Activation of Tahquitz peak, Riverside County, California - 8,828 Feet, 2,692 Meters.
On vacation with my wife in Southern California, it was possible to combine hiking with Amateur Radio / SOTA. Based in Palm Springs, California, we ranged throughout the San Jacinto Mountains and Joshua Tree National Park for several days of excursions.
Activation of San Jacinto Peak, High Point of Riverside County, California - 10,843 Feet, 3,305 Meters.
On vacation with my wife in Southern California, it was possible to combine hiking with Amateur Radio / SOTA. Based in Palm Springs, California, we ranged throughout the San Jacinto Mountains and Joshua Tree National Park for several days of excursions.
Prospect Hill is a privately-owned Christmas tree farm with about eight repeater and telecom sites on the ridge overlooking Independence, Oregon. We were able to secure one-time permission for access to this site as it was convenient to a visit with friends near Salem.
5194 is very close to the two Findley Buttes and it would be very easy to activate all three on the same day (but see K7ATN's entry for Findley Buttes West as access is a bit ambiguous).
If you find yourself near out of the way northeast Oregon, you might consider driving the scenic Tollgate Road between Weston and Elgin, and then activating Peak 5500 near the top of the pass.
Peak 4940 deserves a better name - but for the time being it's an easy to reach SOTA summit - if you are already in Wallowa County in the very northeast corner of Oregon.
Krell Hill is a 3600 foot peak to the south-east of Spokane. It's also known as Tower Mountain for reasons that are obvious to those from the area. The tower complex looms over the City of Spokane, spanning most of the ridge to the south-east of town. It hosts 3 major TV stations and numerous other transmitters. Access to the hill is either from a gated road to the south-west, or from the trail system of the Iller Creek Conservation Area to the north or southeast. Iller Creek has many hiking and biking options.
There are three Findley Buttes - East, West and 5194. The first and the last have clear public access across Nature Conservancy easements and are recommended summits in this area.
This has been the most popular SOTA activation in Oregon with about 64 activations as of October 2017. Easy to reach, it's a recommended 'first time' summit in the Portland area for new activators. The park is near 6 Nansen Summit, Lake Oswego, and parking can be found near 16 Becket Street or 3 Juarez Street, Lake Oswego.
It was a cool rainy day in Spokane. My wife Sarah, our friend Kelly, and I wanted to do a hike. And I wanted to do an activation. So we settled on a hike to Quartz Peak. Quartz Peak is another peak within the Mount Spokane State Park. The peak is right in the middle of the Mount Spokane Nordic Park, a premier location for cross-country skiing in Eastern Washington. Parking for the hike is easy. Simply park at the cross country ski area parking lot. You'll need a Discovery Pass when the ski area isn't open, and you'll need a sno-pass when the ski area is open.