West Butte (W7O/CE-111) is a prominent peak located about 23 miles east of Bend, north of Hwy 20. I completed it’s first activation in September 2020, which is surprising considering the mountain’s close proximity to Bend. While much of the summit is within BLM public lands, access is somewhat limited.
While in the Tri-Cities area for a family event, was able to activate Badger mountain later in the afternoon. The trail is very open, and would be very hot during the middle of summer days. In the evening, there were many people using the trail. Since the trail is so open, I enjoyed the views for miles around and seeing the Tri-Cities from a different perspective.
A rainy weekend in Western, WA led me to look for options on the Eastern side. Tim (KG7EJT) had done Baldy a week prior, and looked like a great option.
After the North Cascades Highway opened, enjoyed taking a mid-week day to activate this summit near Winthrop, WA. Spring is a great time as temperatures were in mid-60's, there was no snow, and some flowers were blooming. Both WTA and AllTrails have great trail information, and links are provided below. Trailhead is located about 15 minutes (7.8 miles) from main 4-way stop in Winthrop. Boatlaunch & Trailhead parking is at the Northeast corner of Patterson Lake, and a Discover pass is required for parking at the boat launch.
28 October, 2013 Bandera Mtn W7W/KG-073
Our original hiking destination for this day was going to be 7000 ft Norse Peak, an 8 pointer, near Crystal Mtn Ski Resort, a bit north and east of Mt Rainier National Park. The Mt Rainier WX report predicted 30-40 MPH winds at Paradise and Camp Muir in the National Park. We took off for our backup hiking destination: Bandera Mtn.