Decent tree cover for most of the trail
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.
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’
Engle Peak has spectacular views of the southern Cabinet Mountains Wilderness Area. Peak access is over good roads and a lightly used trail.
Oak Grove Butte is now a 3 mile RT hike with 750 feet of elevation gain. The rest of the write up here :http://www.pnwsota.org/blog/k7atn/2016-october-29/oak-grove-butte-or-october-2016, is generally correct, except the passive repeater now has a big brother and the road to that tower is good gravel. However, a gate blocks this road at the final intersection.
Driving Directions:
Get on 224 heading east out of Estacada, OR.
I tried an alternate route to 5060 (aka Full Quieting Mt.) in the Gifford Pinchot.
I parked at (46.10557, -121.66125) on NF-2360-071 (aka Eckhart Pass Road).
Proceed South up the ridge, which is mostly open with some deadfall/blowdown for about 0.55 miles. There is a false summit, just continue south.
East Canyon Ridge is a summit in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, near Mt. Adams. The summit is along a well used multi-mode trail that sees some mountain bike and moto traffic, though very light on the day of my activation. Huckleberries were ample during my visit in late summer, as well.
Getting there: I rode my mountain bike from Sherman Pass, activated Columbia Mountain, and then continued on to Wapaloosie Mountain before backtracking and descending Jungle Hill. Trails are in decent enough condition and there is nothing about the tread that would make them difficult to hike. I did drive the roads to all the trail heads and the road to this one is in good condition. I found it quite passable in my Subaru Forester.
