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.

The first of three activations in a weekend - if you can activate this one, I recommend several other peaks in the area as well. This was a first activation, so subsequent attempts may find better routes.

I planned a weekend with three summits in a day, and by all accounts probably could have managed if it weren't for a few things.

Getting there:

The Skinny:

 Trail head: 44.9022, -121.7979

 Trail Turn: 44.8958, -121.8424

 Hike Distance : 6 miles round trip

 Hike Elevation gain: 1600 ft

The Story:

 Here's an easy first activation I thought. It has a write up! http://www.pnwsota.org/blog/kf7qlp/2015-may-28/sisi-butte-hour-late-and-dongle-short How often is that going to happen?

Bad Luck Mountain is an old US Forest Service Lookout site that had a structure from 1939 till about 1980.  Only a few concrete blocks remain today.  The summit is mostly forested now with 25-40 year-old Douglas-fir and ponderosa pine.  Open grassland falls steeply from the summit to the south.

2.8 mi, +1,200 feet, -200 feet

The hike to this summit is off-trail through a thick lodgepole and fir forest.  Although the undergrowth is only calf high, there is a moderate amount of deadfall through most of the hike, which makes for slower going.

NC-066, in my head named "Souther Saddle" (even though it's not part of a saddle pair), was a nice bike ride into Stimson forest land. This peak forms the lower point of a triangle between South Saddle NC-002 and NC-065, commonly a paired activation. One could easily do both NC-065 and 066 in a day, provided enough time to hike or bike this route. There are also a number of other nearby peaks on the way in/out of the forest area that could be paired if you had time in the day.

There are many Blue Mountain's, and this one is located in Snohomish County, WA and just east of Sultan.  From parking gate to summit, it involves a 3 mile road hike (6.1 miles round-trip), and ~1,300 feet of gain.  There are some views along the way, and limited views from the summit. With the summit being heavily wooded, I activated near the tower (west / northwest of the summit and ~40 feet below summit per CalTopo map).  Was able to spot from the summit, but AT&T service was not consistent.

Directions:

4.8 mi, +1,870 feet, -600 feet

This is a nice hike on a good trail with great views – particularly of the Red Mountain & Caribou Mountain regions of the Scapegoat Wilderness.  This hike is close enough to the Scapegoat Wilderness that it is prudent to be Bear-Aware.