Activation Reports

Wards Butte is near Cottage Grove, Oregon and can be accessed from the south by I-5 exit 170 and from the north by exit 174. (Not to be confused with Ward Butte-W7O/CC-082.)

This summit was not activated. The road to the summit is gated, but not posted, so it should be accessible - however, it appears to be 3.2 miles one-way to the summit - quite a distance for just one point. A mountain bike may be a fun way to activate this peak.Note that the overpass near the summit is incorrectly named "Ward Butte Road." The summit appears to have a radio communications site.

Mount Pisgah is a 'near' urban summit just east of Eugene. It is known as Mount Pisgah Arboretum and as the Howard Burford Recreation Area. It's a short 1.5 miles, but steep with 1050 feet of elevation gain from the parking lot to the summit. It features some of the last remaining oak savanna that once dominated the Willamette Valley and the summit has good views. 

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. Just remember to move away from the vehicle with all your gear for the activation. 

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).

Haystack Butte in Central Oregon is fenced and posted as "Fee Access Only." Don't despair for summits to activate nearby however, as two other accessible peaks are within a few miles. W7O/CE-223 - Juniper Butte right across Highway 97 and W7O/CN-074 - Round Butte, a pavement drive-up a few miles north east of Madras.

I tried three access points to Haystack Butte, the gate at the south was locked indicating that it was not open to the public and the next two roads to the north were posted with the pictured sign.

Fielder Mountain, near Rogue River, Oregon is a relatively easy trip.  The driving portion is only about 30 minutes from its start, the corner of West Evans Creek Road and Fielder Creek Road in unicorporated Jackson County, Oregon.  Follow the road to the yellow gate, park, and walk the last mile or so to the peak.  There are several large commercial communications sites, including cellular, VHF/UHF, microwave and FM broadcast (though I  believe it's a translator, not a full-power FM).  I noticed inteference only once, on 18 mHz.

(1.4 miles, +2,000 feet)

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 

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.