W6/NC-406 Sulphur Springs Mountain

Sulphur Springs Mt is a small peak above Vallejo, and was the second one I did on a two summit activation day. There are two routes up, one starting at the highway, the other in a neighborhood. It is unclear what the parking situation is at the second trail head, so I started at the Park & Ride lot at the off ramp. 2019 update: The park and ride lot is closed, with big stones blocking the entrance. There is space for a few cars along the parkway where the trail turns into the hills. Google has this spot marked as "Bay Area Ridge Hiddenbrooke Trailhead". KF7PXT describes the other route in his blog. The first half-mile or so is a paved sidewalk along Hiddenbrooke Parkway.

2019 parking spot.

After turning into the hills the trail makes its way over a few small hills before getting to the summit. There are a few towers at the top, but they looked like they could have used some maintenance. There was a reasonably flat open area to operate from. I didn't use this area, instead choosing to setup in some trees on the sunny side of the peak.

After putting out a spot I worked the pileup on 30, then jumped up to 2 meters I only had my whip antenna, so not many VHF contacts this time. The contest was still going on, so I handed out a few points on 20 as I worked my way down the band. In total I made 16 contacts. By then it was getting late, so I packed up and made it back to the car before the sun set. 

Trailhead: Just off I-80, small park & ride lot. Bay Area Ridge Hiddenbrooke Trailhead, about 1/2 mile from freeway.
Website: SOTA Page
Maps: Bay Area Ridge Trail. KB1KXL SOTA Hikes map
Route: Hiddenbrooke Trail all the way. Some steep sections. Trail is totally exposed. Copse at the top can provide shade while operating on hot days.
Red Tape: None, just don't park illegally. Don't block the gate at the trailhead.

Mt Diablo to the south.

W6/NC-422

This unnamed peak is the highest point in the Lynch Canyon Open Space, east of American Canyon in the North Bay. This was the first summit I activated, out of two this day. I hiked up on a Saturday morning after a week of heavy rains, and the ground was soggy and muddy, especially in the valleys. Other than the mud, it was an easy hike up to the summit. I was pleasantly surprised to find a bench near the top, well within the activation zone.

I setup my pole and antenna, and was on the air. I made 13 contacts on 30 and 20 meters. There was a contest going on, so finding a clear frequency on 20 was a challenge. I had a nice chat with the first person to answer my CQ. After saying 73 I spotted myself and worked the small pileup. One op had a terrible fist that I couldn't understand at all. I feel bad for not working him, since he was so loud, but I couldn't even figure out the first letter of his call. I briefly tried VHF, but no one answered after a few calls and I was getting cold in the wind so I packed up and headed down. On the way down I slipped a few times, but didn't fall in the slick mud on the slopes. 

Looking West / South West from the summit

Trailhead: Just off of I-80, very easy to find. Reasonably sized parking lot with a pit toilet. $6/car.

Website: SOTA Page, Solano Land Trust Page

Maps: KB1KXL SOTA Hikes map. Here is the official one, and the Bay Area Ridge Trail also has one.

Route: A number of trails were closed due to the recent rains, so I took the Middle Valley Trail to the Prairie Ridge Trail up and down. This was not a difficult trail. The trail is mostly exposed, possibility for shade at the summit.

Red Tape: The park is closed, or fewer trails open when its wet out, so double check before you drive up.

I'm still here

I'm a terrible blogger because I don't post very often, but I'm going to make an effort to document more of the hikes I do.

In the year since I last posted I have gotten back into ham radio, and enjoy taking my portable setup into the hill to operate. I also discovered a program called Summits on the Air (SOTA) which has been driving me to go out more, and to new places that I otherwise wouldn't go to. My plan is to post trip reports about my SOTA hikes. I will also likely post other radio related things, such as projects I'm working on, thoughts about operating, etc. The weather is looking iffy this weekend, so it may be a while before more posts start appearing.