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.