WW7D and I were in the area for the WA State QSO party (Salmon Run). This was the 2nd summit we did on this extremely wet Sunday in late Sept.
The road up to West Twin Butte is really fun... if you are on a motorcycle! The last 1/2 mile of this road is heavily rutted out, and would be a challenge for a high-clearence 4x4. Most people will probably opt to park lower down and walk up the road.
Today's attempted activation of Wilderness Peak W7W/KG-132 was my second attempt at my first SOTA activation. My cousin and I have been hiking all summer on various trails between Lake Washington and Snoqualmie Pass. In the last few weeks I've decided that I'd give SOTA a try. We made it up to the top of Wilderness Peak today where I was stymied by steady rain and radio problems. I called it a bust and will try again in a few weeks.
Browns Mountain, west of Sunriver, despite being pretty close to a paved road, was a tough bushwack for Roland-K7FOP and I, as we pursued several "shortcuts." So we recommend walking about 2.4 miles on forest roads, and a final steep ascent of about 1/10 mile. Total is about 900 feet of gain. If there's a better way to get to the AZ, please write up an updated trip report.
Bishop Mountain is an extinct volcanic vent on the rim of the Island Park Caldera. At the summit there is a fire lookout that is one of the few remaining towers in the Targhee National Forest. The 72-ft tower was constructed in 1937. Now on standby status, the tower saw extensive service during the Yellowstone Fires of 1988. The summit also has a couple of picnic tables, a cabin that is available for rent through the Forest Service and a fire pit.
Ochocco Mountains High Point could be considered a drive-up summit...for some vehicles. Although most of the way is paved, your low clearance passenger vehicle will have problems with the road in places where you can't turn around. A quarter mile of walking to the summit is recommended - it's a neat spot.
About 30 miles east of Prineville on Highway 26, turn north on Forest Road 27. This may be described as Grant Springs Road, or Summit Road, depending on your resource. This is near milepost 49.
Chase Mountain is in the Blue Mountains of southeastern Washington near the town of Dayton. There is no trail to the summit, but you can drive right into the activation zone. Park at the bottom of forest service road 6437 for a 2.2 mile walk or drive up to the top and walk out and back in as I did. There are a few places at the top to pull your vehicle off the road.
Grivets is a simple "SOTA-car" (drive-up) summit about 30km south of Grenoble, France. There's nothing remarkable about this one-pointer, but it could be a quick activation stop along the A51.
I've been up on Whale Head a few times and it looks like it's time to write up a trip report! This has been a "near drive-up" summit, however with the growth of slide alder into the road you may park and walk earlier that the gate.
Summary: West Onion Peak is a great activation if you don't mind the 13 mile round trip hike.
I just wanted to post a quick update on W7O/NC-044 the previous write up is still accurate but as I understand some people have found it posted no tresspassing I just wanted to post an update from my recent activation there.