Trail contains no technical obstacles
I figured I would provide a summer time update to NS7P's write up. Directions are the same, but cell coverage in this area of the coast has improved and Goodle Maps should have no problem routing to "Dry Lake Horsecamp Trailhead" off of Oregon Coast Highway. The Trailhead has plenty of parking and a pit toilet. There are also fenced areas for your livestock.
This is a pretty easy drive-up summit for most cars, although it gets a little steep and narrow at times so AWD and a little clearance doesn't hurt.
Google Maps directions that have you entering from the north (Sherman Valley Road) have been correct on several visits. I can't speak to the directions Google gives from the south.
In the attached picture, I've parked at the green X and walked up hill 200-300 feet and turned right at the Y in the road, which brings you into the activation zone.
Black Hills High Point is minutes from downtown Olympia and adjacent to a popular city park with numerous walking paths, bike trails, and logging roads. Despite its proximity to population centers it had been activated only 4 times before my visit, most recently in 2019.
Summary - If the gate is locked (and it probably is), this is a two mile logging road hike and summit hill bushwhack with modest elevation gain. On a clear day there are views from the north end of the summit. The bushwhack is relatively short with a few sections of thick brush. Round trip hike is under five miles with almost 1000 feet of elevation gain. Spotting with APRS or ATT cell service is possible. Bring HF gear as 2M contacts may be a chore. The hike and summit are on Hood River County Forest land with active logging sites.
Summit #7845 is a good hike through the 2021 Trail Creek wildland fire. The trail signed Ruby-May Creek #3102 was in great shape and being cleared by a Montana Conservation Corps crew during the activation. There are some good views of the Anaconda-Pintler Wilderness summits along the trail.
Caution: this trail and the summit have elevated snag hazard due to recent wildland fires.
Shook Mountain is the apex on the north end of a small rib of mountains lying between the East and West Forks of the Bitterroot River, and the Idaho/Montana border to the south. Having good views of both those valleys there are also fine views of rugged peaks in the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness.
White Mountain, a US Forest Service Lookout since 1934, had been updated to an L4 Lookout cabin on a 41’ wooden tower in 1954. It is on the National Register of Historic Lookouts. It has good views of the southern Bitterroot Mountains, the Great Burn Wilderness Study Area, the Idaho/Montana border and the Lolo National Forest.
Current access is hiking approximately 2 miles through forest and along a permanently closed road.
This summit is slightly prominent over the old Ninemile Lookout Site. A sign on the summit points to this old lookout site approximately 0.25 miles east. Elevation difference is 28’. All that remains of the lookout are four large concrete support blocks, burned wood and rusting hardware scattered on the ground. Slow growing subalpine fir tower to over 40’ on the site.
The remainer of the summit is dense old forest with oddly shaped rock outcrops of banded-argillite. Due to dense forest, there are very limited vistas of the valleys below.
Stevens Peak is a forested summit overlooking Noxon Reservoir on the Clark Fork River. Much of the summit hike is along good loop Stevens Ridge Trail #1083. The summit is south of the small community of Noxon, Montana and the Noxon dam. The summit is a broad forested flat but there are good views of Noxon Reservoir and Cabinet Mountains on the northeast side of the summit where trees give way to steep rocky and grassy areas.
Trail miles: 1.8 on-trail, 0.3 off-trail, both round trip
Elevation gain: 800’
This nondescript summit is almost indistinguishable from the surrounding ridges and summits. It does have a rocky forested summit traversed by an old logging skid trail. It also lies at the head of interestingly named creek, Dirty Ike.
Being close to Clinton, MT, just off Interstate 90 and having a logging road traversing south slopes to just below this summit makes an easy activation or possible easy winter activation.
Trees on the summit provide good support for hanging wire antennas.
Trail Miles: 0.5 roundtrip
