Activation Reports

Summary --  The trailhead for 6001 is on Bennett Pass Road, about two miles from Windy Camp. It may be possible to hike it from Windy Camp on Gunsight Trail but we didn't test this assumption. Bennett Pass Road requires 4WD, low tire pressure, and high clearance and some patience.  6001 can be done with Badger Butte (CN-013). 2M contacts are possible, ATT cell and APRS both work. The summit is rocky and sparsely forested. Here's the summit:

Summary -- Badger Butte is broad, treed summit, with a fairly easy climb from the road. Getting to it by way of Bennett Pass Road requires 4WD, low tire pressure, and high clearance and some patience.  2M contacts are possible and both APRS and ATT digital service work for spots.  Can be done with 6001.

Summary - An easy to reach trailhead (2WD friendly), a nice trail, easy bushwhack, and not much of a summit view. 2M contacts are likely to be difficult, APRS okay, and cell service marginal to nonexistent. The summit is small and brush covered; there are lots of places for putting up a HF wire. Stop in the meadow on the way back down to catch a view of Mt Adams. One of my favorite hikes in this area. By the way, you can ignore this sign at least as far as West Soda Peak:

Summary - From Portland, a long, relatively easy drive (2WD okay) and a short, difficult bushwhack will net you a big beautiful view from a very small summit.  2M is likely to be difficult, bring a mast if you want to do HF, and be prepared to scramble if you want to operate from the summit itself.  No ATT cell service. I didn't try APRS.  The view is worth battling the brush and trees! Pro tip - if it has been raining or snowing, wear rain gear for the bushwhack or prepare to be soaking wet.

Mission Peak is an 8-point summit, that is reachable from Wenatchee. This activation was a joint effort with Drew-K7DDC. We tried to make the best of the last few days of fall by activating this summit before it gets snow clad. 

Directions:

We drove from I-90 and maps told us there was a way to go there via Ellensburg which was the shortest. It ended up being a closed road, and we decided to back our way through Wenatchee.

NOTE: Forest Road 9341 is blocked by a rockslide at 46.23071, -121.82871 and there is an additional 3 mi approach to the trailhead on pavement. 

This was summit 2 of a 2 First Activation day. 

This was summit 1 of a 2 First Activation day with Hat Rock W7W/LC-017

This summit is inside a WA Resource Management Area near the Spokane Indian Reservation. I parked along Rail Canyon rd. to access the state land. A gate at the access road marks the beginning of the hike. I used two main dirt roads to get close to the summit and then bushwhacked the last 1,000 ft. Use caution, this area had a forest fire this summer; fallen trees and loose objects make this hike challenging. At the summit I was able to get simplex contacts on 2m with ease. Plenty of trees to use with a throw line for my EFHW setup. No water; moose tracks in the area.

1.2 miles round trip. ~900ft elevation gain. Moderate bushwhack.

Gold Peak is a one point steep bushwhack in the Tillamook State Forest. To get to the trailhead one needs first to get to the Trask River Road out of the town of Tillamook. From Portland there are two cutoffs. One is longer and paved, the other good gravel. Travel times are similar, but the gravel route is shorter.

This summit was a bit of a challenge with 11 miles round-trip trail and ~2500' elevation change.  It took us 4hrs to hike in. (NOTE: no dogs on trails in the MSH National Volcanic Monument.)