Return to home page Stensgar Mountain
DN18ae
Last update January 05, 2003
General. This is a mountaintop with an unobstructed exposure in all directions. W7GHZ regularly takes a 2 WD vehicle to this location.
Driving Instructions. From the south, take Highway 395 to just north of Jumpoff Joe Lake Road. At the Crossroads Church, turn left on Bulldog Creek Road to Valley. This eliminates the doubling back required by continuing on to the Highway 231 intersection 5 miles south of Chewelah. In Valley, turn left on Waitts Lake Road. Go around the north side of the lake, continuing westbound to a 4-way intersection near the turnoff to the Lane Mtn. Quarry. Turn left on Red Marble Road. Road is mostly flat for several miles, but may be littered with potholes. The road begins to climb and switchback below the old Red Marble Quarry.
Follow the main track through the quarry, as there are several
offshoot roads. You'll top out in a saddle at another 4-way intersection.
Either of the two to the right will get you to the summit, but the one kind of
hidden straight ahead wrapping around the west side of the ridge is the
quickest. The one that goes immediately right will require you to take a
left turn at the ridgetop and come in to the summit from the north.
At the summit is Stranger Lookout (on Stensgar Mountain), which has not been
staffed since 1994. The summit is antenna-laden. I have found
the best operating location to be just to the east of the summit at an abandoned
radio site. (it shows up in DeLorme's atlas as "Radio Tower" just to
the east of "Lookout") It's only slightly lower than the summit,
away from the clutter, and more secluded from occasional visitors. I used
this site during the June 1996 ARRL VHF Contest, and took first place on 6
meters for Eastern Washington!
You can also try a spot a couple miles north of the summit on the ridgetop (you
can see the road to it clearly from the lookout). It's about the same
elevation as the lookout. Road is a little more difficult than the drive
up, but is not that bad. (Rex, WR7X)