W6/SC-301 Spikes Peak

Spikes Peak is the high point of Pacheco State Park, just inside Merced County. I invited a few friends to come along, and there were four of us who hiked to the peak. We left the Bay Area around 9:45 and drove up to Pacheco Pass, where the park entrance is. There was one other car in the lot, and we passed the guy on our way up, as he was returning.

Walking across the parking lot.

We took the Spikes Peak Trail to the summit, which is an old ranch road. It was hot, but not enough to cause problems. The trail goes over a summit which is nearly as high as the main peak, then drops 200 feet before climbing to the main summit. There is a small, marked spur trail that goes to the top. My friends didn't notice it, and were about to head downhill, but I stopped them and we all made it to the summit.

Looking East to the Central Valley and San Luis Reservoir.

There is a tree with a picnic table underneath, the perfect place to setup for an activation. There were no good branches to support an antenna, so I set up my pole. I turned on the radio to 20 meters, and there was a station calling for the Hawaii QSO Party. I made a quick contact with him, then explained what had just happened. Everyone was impressed that I could talk so far. I put out a spot, which netted a few more contacts for 20-SSB. I then moved down to 30-CW, and impressed some more with my CW skills. Most of the usual chasers were worked. No one was in a hurry, so I spent some time tuning around and working stations in Kansas, Ohio, and Hawaii, all of which had state QSO parties that weekend. I spent most of my time on 20, but did go up to 15 to work a contest station.

Very pleasant operating from here.

Update, 3/2019: There is now a large, green water tank at the summit, where the pole is in the above picture. The table is still there, under the tree.

The summit in March 2019.

By this time, people were getting bored, so I went QRT and packed up. The hike down was quick, back to a car that had been baking in the sun. On the way back we stopped at a farm stand to try and get some cheap avocados, but they were out. Instead we got some fresh strawberries to munch on during the drive back. Overall, this is a nice peak, but would be much nicer in the spring.

Trailhead: Pacheco State Park.
Website: SOTA Site.
Maps: AA6XA SOTA Hikes map. SP brochure map.
Route: We took Spikes Peak Trail to the summit. Many other trails available for loops and such.
Red Tape: None.

High peaks south of the park. If they weren't on private land, they look like nice hikes.