First SOTA Activations. The total trip was approximately 25 miles RT, with approximately 7,000 feet elevation gain, including ups and downs in between the various peaks. This is report 4 of 4, "Pyramid Mountain". Pyramid was the apex of our 3 day 2 night SOTA outing, both in elevation and distance from the TH. This 10 point SOTA Summit is 8,245 feet high, and affords some fantastic view of the Central and North Cascades, Lake Chelan and Eastern Washington.
This was my second activation of Kepros. This is a long hike where you just need to keep going... When it seems like you should be at the summit, it is still way off in the distance. When you finally get to the base of the actual mountain, you have gone 4 miles, gained a bunch of elevation, but had just descended to almost the elevation of the car! The final push to the summit is steep, but you are on a double track. A set of hiking poles may expedite the steeper sections.
Sky Mountain is a high point on the ridge directly across US Highway 2 from Stevens Pass Ski Resort. The summit is at Point 5,482 feet, and is not actually named on the USGS topo maps. Sky Mountain hike/scramble is only about 5 miles RT, and 1,700 feet elevation gain. Despite the relatively short distance and modest elevation gain, this scramble is not trivial. Tim, KG7EJT, tried it in winter, but turned back due to weather and avalanche hazard. So now we returned for a joint Activation in the last week of summer 2016 for what turned out to be the "The Great Tarzan Traverse" route variant.
Onion Mountain is a relatively easy trip for the traveler to Southern Oregon who wants to do a little SOTA while visiting. It's close to Grants Pass, has a fairly good road, and only requires a mile or so of hiking. To boot, it offers great views.
Burley Mtn is a drive-up to an open fire lookout with expansive views of Rainier, St. Helens, and Mt Adams. You can stay overnight at the lookout on a first-come basis. But bring some sheets as the two beds and mattresses are grundgy. There is a wood stove for heat so also bring some firewood to take the morning chill off. This is an exposed area so it can be quite windy. There is a picnic bench and some trees for your antennas. Best terrain takeoffs are to the east and south...a radio repeator tower is on the west side of the peak.
