On the way down to Diamond Lake for the 2023 W7O SOTA Campout, I teamed up with Tim-N7KOM to do a couple of drive up activations. Both Walker Mtn and Skookum Butte are drive ups, or nearly so, located in the Fremont-Winema National Forest in Central Oregon, just north of Chemult.
Access to both is accomplished via the wide FR-94, a very well maintained gravel forest road. To get to Walker Mountain Lookout station, head east off of US-97 on the FR-94, there is a sign on the highway pointing in the correct direction. After 4.2 miles turn left onto the Walker Mtn Road, FR-9402 and follow it up for 3.7 miles. This road has recently been graveled and graded with that addition of rubber water bars cut into the road bed. It was easily passable in the BGNOUT van, a front wheel drive camper van, other than some low hanging limbs that scraped the roof.
There is large RF installation up top with a large gravel parking area, but you can continue up the dirt 2-track another couple hundred yards to the AZ. We piled out of the vehicles and walked a couple hundred feet to sit just to the West of the old lookout tower. We ran into Mark-K7MAS as he finished his activation on 2M and thought we would be out of there in a few minutes. Unfortunately, we didn’t have such luck, and Tim ran to retrieve his KX2 and EFRW antenna out of his truck after collecting only 2 contacts each on 2m… one was K7MAS who just left, the other N7UN who was driving up behind us. We each took turns on 40M and collected our needed contacts plus a few.
It was getting hot, high 80’s or low 90’s and we had one more butte we wanted to attempt before we made the remainder of the drive to Broken Arrow Campground at Diamond Lake to meet up with all the Goats, so we packed up the kits and made our way back to FR-94 where I dropped the van and jumped in with Tim in anticipation of some less forgiving road on the way too Skookum, and I was glad I did. It was only a 4.5 mile drive but once we left FR-94 on 9415 the road got narrow with some small trees down, several of which we moved. At 3.4 miles we turned left onto 9418 and the going got steeper and narrower, with 4 Wheel Drive a requirement. Tim’s trusty Ford Exploder had no problem navigating the narrow track but the van would not have been a good choice. Actually a motorcycle would be the best bet to get up to where we parked due to impassibility of the road.
The last 1/2 was an easy hike on an old access road. We made quick work of it and were up on top looking at the East face of Walker Mountain.
Knowing that Guy-N7UN was still on Walker we pulled out the HT and called CQ for a quick S2S on 2M. While I tried to raise a second contact on 2M, Tim setup the HF rig and made a few CW contacts. After he logged the 3 needed to qualify for the summit points he handed the key over to me. It only took me a few minutes to get my requisite 3 on 40M CW and call it a win. Meanwhile, Tim managed to raise a 2nd 2M contact.
N7KOM on 40M CW
Old Lookout Pilings
Walker Mountain Lookout and Skookum Butte are former fire lookouts, both built in the early 1930’s and have historic remnants of our heritage. 2M will likely prove a challenge so it would serve a potential activator to bring HF capabilities. Easy access to both summits can be achieved via a high clearance vehicle or a short road hike on 9418 if you prefer.
http://www.willhiteweb.com/oregon_climbing/walker_mountain/lookout_031.htm
https://willhiteweb.com/oregon_lookouts/skookum_butte/tower_013.htm
W7MTB: Amateur Radio Notes 