Trail Characteristics
APRS Coverage
Don't know
Voice Cellular Coverage
Don't know
Data Cellular Coverage
Decent, workable
Cellular Provider
Verizon

 Turn south off of Hwy 126 at Austa, toward Whittaker Creek. Come down the hill about 100 yards and turn left onto Austa/Siuslaw Rd. Follow that road for about 1.5 miles to a right turn toward the Whittaker Ck Recreation area.  Go 1.5 miles to an intersection with a road that veers off to the left as it heads uphill. This is BLM Rd 28.1.  Follow this for about 7 miles to an intersection.  Turn left and go uphill to another intersection.  This intersection has one road that veers back to the right (ignore it); another that heads straight ahead (the one we want); and two that peel back toward the left (including a road that heads sharply back to the left through a yellow gate and into the large quarry). Continue uphill through a smaller gravel quarry and on through the woods and come to a pond on the left.  Park here.

 

There are two options to get into the activation zone.  Just past the pond, a road turns left, uphill to a gate.  The gate will probably be locked. There is a sign on the gate stating that the area is under electronic and video surveilance. As far as I can tell from conversations with others, it is OK to hike past this gate and uphill to the summit.  At the summit (less than 0.5 miles uphill), there is a hill top meadow with an RF facility on one side.  There are a lot of trees around to attach an antenna to.  Signs on the RF facility warn of the RF, tower climbing danger and the need to stay on the road to protect sensitive plants.

 

The downside of the actual summit is very strong RF interference that makes hearing weak stations difficult. Another option for activation is to walk back past the pond and follow a trail up the left side of the pond along a ledge that takes you high above the pond as it approaches the summit above.  My altimeter and topo maps indicate that this ledge reaches the activation zone. The advantage is more distance between the RF facility and the activation radio. Just be careful along the edge above the pond.