A cold, windy & snowy winter activation of Amabilis Mountain, 4,580 feet, located east of Snoqualmie Pass, Washington, was undertaken by me and my SOTA Buddy - Tim, KG7EJT. The forecast was for a substantial change from the sunny but cold weather this area had been enjoying the previous week. The TH is easy to reach, most of the time, being right at Exit 63, Highway I-90. The route we took followed the XC Ski groomed logging road leading from the Lodge Creek / Swamp Creek Basin to the summit area of Amabilis. The route was 11.18 miles RT, gaining approximately 2,050 feet elevation.
Good Views From Summit
SOTA Activation: Amabilis Mountain, Kittitas County, Washington - January 3, 2016
Rampart Mtn., Bob Marshall Wilderness, Montana
Straight Cr. Approach (3,000 ft, 2.5 mi, 23 mi approach) |
This is the SOTA summit that is furthest from any road within Montana. |
Bend Benchmark - Short and fun early season hike near Helena
W7M/CL-194 Bend Benchmark (0.8 Miles, + 893 Ft)
Jumbo Mtn., Trail hike to remote fire lookout in Bob Marshall Wilderness
Jumbo Mountain (3.4 mi., 3,400 ft, 16-mile approach)
The approach and climb to Jumbo Mountain offers a scenic journey through the remote and spectacular Bob Marshall Wilderness. We included this activation as part of a 9-day loop trip through the Bob Marshall Wilderness that included three SOTA activations.
Green Mountain, OR | Dec 2015
UPDATE January 2021 - Green Mtn has been posted PERMIT REQUIRED FOR ALL ACCESS by Weyerhauser.
Pistol Butte, Oregon | Dec 2015
Here's a 1.1 mile one-way hike with 800 feet of gain just a ways south of Bend, Oregon. It's got some great views and a nice summit with a bit of lookout history.
Teapot Dome
Monday, November 23, 2015, KC8WF and I (KF7URE) hiked to Teapot Dome W7I/SR-163 to do SOTA. Teapot Dome is a desert peak at 4,712 feet high, north of Mountain Home, Idaho.
Nicolai Mountain, OR | Nov 2015
Nicolai Mountain is a drive-up summit west of Clatskanie in northwest Oregon. The gravel road is driveable the ENTIRE WAY in any passenger car (totally Priusable). So if your GPS is having you turn up a 4WD track you are going the wrong way. The views from the 3,028 foot summit can be awesome - the drive has views of the Columbia Estuary that's fantastic. Note that there can be of OHV activity on these roads and trails, especially on weekends.
First SOTA Activation: Hard Knox Mountain, Kittitas County, Washington - October 11, 2015
One of the last beautiful Fall weekends of 2015, yielded an activation of Thorp Mountain and Hard Knox Mountain together with my "SOTA Buddy", KG7EJT and Dexter the SOTA Dog. The weather was superb, a successful dual activation, including a First Activation of Hard Knox, followed by a great dinner and local "Brew" in Roslyn, Washington, made for one of the more memorable SOTA outings in my career! The views, and great access, make this a highly recommended double SOTA objective. This report describes Hard Knox Mountain Activation. Thorp Mountain Activation is listed under a separate report.