Bare Mountain is an easy bushwhack up from a decent-quality dirt road. There are several approaches, but this one is by far the easiest - and may have once been a trail to the summit. I recommend GPS, as there is no defined trail and coming down it is hard to follow your own tracks - though if you stay east of the original tracks you will still come out on the road. I could probably make it down NF-311 in a sedan. We walked from the pull-off on NF-311.

In a normal year, this would be an easy 4-point drive-up. Driving access is via Forest Road 8303 (Ape Cave Rd.), 8303340, and 8303341. From the end of 8303341 the summit is ~500' to the NW, where the trail ducks off the ridgeline you would just continue straight to the summit.

Spencer Butte is the site of a former fire lookout in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, just north of the town of Northwoods. At the time of my attempt, the simplest access is to go north on FR 25, turn onto FR93 (if you go through the winter gates on 25, you just missed it), and follow 93 to the trailhead. This route is mostly paved, just a short section of gravel from the Muddy River up to the junction with road 9039.

After two previous attempts I finally made my first SOTA Contacts. 

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. 

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.

1.6 mi, +1,300 feet, -40 feet

This is an easy off-trail hike.  There are likely nice views from the summit, but it was socked in when I was there, so I can’t say for sure.

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 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.