W6/ND-317

This peak is not much to look at from a distance, but was a nice hike. Red Rock Canyon State Park is just north of a small fault line, and it creates a stunning escarpment. This peak is the southernmost SOTA peak along the escarpment ridge. I wanted to get some miles in, so I parked across the park in an unmarked dirt lot on the side of Highway 14 at about 35.37715, -117.98062. This seems to be a real trailhead, and I saw other people parked here or starting their OHV drives when I got back later.

Starting up a wash.

The road parallels the highway for a little, then turns and starts up a canyon wash. The surface changes from constructed road to just sand and gravel here. Definitely something you need real OHV to drive. It was much nicer in the canyon away from the road, and I enjoyed my jog up. There was a small slot canyon to go through, so that was fun.
 

Some of the red rock canyon?

At the top of the canyon the road made a u-turn around a ridge to the south, then turned again to continue north through a parallel canyon. At the top of this climb was a nice view of the wide canyon in the middle of the park. I took in the view, then crossed the canyon. 

Summit finally in view.

On the ridge on the other side, the road got much rougher but it was still easy to follow. Up out of the canyons the wind started to pick up as well. It wasn't a hot day, but the breeze did feel nice. After traversing the ridge for a while I made it to the turn off spot. This was right below a sub-peak. I went around it on the south side then was on the summit. I didn't see any register, so I found a nice spot to set up to make some contacts.
 

Looking south, more or less.

 

The HF bands were good, but I didn't get anyone on VHF. I thought there would be people out and about in the desert since it was the weekend. Once I was done I packed up and took the same route back. This went well, until I made a wrong turn in the first canyon and ended up at the top of a large cliff. Thankfully it was a short backtrack to the correct branch of the canyon and back to the car.

Canyon walls.

There were some other people parked in the lot when I returned, and someone drove in to start there OHV adventure. I was a bit surprised since I hadn't seen anyone on my run.

Trailhead: At the dirt lot at (35.37715, -117.98062)

Website: SOTA Site.

Maps: AA6XA SOTA Hikes map.

Route: Take the OHV trails through the canyons and up to the summit.

Red Tape: None. 

Not the way to go!

W6/CT-266 Mt Bliss

 After activating Monrovia Peak I was hot and starting to run low on water, but I was still on top of the ridge and had a long way down. I had enough, though, to swing by Mt Bliss on the way down. From the road on the ridge below the Monrovia summit, I headed down. At the Sawpit Truck Trail (2N30.1) I turned right and started really going down. This road switchbacks down the southeast face of Monrovia, and had some nice views. I didn't enjoy them very much since I was getting hot.

Mt Bliss seen from the side of Monrovia Peak.

I did pass another running heading up, which surprised me. I thought the area was fairly remote. After a few miles of quick switchbacks I reached White Saddle and turned left onto 1N36 for the climb up to the summit. This was a gentle climb. From studying maps beforehand, I hadn't seen a trail to the summit, so knew I'd have to bushwhack to get to the firebreak along the ridge. I picked a spot that looked good, and went up through the brush.

Monrovia Peak.

It was steep, but I soon got to the ridge. Turning around, I could see that if I had continued a little farther along I could've taken a use trail the whole way. Oh well. A few more feet of climbing and I was on the summit. This peak was even sunnier and hotter than Monrovia had been a few hours before. I didn't waste time getting on the air, since my water was running low. I had some cell service, but it wasn't great.

Summit sign and register.

Once I had made my contacts I headed down, taking the trail this time. It was a quick jog back to the Sawpit road. I was pretty happy the road has some stream crossings, I was able to dip my hat and arms in the water to cool off a bit. The dirt ends at the entrance to the boy scout camp, but there is still a few miles back to the car. At the Monrovia Canyon Park I saw a water fountain and stopped to drink and fill up my bottles. From there it wasn't far back to the car, but having plenty of water made it much more pleasant.

Trailhead: Intersection of North Canyon Blvd and Ridgeside Dr.

Website: SOTA Site.

Maps: AA6XA SOTA Hikes map.

Route: From Monrovia, head down the Sawpit truck road to White Saddle, then up to the summit. There is a use trail, so no bushwhacking required.

Red Tape: None.

W6/CT-028 Monrovia Peak

 I was down in southern California for a visit, so it was time to do some peakbagging. My goal for this day was to get Monrovia Peak and Mt Bliss, and the other small summits along their ridges. Based on other trip reports, I decided to do a big loop. From the airport I drove to Monrovia, and parked on North Canyon Blvd at the intersection with Ridgeside Drive. From here it was a short walk up Ridgeside to the start of the Lower Clamshell Truck Trail.

Start of the trail.

 

The gate was open, which was good, and I headed up. It wasn't very busy, but I did pass some people out for their Easter morning walks. After about a mile the truck trail reaches a saddle. The trail continues down the other side but I turned right and followed the fire break up the crest of the ridge. It started out ok, but, as expected, became quite steep.

Someone put a flag at this viewpoint.

It took a while to hike up the steep fire break, and it got warmer as I hiked. As I climbed I started to get views of the forested ridge top, and other peaks in the San Gabriel Mountains. It was a relief when I reached the top. I took the short spur to Clamshell Peak, then returned and went down the steep hill to the fire road below. The road was generally in the forest, which was a nice break. 

Final section of fire break.

Finally I reach the spot to rejoin the firebreak along the ridge for the final climb. It felt steep since I was hot and tired, but it wasn't too long. First I went over Rankin Peak. There was a wooden sign on the summit. I'm not sure why, the summit wasn't remarkable in any way. One last small col, and I was on the summit. The views were nice, but it was hot in the sun and the bushes weren't big enough to provide any real shade.  

Summit sign and register.

I signed the register and put up my antenna. Cell service wasn't very good, but I had enough to get out a few spots. Once I was done playing radio, it was a short and steep trip down the fire break to the road. Back on the road, I headed over to my next summit, Mt Bliss.

 

Trailhead: Intersection of North Canyon Blvd and Ridgeside Dr.

Website: SOTA Site.

Maps: AA6XA SOTA Hikes map.

Route: Head up the Lower Clamshell truck trail to the col, then follow the firebreak to the ridge. On the next road, go up, then take the firebreak to the summit.

Red Tape: None.

W6/CD-012 Quail Mountain

The summit of Quail Mountain is the highest point in Joshua Tree National Park, and was my goal for the morning. After breakfast in the hotel room in the town of Joshua Tree I headed into the park to the Quail Springs parking area. I had done some research beforehand, and this seemed like the best place to start. 

The direction I started out in.

 From the parking area there was a trail that headed straight towards the mountains. It was well used until it crossed the wash, where it disintegrated into a lot of lightly used use paths. I picked my way through these to find the start of a trail that would go over a low pass to the base of Mt Minerva Hoyt.

Heading up the trail.

Turned around, looking back towards Quail Springs.

 

The trail did not appear in any of the park maps I looked at, but it is clearly visible in satellite views of the area. Having the trail marked on my phone map made it a lot easier to find. Once on the trail it was quick going to the wash on the other side. In the wash you need to choose which ridge to take up to the top of Minerva Hoyt. I walked down the wash about a quarter of a mile before turning and heading up the hill.

Heading up the ridge.

The climb up was steep, but not too bad. The terrain was open, and I had no bushwhacking problems. Once I got to the main ridge I turned and headed up to the summit of Minerva Hoyt (named after one of the main advocates for creating the park). There looked to be a false summit that I went around, but it turns out it would have been easier to just go over it. From the summit of Minerva Hoyt there is a use trail that goes along the ridge to the summit of Quail Mountain.  

Looking across the ridge.

 The use trail was mostly easy to follow, and I was soon on the summit of Quail Mountain. The summit is broad and it is not entirely clear which pile of rocks is the highest, so I tagged both of them. There was marginal cell service (Verizon) on top, but none lower down the mountain. It was a bit chilly, so I quickly got on the air and made plenty of contacts on the bands I tried. The views to San Gorgonio and San Jacinto were great, and it was nice to see the park from a different angle.

View of the Salton Sea and Coachella Valley

 To get back down, I simple retraced my steps. Following the use path back to Minerva Hoyt was challenging in places. In the wash at the bottom I climbed out too soon and had a little work to find the trail. There were people going up the trail as I headed out, hopefully they had fun. Back at the parking lot it was quite busy, all the spots were taken and people were playing on the big rocks there. Overall, a fun summit and nice morning.

 

Joshua Trees at the parking lot.

 

Trailhead: Quail Springs parking area.

Website: SOTA Site.

Maps: AA6XA SOTA Hikes map.

Route: Take the trail across the wash, then find the trail that goes over the low pass. Head down the wash a short ways, then up the ridge to Minerva Hoyt. Take the use path across the ridge to the summit.

Red Tape: None, just the standard national park things.

W6/SS-428 Mt Savage

 We wanted to get one more Yosemite trip in before the weather got too cold and rainy, so we booked the only campsite we could, in Wawona Campground. This was a new area of the park for both of us, and is worth a visit if you have extra time. Since SOTA time was limited, I decided to go up the summit first thing in the morning to Mt Savage.

One of the planets (probably Venus) rising.

I parked in a lot in front of the Wawona Hotel. As far as I could tell, this was not reserved for guests only, and either way the hotel was closed for renovations. I crossed the highway and golf course, the turned left onto the Wawona Meadow Loop Trail. This trail is partially paved, and goes around the meadow, with the highway on the far side. 

The meadow through the trees (from my return)

At the far side of the meadow there is a trail juction, which I almost missed in the dark. I turned right onto the trail, which quickly began heading up the hill. After a short distance it becomes single track and starts following contours more than going straight up. There was a strong inversion too. As I climbed the temperature increased noticeably. This was good news, since I wasn't really prepared to activate in the freezing cold. It must be in decent shape, since I had no problems following the trail by headlamp.

The scenery isn't as good at night.

The other end of the single track is a fire road. The road appears to be used, there were tire tracks and plenty of freshly cut trees along it. I turned left and continued up the hill to the height of land. Here there was a small clearing. I had read in previous trip reports that there was an unmaintained trail to the summit, but I couldn't see where it started in the early dawn, so I made my best guess and started up the hill. I found the trail pretty quickly, so I guess I'm a good guesser.

Sun is about to rise.

The use trail led me right to the summit. The first part of it didn't go straight up, but after a turn it did. Pretty steep. There are some large rocks on top, high enough to give a good view if you walk up to the top. This was a nice surprise, otherwise there would have been no view.

It was a bit windy, so I didn't set up on the rocks, but out of the wind just below. Despite the early hour I had no problems making contacts while watching the sky get brighter as the dawn neared its end.

Start of the use trail.

I had to get back to the campsite so I couldn't hang out on top as long as I would have liked. It was a quick run back to the road, then to the single track as I retraced my steps. Since the sun had come up I was able to enjoy the forest views and make good time. Back at the meadow it was still freezing cold, so I kept moving to get back in the relatively warmer car for the short drive to the Wawona campground.

Alpenglow from the valley.

Trailhead: Wawona Hotel parking lot.

Website: SOTA Site.

Maps: AA6XA SOTA Hikes map.

Route: Take the trail around the meadow, then the trail up to the road. At the height of land, find the use trail and take it to the top.

Red Tape: None, just the standard national park things.

Video: Coming Soon!

W0C/MZ-051

 This peak is a short distance north of Steamboat Springs. While planning for my trip, I was surprised to see it hadn't been activated before, since it didn't look like a hard one. The best place to start is probably the Red Dirt Trailhead on CR 129. There is a pullout with space for about half a dozen cars. The trail was easy to follow, but the brush along it could have used some trimming.

Near the start of the trail.

 The first short section of the trail is parallel to the road as it slowly climbs across a steep slope. When it reaches the end of the steep section, it turns right and heads into the woods. 

Along the trail.

 The trail appears to get enough use to keep the tread clear, but the brush was growing over it. It had rained the night before, so my legs and shoes were quickly soaked. I manage to keep my shirt mostly dry. There wasn't rain in the forecast until late morning, but the clouds kept coming and going.

Entering the wilderness area, relatively close to the peak.

The trail climbs steadily, with only one section that loses a little bit of elevation before crossing a meadow. The Red Dirt Trail does not go over the summit, so a little bushwhacking is required. There is a large boulder at the high point of the trail, and I turned off here to go up. I started going up a wide clearing, but the brush was pretty bad. It was much easier going in the forest.

View from the summit.

I was surprised to find a clearing with a view at the summit. There was even a register. It had warmed up a little since I left the trailhead, but was still chilly, so I didn't wait too long to get on the air. I had cell service on top. Once I made my contacts, however, I packed up and headed down. I was getting chilly.

Crossing one of the aspen stands.

 

I stayed in the forest until I got to the trail, then jogged back. This went well until I was a mile or two from the car when I tripped and donated a little blood to the trail. A yearly donation. Back at the car I tried to text my wife, but there was no service. That would have to wait until I was almost back in town.
 

Fish Creek Falls, which we visited later in the day.

  

Trailhead: Red Dirt Trail, on CR 129 north of town.

Website: SOTA Site.

Maps: AA6XA SOTA Hikes map.

Route: Take the Red Dirt Trail to its high point, then go through the woods to the summit.

Red Tape: None. 

W0C/PR-012 Mt Werner

 At the top of the big ski area in Steamboat Springs is Mt Werner. In the winter, one could take the lift up to the top, but in the summer it takes a bit more work. From the village area at the base, we bought our gondola tickets, and took the ride up. The views from the top of the gondola were great, but our goal was the summit.

View from a parking lot.

From the gondola, the route is fire roads all the way to the top. Head away from the buildings, over a relatively flat section. In a col on the other side there was a big junction. Start heading up. 

Top of the gondola. The summit is the peak on the left.

From this intersection, the trail takes a few large switchbacks up the hill, on the Storm Peak Challenge Road. There is a large lodge/restaurant at one. It was closed when we walked by, but I'm sure its hopping during ski season.

Looking down one of the ski slopes.

 

Eventually the road begins making tighter switchbacks across what appears to be a wide ski slope. This means you're getting close to the top. The Run Rabbit Run ultra was going on while we were hiking, so as I crested the hill I was greeted by bells and cheering from the people manning the aid station on the ridge. I stopped to talk for a minute, then pushed up the last little bit to the summit.

Mt Werner summit.

There is a building on the slightly lower sub-peak, and a communications tower at the high point. I set up out of the wind on the sub-peak to try and stay away from the tower's RF. After making my contacts, and seeing some lightning in the distance, I tagged the high point and booked it down the hill. Since it was there, I tagged Storm Peak before heading down the switchbacks.

One of the aspen groves on the mountain.

I caught up with the others, and we all headed down to find a sheltered spot to have lunch. After lunch, the rain started. It seemed to start right before the runners began to pass us. It got much stormier later that evening, so I wasn't to envious of them. Back at the gondola we headed down to the base, then took the bus back to our hotel.

Trailhead: In the summer, take the gondola up. In the winter, head all the way to the ridge then boot up the last little bit. Easy access to the ski village at the base on the free bus from downtown.

Website: SOTA Site.

Maps: AA6XA SOTA Hikes map.

Route: Take Storm Peak Challenge Road up to the summit.

Red Tape: None. If you don't want to pay for the gondola, just hike up from the base.

Video: coming soon!

W6/SS-334 Big Baldy

 We were in Kings Canyon National Park for the weekend, and I wanted to get some SOTA in. So the last morning I woke up early to run up this peak. From our campsite in the Grant Grove area, it was a quick drive to the trailhead. There is roadside parking, and a board with some information and a map. At 5:30, I had my choice of parking spaces. 

Dawn breaks.

 

 

I didn't know how many bears lived in the area, so I talked to myself as I headed up. I didn't really want to encounter one. The trail was easy to follow in the dark as it went through the forest. It was flat, then there were some switchbacks. From that point in seemed to alternate between uphill and flat sections.

Sunrise in Kings Canyon NP.

 

 

It was still before sunrise when I got to the summit, and rather cold, so I continued south along the ridge to the peak at the end of the ridge. After tagging it I turned around, and got back to the summit just as the sun did. The temperature didn't change much, but it felt warmer in the sun.

On the air.

 

As the peak's name suggests, the top is bare. There are, however, enough small trees and bushes that I was able to easily put up my short KH1 antenna. On the air I started on 15m, hoping the band would still be open to Europe. It didn't seem to be, but I got some contacts anyway. There were more to be had on 20m, but no one on 40m. Maybe all the west coast chasers were still asleep.

It was still cold and I had promised KN6REU I'd be back at a normal breakfast time, so I packed up. The run down to the car was quick now that the sun was up and I could see well. In camp we made pancakes, then enjoyed the Giant Sequoias before heading home.

General Grant, the third largest tree on earth.

 

Trailhead: Roadside parking along the Generals Highway, north of the summit.

Website: SOTA Site.

Maps: AA6XA SOTA Hikes map.

Route: Follow the well-worn trail to the top.

Red Tape: None.

Video: Coming Soon!

 

Along the Congress Trail in Sequoia NP. Pictures don't really capture how big these trees are.

W7N/TR-027 Captain Pomin Rock

 If you at Tahoe in the winter do you go skiing? No, of course not. It is the perfect season to go get some SOTA activating in. After leaving very early and driving up from the Bay Area, we stopped in town to pick up some snowshoes. It was then a few more minutes around the lake to the trailhead.

First steps in snowshoes!

We started at Spooner Summit snow park, at the intersection of US 50 and NV 28. There was a decent size parking lot, and a nice hill for sledding. It was Naina's first time snowshoeing, so after we got them on we took an easy walk along the road until we found the track to the summit. There were a few sets of footprints to follow.

Heading up the hill.

 

The forest was open, and the hill wasn't too steep. It was windy, but we were on the lee side of the hill. Ideal conditions for winter hiking. It took a few minutes to re-acquaint myself with snowshoe walking, but we were soon making good time up the hill. The trail climbs up to a relatively flat area, which it crosses, then has a final climb up to the summit.

Summit photo.

The very final climb was quite steep, and it wasn't obvious which way was best to the top. I followed some other tracks and was able to get up without needing to take off the snowshoes. That was probably the only part of the hike that would have been easier in the summer. 

As we suspected, the wind was really blowing on top, so after a few pictures we retreated into the forest for a quick activation. Thankfully there were enough chasers I could get enough contacts before we got cold.

Hard to get tired of lake views.

 

One the way down we decided to take a shortcut, and go straight back to the car from the flat area. This was easy, since any brush was well buried under the snow and we were going down hill. Summer hikers might make a different choice. Back at the car, the parking lot had filled to capacity with sledders, who we watched while eating lunch. 

Enjoying the view from South Lake Tahoe.

Trailhead: Spooner Summit snow play area.

Website: SOTA Site.

Maps: AA6XA SOTA Hikes map.

Route: Winter: just go straight up to the summit.

Red Tape: None.

Video: ham_bitious YouTube

VE6/HC-034 Stoney Woman Mountain

 After our trip to Asheville had to be cancelled at the last minute (Thanks Helene!), we booked tickets to Calgary for a trip to Banff National Park. After a few days of focusing on foliage, looking at lakes, and seeing the sights, we had some time for SOTA. I chose this peak, since it was a relatively easy hike, and easy to get to the trailhead. It had snowed on the higher peaks the night before, so I didn't want to get too high.

On the hike.

Across the highway from the town of Banff, we drove up the switchbacks to the Mount Norquay ski area. I parked at the first, lowest lot. Across the road is the trailhead. The trail is well worn, and  was easy to follow. The one spot where there is a sharp turn there were two signs to make sure you went the right way. 

Enjoying the cool Banff weather.

It had been rainy and foggy earlier in the day, so all the exposed roots were slick. Or maybe my boots were just too worn down. Either way, I made it to a semi-open area just below the summit. From the trail I could get glimpses of Banff down below. I stepped off trail to tag the high point, and set up on a sunny slope looking down at the town. 

The best view of town I got.

 

There were some geomagnetic storms that day, so propagation wasn't very good. I did make enough contacts though, and it gave hope for some good aurora later that evening. The cell service on top was good. 

Very neat seeing the aurora.

The hike back down was quick, until I slipped on a root. That was a bit unpleasant and forced me to slow down a bit. Back at the car we headed back to our hotel then out for dinner. After eating, we wandered around Canmore until it got dark, and that's when the aurora started. Never having seen it before, it was spectacular, and we were not in a particularly dark area. Definitely picked a good week to visit Canada!

More Aurora.

 

Trailhead: Bottom of the Mt Norquay ski area parking.

Website: SOTA Site.

Maps: AA6XA SOTA Hikes map.

Route: Take the trail up to the summit.

Red Tape: None. There are some great views of town at the last switchback on the way up.

Video: ham_bitious YouTube