W6/CT-021 Vetter Mountain

Vetter Mountain was my third summit on this beautiful SOTA Saturday, after Strawberry Peak and Mt Lawlor. I parked at Charlton Flats, near the highway. I had hoped to drive up farther, but the gate was locked, so I walked the two miles to the summit.

On the way up.

 The "trail" is a paved road, that looks like it is unmaintained. Two cars did pass me on the way up, so there is some way to get through the gate. The hike up is about two miles from the Angeles Crest Highway, and it took me about 40 minutes to the top. As I approached the top I heard a helicopter that sounded close. On the other side of the mountain, one was hovering over a flat area on a ridge. Eventually I saw it lift a person up and fly away. Not sure what was going on. There is a bunch of stuff at the top, including the foundation of a fire lookout tower that burned down. I set up on the foundation, as it was flat and at the high point.

What a view.

There is an old flagpole next to the road that still has a rope and clips, and this could be a great way to get an antenna in the air. I made nine contacts, four on 20 and 17, and one on 40 meters. I called on 15 to see if there was any DX, but didn't have any luck. At one point a snake crawled into the foundation near my feet, and I'm glad it didn't pop out near me. After I had finished calling, I packed up and headed home after a great day in the mountains.

Helicopter doing its thing.

Trailhead: Charlton Flat Day Use Area, Angeles Crest Highway.
Website: SOTA Site.
Maps: KB1KXL SOTA Hikes map.
Route: Follow the road and wood signs up to the top. Avoid the Poodle Dog Bush growing along the sides of the road.
Red Tape: Adventure pass needed for parking.