Zero Butte, OR | May 2018

Zero Butte is just west of Condon, Oregon and is an easy drive-up summit. Take Highway 206 4.5 miles west from Condon and turn (left) west onto Richmond Road. Continue 1.5 miles to an unmarked dirt road heading off to the left. This is about where the unexpected subdivision ends and where what looks like a former military installation begins. The dirt road was easily passible in a passenger car for the 0.9 miles to a fence and a gate where the high point is located. 

Summit

A Bad Hand of Pinochle (Pinochle Peak, Oregon)

Finding myself with a rare weekday off, I worked through a handful of possible peaks. After being pushed to look at lower elevation summits by remaining spring snow, I noticed a named, unactivated, two pointer in Tillamook State Forest – Pinochle Peak. After a few hours of study, a possible path was identified. It was clear that approaching from the south off of Highway 6 would be sketchy, but with limited time, it was the chosen path.

Summit

SeaPac 2018 SOTA Gathering - June 1 6PM, Pizza Harbor, Seaside

SeaPac, the ARRL Northwest regional hamfest is June 1, 2 and 3, 2018.  We are having a Friday night SOTA gathering in Seaside as we have the past few years. We have reserved the banquet room at the the same pizza place and are looking forward to seeing SOTA folks there! This year we'll have a couple very short presentations and be sure to introduce everyone. Please join us!

 Place: Pizza Harbor - 15 North Edgewood St, Seaside, OR

Eight Dollar Mountain, OR. First Activation

Eight Dollar Mountain lives up to it’s notable name, somewhat unusual in an area that has may nameless mountains. On a topo map it looks like one of the nearby Cascades, a very definite cone not attached to the nearby hills, but it’s doesn’t share their volcanic origins. I was surprised it had never been activated as there is a (very steep) jeep track to the research station on the summit, and the trailhead is just a mile or so from highway 199.

Summit