Poly Top Butte is a good second summit to add on a trip to China Hat W7O/CE-053. Here’s a few notes from my activation:

If you’re driving to this area from Bend, I recommend that you take Hwy 97 south to La Pine and then take primary Forest Route 22 (paved) east to meet China Hat Rd (Rt 18).  This way you’ll stay more on paved roadways.  If you come straight down China Hat Rd from Bend, expect a long, dusty, and very bumpy ride.  While China Hat Rd is wide and graveled, it is heavily used and there’s significant washboarding.

At less than 4 miles of good road off Highway 93, Sula Peak is a popular ‘travelers’ summit for drive-up VHF DN25/DN35 and SOTA activations.  A modern US Forest lookout and a communications facility occupy the summit.  Frequently there are bighorn sheep grazing in the area and especially in the spring on the highway. 

Giveout Mountain's summit can be reached by car or truck on generally good logging roads. Portions of the drive up are steep and narrow; I recommend 4WD. There is recent evidence of a shooting range on the summit. During my visit several groups scouted the area and there were at least a dozen such ranges set up in the vicinity. I imagine that arriving in the late morning on a weekend day may lead to disappointment.

A 'sorta' near drive-up in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest north of Carson. You can drive within a mile of this unremarkable peak and likely have a nice quiet time playing radio.

We selected the southern route for Elk Point.  This southern route allows for a double activation with Sula Peak W7M/RC-138. This mostly open-ridgeline route has good views of distant Bitterroot Mountains, Anaconda Pintler Mountains and closer views of the Sapphire Mountains and East Fork Bitterroot River valley.  

Access from the north is via the Robbins Gulch or Rye Creek roads and trails. 

The SOTA peak database has the name of this peak incorrect as "Cardwell Hills HP", it is actually a well known peak called "McCulloch Peak" in the McDonald State Forest and all signs leading there, plus the marker on top, uses that name.

Bald hill isn’t really bald.  It is a fine grassland on its south exposure, but is tree covered on the remaining west, north and east exposures.  Access is available any time of year, albeit steep.  It is prime winter range for 50-100 elk each year so avoiding December through February could prevent disturbing the elk. 

You are entering bighorn sheep range in this summit’s area.  Two trail options are available.  Both are great trail hikes all the way to the summit.  The dry environment of this area makes it a good early Spring or late Fall season hike.  Wind can be challenging on the upper grassland ridges and summit, but there are groups of trees to shelter behind. 

240 feet from road to summit, +10 ft elevation

This is a short hike through dense regrowth in an old clearcut.

From the Bernice Exit on I-15 (Exit 151) between Boulder and Butte, take the Boulder River Road west as follows:

0.0          Exit I-15 at Bernice

3.2          Turn right and cross the Boulder River, then continue westwardly.

10.1       Stay on the main road (left) at the Indian Creek turn off.

0.5 miles, +160 ft, -35 ft

This is a short hike to a rocky knob on the continental divide.

From the Bernice Exit on I-15 (Exit 151) between Boulder and Butte, take the Boulder River Road west as follows:

0.0          Exit I-15 at Bernice

3.2          Turn right and cross the Boulder River, then continue westwardly.

10.1       Stay on the main road (left) at the Indian Creek turn off.