This was the second activation of LC-001 for both WE7CAT and KL0NP.  The first year WE7CAT had just gotten her tech license and was too shy to talk on the radio.  The next year she activated it without me with using an Anytone 878 with stock rubber duck antenna and was able to do a S2S with me while I was on Mt. Townsend in the Olympics.  This year WE7CAT/AE had just passed her Extra Class exam, and was ready to make contacts. 

10.7-miles, +3,800 ft; -2,900 From Elk Mountain TH

1.2 miles, +1,000 ft from Trail 562 Junction

I activated this on the 12th day of a 15-day backpacking from the Elk Mountain Trailhead, via Mink Ridge & Marten Creek with a side-trip up Marten Creek to Marten Hot springs; but the route description is the more direct route across Goat Creek and along the Square Rock ridge that we took on our way out.

24.2 miles, +7,500 ft; - 6,800 From Elk Mountain TH

5.2 miles, +3,800; -500 ft from Buck Lake Creek

I activated this on the 7th day of a 15-day backpacking from the Elk Mountain Trailhead, but other approaches such as Meadow Creek or Indian Hill may also offer access.  We climbed from a camp in the beautiful Cedar-Hemlock forest alongside Buck Lake Creek.  While the forest is unburned upstream from the Disgrace Butte trail junction, the forest downstream was burned on the south side of the creek in a 2019 fire.

22-miles, +6,200 ft; - 6,500 From Elk Mountain TH

3.0 miles, +2,400 ft from Buck Lake Creek

I activated this on the 6th day of a 15-day backpacking from the Elk Mountain Trailhead, but other approaches such as Meadow Creek or Indian Hill may also offer access.  We climbed this from a camp in a beautiful Cedar-Hemlock forest alongside Buck Lake Creek.  While the forest is unburned upstream from the Disgrace Butte trail junction, the forest downstream was burned on the south side of the creek in a 2019 fire.

This summit is the old Horseshoe Lookout Site. It had a primitive platform on a rock pinnacle from 1921-1961. A standard L-4 structure, 1962-1983. Both structures succumbed to wildfires and were not rebuilt.  Concrete blocks from the L-4 lookout remain.  The access road, USFS #588 is 4 miles off FS #500. It is a good road and can be driven to the summit. I opted to use a bicycle the last 1.0 mile due to a steep and rocky appearing section.  You have already traveled #500 so this road will be no problem. Trees are available to hang antennas.

The winter activation is much more challenging than the summer one.  In the summer, it is a drive-up until the last quarter-mile walk.  In the winter the road is closed 9 miles down at 2000' elevation. So that means and 4000' climb over 8 miles up. 

Little Grayback has been another summit I have been eyeing for a while as I am slowly getting familiar with this area around Applegate Lake. I always looked at approaching it from the westside, near the lake but looking closer and after doing neighboring Baldy Peak and having no snow issues, I noticed that the eastside, Upper Little Grayback TH, looked much shorter and approachable. This is FS trail #921. KJ7GFN, Joell, and I did our planning for this pretty much the day before, both leaving from our off grid locations Sunday morning.

After a bit of a hiatus, K7IAJ and I made a quick trip up highwire this afternoon. We wanted to make a quick trip up something that would be an easy objective. We originally chose Haystack Moutanin, but access was restricted, and the permitting wasn't clear: permits were listed as unavailable on the website/sold out, and they would be sold in April.

3.5-miles, +1160 ft; From Pipestone Pass TH

This is a pleasant hike along the Continental Divide Trail that begins near the summit of Pipestone Pass (paved, and plowed).  It is also a POTA “2-Fer” (Beaverhead-Deerlodge NF & CDT) if you activate within 100-feet of the CDT.  It is also located on the northern edge of the historic Thompson Park area, which is a unique congressionally designated Municipal Recreation Area that includes much history related to the Milwaukee Road (Railroad).