March 20, 2021
Myself, Chris (KI7JOM) and Clint (KJ7LLS) activated this summit in a heavy snowfall. We parked at the snow line on Coal Crk Rd at about 2400'. From here we snowshoed on forest roads and cross country all day in cold and wet conditions. Slow and challenging day.
9 miles, 2700' gain over 8 hours.
Summary - the hike to 3977 (from copper creek) is relentlessly steep, easy to follow and ends in a summit with great views. The route on FR 41 from the Sunset Falls campground is festooned with holes and washouts, some of which are spectacularly large.
Summary - Given the two hour drive, a really steep, brush covered cross county hike to the summit, and the need to bring HF along, summiting 4220 is best part of a multi-hill day. A map and compass or GPS is a really good idea, as are trekking poles and long pants.
Summary - Getting 4340 into the log requires a two hour drive, a short steep, brush covered cross county hike to the summit, and HF capability. A map and compass or GPS is a really good idea, as are trekking poles and long pants. There is no trail to the summit and on the way up you will encounter a lot of very large deadfall along with stands of manzanita and poison oak. 2M contacts are difficult unless other SOTA ops are working on nearby mountains, APRS works well, and ATT messaging sometimes.
This is a near drive-up in a carefully driven Prius, or perhaps a full-on drive-up in a vehicle with some ground clearance. There's nothing particularly scenic about this peak, but you will likely find it quiet, both RF and absent any other people.
An easy summit in the John Day area is Long Creek Mountain. To access it turn east off of Highway 395 on NF-3940. This turn is at the Long Creek Summit, 44.6789, -119.1309. The turn off the highway is steep, but I believe it is Priusable to 44.6626, -119.0480. From here it is half a mile and 250 ft. of gain on a rough road to the summit. You can drive it with high clearance and your mirrors folded in, if you don’t mind a few paint scratches.
If you are touring anywhere near Crater Lake National Park, Garwood Butte is a quiet destination for an activation. The forest road is fairly Priusable and the hike is reasonably short, even if a bit steep in places. As for a number of other summits, one reward for making it to the top is a historic fire lookout. The "upper" trailhead is about 1 mile and 600 feet of gain - from Forest Road 3703 (Three Lakes Rd) it's about 2.3 miles and 1000 feet.