W6/SS-435

 I was on the summit of Noname Peak, and it seemed foolish not to tag this peak while I was on the ridge. It was a quick and steep descent to the small sub-peak on the ridge, then a short climb up to the top. I looked around, and noted my ascent to record in Peakbagger later.

Along the ridge.

There were a few cliffy areas to avoid on the way to the main col, but the cliff bands were short enough that it was easy to go around if they were too high to step over. I managed to arrive at the high point of the col to avoid extra climbing. I did stop, however, to empty the sand out of my shoes.

Near the summit.

 The climb up to the summit wasn't long or hard, but felt that way after the big climb up to Noname Peak. I was at the summit pretty quickly. On the air, band conditions seemed better, and I quickly got enough contacts. The weather, however, seemed to be getting worse. The breeze was cool, and it seemed like a storm front was making in. I wasn't in the mood to linger, so I packed up after a short time.

The descent was steep and sandy. I had to stop multiple times to empty the sand out of my shoes. I really was wishing for some gaiters. At the bottom is a small stream. It was a little tricky finding a place where I could jump across, since the brush was so thick along both sides. After crossing it was quick back to the car along a dirt road.

 

Trailhead: Nine Mile Canyon Road, at the LA aqueduct.

Website: SOTA Site.

Maps: AA6XA SOTA Hikes map.

Route: Use the access road to cross the canyon, then pick you own way to the top.

Red Tape: None.

 

W6/SS-433 Noname Peak

 Noname Peak might be officially un-named, but some places give it this name, so that's what I'll use. The peak is an unremarkable summit east of the Sierra crest near 9 Mile Canyon Road. I parked at an open area along the aqueduct service road. Google has a marker called "Los Angeles Aqueduct 1" near the spot I parked. The dirt road was rough, but short enough the rental sedan I had could make it. 

Aqueduct selfie.

From here I took the road down and across the creek, then back up. Where the acqueduct started following the contours I left the road and started going straight up the hill. It was steep and sandy, which made for slow hiking. I surprised a rattlesnake, and had to make a detour.

Leaving the road. 

Thankfully it was not hot, and there was enough breeze to make the hike up tolerable. It was a slog. Eventually I reached a ridge that lead to the summit, and followed that. It was nice to have some rocks and relatively flat ground to walk on. 

Looking towards the Sierra crest

The summit was broad, with a Joshua tree near the high point. It made a convenient support for my antenna wire. It was cool on top, and it looked like a storm system was moving in. It did actually rain that night. The radio conditions were terrible. It took a lot of work to get my four contacts.

Radio time.

I didn't realize it at the time, but this summit put me over 2000 points for my double goat. Not knowing, I didn't celebrate. Instead I packed up and headed across the ridge to Noname's slightly lower neighbor for another activating, praying the radio gods would be happier in an hour. 

 

Trailhead: Nine Mile Canyon Road, at the LA aqueduct.

Website: SOTA Site.

Maps: AA6XA SOTA Hikes map.

Route: Use the access road to cross the canyon, then pick you own way to the top.

Red Tape: None.

W6/SS-371 Morris Peak

 It had been a hot few days in the desert, and I wanted to get out of the heat, so I decided a higher peak in the Sierra would be the answer. Morris Peak fit the bill, a pleasant 9 mile round trip high enough to get out of the heat. I drove up to Walker Pass where I parked below a Joshua tree in the large dirt pullout.

PCT northbound trailhead.

My plan was to take the PCT to the col below the summit, then the use trail the last half mile or so to the top. It was pleasantly warm, with a nice breeze at the trailhead and I headed north on the PCT. It had been a while since I last hiked on the PCT, and I forgot how well graded it is. Great for running.

So many flowers.

As I rounded the side of the first hill, the trail began crossing a field of yellow flowers. Very pretty. I enjoyed the flowers, the the switchbacks up to the ridge. Once I reached the ridge, the trail flattened out and began traversing below the peaks. It was mostly on the north side, which meant trees and views towards Lake Isabella.

Looking north.

Views of the summit.

From the col southwest of the summit I stepped off the PCT and quickly found the use trail that goes up the south face to the top. It was a lot steeper than the official trail, but not too bad. Having a trail, even a steep one, made the final ascent much faster. At the summit I signed the register at the high point, then descended slightly to a shady flat area. Here I put up an antenna and started calling CQ.

On the air.

I had cell service, and had no trouble making contacts. Even in the cooler temperatures up at 7000 feet I was glad there was some shade to stand in. I tried VHF, but didn't get any takers. The desert VHF community doesn't seem very active. Once I was done I packed up and headed back the same way I came up. 

PCT cutting across the mountain.

The run back down was much faster than on the way up. I passed one or two people backpacking, but I think it was too early in the season to see any thru hikers. Back at the car I enjoyed the cooler temperatures before heading back down into the hot desert. Little did I know it was about to cool down.

 

Trailhead: Walker Pass (CA 178)

Website: SOTA Site.

Maps: AA6XA SOTA Hikes map.

Route: Take the PCT up to the col southwest of the summit, then the use trail up to the top.

Red Tape: None.

W6/ND-337

 This desert peak is a short distance east of Ridgecrest. It is unremarkable, other than having the prominence required to be a SOTA peak. After a late night, I woke up and headed out. It was hot, but I was looking to get a little heat training in, so I didn't mind. Since I wanted to get some distance, I parked on the side of Trona Road, just south of the intersection with Randsburg Wash Road.

Near the start, looking towards the summit.

I could see some roads and use trails on the satellite view of the area, so I figured it would be an easy run through the desert. It took a little searching to find the road I wanted, parallel to Randsburg Wash Road, but once I did it was smooth sailing. The road was fairly straight, going through a few washes as it crossed the desert. 

About to head up the hill.

At the base of the hill there is a road that leads from the paved road to the col. This is where most people seem to start the hike. With some clearance you could drive to the col on the sandy road, otherwise it would be a shorter hike from the pavement. I took this road up to the col, then picked the slope to the top that looked best. Probably whichever you pick will be fine, the mountain is not too steep.

Looking towards the Owens Valley. Southern Sierra on the left.

The top was a bit rockier, but still class 1 the whole way. The view on top was pretty nice. On one side I could see the southern Sierra, China Lake, and even Telescope Peak in Death Valley. Views south were blocked by higher hills. There was good cell service on top, and I had no problem spotting. Band conditions weren't good enough to get everyone who wanted to work me, but I was able to make enough contacts. 

Looking back at where I came from.

I took a different ridge back down to the col. It didn't seem any better or worse than the way I had gone up. From there it was a quick jog along the col road to the parallel road and the car. The A/C had nearly cooled the car back down by the time I got back to the hotel in Ridgecrest.

Trailhead: Along Trona Road or Randsburg Wash Road, depending on how many miles you want to hike.

Website: SOTA Site.

Maps: AA6XA SOTA Hikes map.

Route: Head across the desert, taking roads if available, to the col northwest of the summit, then go straight up to the top.

Red Tape: None. Some areas are part of military bases, so watch out for signs.

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.