Good Parking At Trailhead

On my way home from activating Pelican Butte I took a detour to see if Rye Spur  was accessible for a future date. Take the turn towards Fourmile Lake (FS RD 3661) off of 140 the turn right on FS RD 360, then right FS RD 363. It turned out we were able to drive the FS RD 363 pretty close to the summit and chose to hike the short walk up and do a very quick activation. It was probably about a half mile up with a gradual, easy ascent. The last of the road going in is very tight and a bit rough. It dead ends at a good turn around with fire pit.

Granite Peak is a picturesque summit with huge granite boulders with interesting eroded patterns.  It is a great operating location with outstanding views of the Great Burn of 1910.  The trail is easy to follow and in-season wanders through some good huckleberry patches. 

There are plenty of trees to erect antennas and room to stretch wire antennas in the activation zone around a somewhat difficult to scramble large boulder summit. 

Having hiked 2.5 miles to a saddle you might as well activate both close summits to the north and south, W7I/IC-139 & 167.  These summits require a bit of somewhat steep scramble through open subalpine vegetation and open ground after the trail hike.  Views from each summit are similar and overlook undeveloped wild forest area and the Selway Bitterroot Wilderness. 

Having hiked 2.5 miles to a saddle you might as well activate both close summits to the north and south, W7I/IC-139 & 167.  These summits require a bit of somewhat steep scramble through open subalpine vegetation and open ground after the trail hike.  Views from each summit are similar and overlook undeveloped wild forest area and the Selway Bitterroot Wilderness.

 “Tillamook Peak”, NC-091, is now a drive up. Can't tell you how to drive up because I hiked up the ATV trail described by K7EEX .http://www.pnwsota.org/blog/k7eex/2018-july-07/tillamook-peak-2399-oregon However, when I reached the ridgeline the trail t-boned into a road. Short walk up the road led me to the clear cut summit. Great view of the Wilson River. Don't expect trees for help, bring your own antenna support.

Ben Smith is now a drive up. It has been clear cut and there is a good road to the top.

A gentle pitch trail terminates at Savage Ridge.  Of interest to hams might be the Natural Resources and Conservation Service Snotel Site near the trail head.  This is snow water content and weather measuring station is complete with snow pillows and a 40-50Mhz meteor burst telemetry station/antenna. 

The radio relays the data to master stations probably in Boise Idaho or Ogden Utah on a daily basis.    

The hike to Eagle Cliff on Stateline National Recreation Trail #738 has many scenic views along the route including alpine cirque basins and alpine lakes, Cliff and Diamond, and some small unnamed lakes. Wildlife encountered along the trail were mule deer, several dusky grouse and a family of Clark’s nutcrackers. 

An interesting historical monument is at the summit.  It is an iron post survey monument marking the Idaho/Montana State Boundary.  W7LIX informed me that the monument is MP177.1 placed there in 1904.   

A steep trail climb breaks onto an open grassland with scattered Rocky Mountain subalpine fir makes this summit a great operating position.  Located on the Idaho/Montana border it has panoramic views of the regrown forest after the great burn of 1910.  Early season wildflowers can be abundant including glacier lilies, buttercups and western pasqueflowers.  Illinois Peak is an old US Forest Service Lookout site with some scattered weathered lumber and concrete footings as the only remaining evidence. 

Elevation gain:  1500’

Blackrock Peak is named for the dark gray to black lichens growing on the summit boulder field.  The rock itself is mostly light tan-colored and from a distance the dark lichen patterns appear like large stationary cloud shadows draped over the summit and adjoining ridges. Distance views include the rugged Mission Mountains, the Bitterroot Mountains, the Cabinet Mountains and on clear days Flathead Lake and Glacier National Park.