No View From Summit

3.5-miles, +1160 ft; From Pipestone Pass TH

This is a pleasant hike along the Continental Divide Trail that begins near the summit of Pipestone Pass (paved, and plowed).  It is also a POTA “2-Fer” (Beaverhead-Deerlodge NF & CDT) if you activate within 100-feet of the CDT.  It is also located on the northern edge of the historic Thompson Park area, which is a unique congressionally designated Municipal Recreation Area that includes much history related to the Milwaukee Road (Railroad).

Here's an opportunity to do an easy summit if you are out in the Gorge for wine tasting, other summits or a hike at Catherine Creek. The road walk is short at 0.75 miles one-way and about 200 feet of gain. The road is Priusable the whole way but note that there are a number of "no turn turns" cited by our phone GPS on the way from Highway 14 to the trailhead - the directions below are general.

Tincup Hill summit is a large flat area covered by a regenerated old clearcut of 15-30’ tall lodgepole pine.  There are also some mining exploration shallow-trenches cut into the summit area and access ridge.  The hike is through easy terrain lacking in downfall or high brush. Trees are available to attach wire antennas. 

Trout Creek Hill is a near drive-up summit north of Carson, Washington. You can reasonably drive into the AZ, but you'd rather not travel the last few hundred yards to save the finish on your vehicle. So be sure and look for a good place to turn around and leave your vehicle before that last bit of road.

Bunker Hill is a nicely accessible summit a few miles north of Carson, Washington. The trailhead is an easy drive, and the hike is about 3.6 miles roundtrip and 1300 feet of gain. Note that little of the gain is on the first mile or so of the hike - it's steep later. The hike starts on the Pacific Crest Trail for the first easy half mile or so.

UPDATE: 2025 I found a bit easier trek up, still steep and unstable ground but the take off from the road up the bank is easier. They just logged so there is a clearing up to the BLM line. New track loaded on maps.

Miller Peak is a large commercial communications site.  Given that, the road accessible to the public is narrow, brushy and with few places to pass on coming vehicles.  The road can become a bit crowded in later summer if a huckleberry crop along the road entices pickers. 

Another Bald Mountain on my list. I swear we need a S2S Party just for summits with "Bald" in the name! Easy drive to summit but not really any view, just a nice park-like area. Beautifully timbered, relatively flat summit top. Easy to set up. I had zero service here. Might of had texting if I set up on the west edge but I almost always go for the east side. I had trouble hitting RBN and being found. 40m rescued me and I was able to get several QSOs once found.

Olson is a near drive to summit. Find a good spot to park on the side of the road and find a good opening in the timber and brush to get to the top/AZ. The road may even be in the AZ but I went a bit higher. Ample area and trees to set up and logs to sit on. We took the Butte Falls Hwy to Cobleigh Rd to Medco B Rd. All gravel roads were well maintained.

TL;DR - Peak 3534 is a twenty to thirty minute drive from South Saddle Mountain (W7O/NC-002) over logging roads. You pass South Saddle to get to 3534 so a two summit, four point day is easy. 4WD, good directions, and GPS are really handy. Once you park, the short hike up is steep but no worries, there's a longer, gentler path, too. The summit has no views, a small open space, trees, good APRS signals, and is RF quiet. Not a summit for hanging out nor the best place for HF antennas but easy to activate with 2M FM.