W7I/SR-163 Teapot Dome

I was driving from Twin Falls to Boise for my flight home, and I had some extra time, so I decided to do a quick activation on the way. Teapot Dome is a one-pointer a few miles north of Mountain Home. I got off the freeway and drove a few miles up US 20 before turning on to NE Teapot Road. Teapot Road is dirt, but it is wide and well maintained. About a mile from the turn is an unmarked dirt road. This road is the start of BLM land. I drove a short distance up it, but it quickly got too rough for the sedan.

Teapot Dome. The summit is not visible from here.

I followed this road on foot as it climbed up the side of a small hill. Once I got over the crest I could see the road didn't go where I wanted to, so I left the road and went cross country across the small valley. From here it was a steep climb up to the crest of the ridge. There was a barbed wire fence near the top, but I found a gap to cross it.

Climb up to the ridge.

It looked like there were cliffs along the south side of the hill, so I went and contoured across the north face, around the first peak. This was quite steep, but there was good footing and it didn't feel dangerous. I came back on to the ridge at the col between the first, lower summit and the true summit. From here it was a pleasant ridge walk up to the summit. The summit is large and flat, with plenty of rocks for sitting.

Radio setup, looking north.

I set up and got on the air. I had no trouble with CW, but when I tried some SSB I remembered that the CQWW contest was still going on, and there were no clear frequencies for a little QRP station like mine. I had to head back by this point anyway, so I could get to the airport on time. After walking back along the summit ridge, I tried going down the south face. This was quite steep, but I made it back to the road successfully.

Taking a break on the way down.

As I was packing my stuff up at the car, a SUV drove by and stopped a bit farther down the road. Not sure what those guys were up to. I finished packing, and headed to the airport for the flight home.

Trailhead: Unmarked road at the west end of the summit. Road runs along the border of the BLM land.
Website: SOTA Site.
Maps: AA6XA SOTA Hikes map.
Route: Follow the road up to the hill. Where the road starts climbing, follow the fence on the left up to the top of the main ridge. Skirt around the lower summit, on the north side, then walk up the ridge to the true summit. An approach from the south east might be less steep.
Red Tape: None.

Contouring around the first summit.

W7I/CI-049 Mt Harrison

Mt Harrison is an easy drive up summit. I came up after hiking up to Peak 8762 nearby. I had been in Idaho for a few weeks, and as I was driving home after activating Peak 6667 I noticed that there wasn't any snow on the summit of Mt Harrison. A call to the rangers confirmed my suspicions, that the road was open again, so I headed up the next free day I had.

Lookout at the summit.

I was the only person on top, which wasn't surprising. It was mid week, and cool, but I wasn't complaining. I hoped to setup on the second floor of the lookout, but the trapdoor was locked. Instead I sat on a rock with a view to the southeast. There was an impressive cirque just below me, and I could watch to see if Cache Peak would come out of the clouds.

View from my operating position.

 There was a very high noise floor on all the bands I tried. This combined with the deep fading and poor band conditions made it hard to pull out some chasers who are usually easy to hear. I did eventually work 10 people on 30, 17, and 20 meters. I could have stayed on top longer, but the poor conditions were making radio a chore, so I decided to pack up and head home instead.

Looking west towards another section of Sawtooth NF.

Trailhead: Drive to the summit. Top of Forest Road 549.
Website: SOTA Site.
Maps: AA6XA SOTA Hikes map.
Route: Find a place to setup on the summit.
Red Tape: None.

W7I/CI-060

This peak is located in one of the southern sections of Sawtooth National Forest. Pomerelle Ski Area is on the northeast face of the mountain. To get to the top for an activation I started at Twin Lakes Campground. This is a few hundred feet higher than the ski area parking lot. From the paved road, I drove straight back through the campground to the fence. There is a locked gate with a service road leading up the hill behind it.

Start of the trail: gate, with my car parked on the other side.

To get to the top, simply follow this service road to the top. A sign on the way up says that it is a blue square ski run in the winter. The road skirts around the top of the trees, and above the tops of the ski lifts. At the ski lifts the road ended and I went cross country to the high point. I found a convenient rock to sit on while I operated. It took me about 20 minutes to hike to the top from the Twin Lakes Campground.

Looking south towards Cache Peak, which was in the clouds the entire time I was on top.

The band conditions were not good, but I did get four contacts on 30 meters. I tried calling on 40 to see if the closer stations would have an easier time, but didn't get any responses. I wanted to have some daylight left to activate Mt Harrison, so I didn't spend a long time on the top.

Mt Harrison, when it finally came out of the clouds. 

The hike back was quick, and I saw a few deer as I hiked down. They were too far away to get a good picture, but I tried.

Trailhead: Twin Lakes Campground, off of forest road 549.
Website: SOTA Site.
Maps: AA6XA SOTA Hikes map.
Route: Cross the fence and follow the service road to the summit. In the winter, you could take the ski lifts almost to the top.
Red Tape: None.

On the way back down.

W7I/BL-133

Peak 6667 is just north of US 93, near Craters of the Moon National Monument. It is completely on BLM land, meaning access is not a problem. I drove up from Twin Falls one afternoon to activate it. There is a dirt road that is not on the USGS maps, but visible on aerial imagery, that leads to what is marked on the USGS maps as a Gravel Pit. I went through the gate, then drove down to the gravel pit. The road was passable in a sedan, but there was a fair bit of brush growing in the middle that hit the bottom of my car. This road runs between the hill on one side and the jumbled lava flow on the other.

Parking at the edge of the gravel pit.

The gravel pit wasn't much of a pit. It was more of a small depression, and it looked like people like to come here to drink, have fires, and camp. I parked next to the road at the south end of the area, then started hiking up the road. The road gets much rougher on the other side of the pit as it climbs over a small hill. On the other side is another dirt road with a power line running parallel to it. Turn right and walk along the road. After a short distance there is an intersection with another, overgrown road that leads towards the peak.

Turn here and take the road towards the summit.

This road is also not on the USGS maps, but in the aerial imagery. It winds up through the valley, then climbs up a spur of the main peak. The road peters out after climbing about 200 feet, but the spur is easy to follow the rest of the way to the summit. There are a few steep sections, but nothing bad.

Not the summit.

Shortly before the main summit I came over a crest and saw the view above and thought I had made it. Sadly, the summit was another quarter mile past these rock fields. The top is open and flat. I picked a spot that didn't have too many pointy rocks and setup. There was excellent 4G service for the entire hike. I started on 30 meters, then did 17 and 20, getting most of the usual chasers. I thought about trying SSB, but decided not to so I could get down before sunset.

Looking to the south east. Queens Crown was easy to pick out.

I retraced my steps to get back to the car. It took me about an hour and fifteen minutes to get up and 45 to get down. This was a pleasant hike on a nice mountain, and I'm surprised that it hadn't been activated before.

Trailhead: Gravel Pit at the end of  an unmarked and unnamed road.
Website: SOTA Site.
Maps: AA6XA SOTA Hikes map.
Route: Follow the dirt road up over the hill, then turn right on the better maintained road on the other side. At the next intersection, turn left and follow the road to the end. Follow the spur to the top of the mountain.
Red Tape: None.

W6/NC-190 Marsh Benchmark

Marsh Benchmark is a hill in the Diablo Range, not too far from Mt Diablo. The easiest access is from the Morgan Territory Road Staging Area, on Morgan Territory Road. Coming from Livermore this is a bit past the height of land of the road. There is a large parking area, with bathrooms and a kiosk with maps. I picked up a map, then crossed the road to head down the Clyma Trail.

Start of the Clyma Trail.

I took the trail around a nice, shaded stream bed, then up the hill. After going over a small hill, about 0.8 miles from the trailhead, I turned off the trail in a re-entrant. There was a large tub with a red lid next to the trail here. From here it was a cross-country hike up the ridge to the summit.

First glimpse of the summit.

I followed some old use trails up the ridge. I saw some cattle grazing, which made me wonder if I was actually following cattle paths. The off trail section was not steep, and there were only a few places with rough ground that could have twisted an ankle. As I got closer to the summit, someone started breaking the squelch on two meters, and once I got to the top I could hear that it was Rex, KE6MT. We had just seen each other at the Pacificon SOTA lunch, and I knew that he was heading for Vollmer Peak. He was really weak, but after he walked to the other side of the peak his signal strength came up and I could understand most of what he was saying.

Vollmer Peak, and the sun reflecting off the Pacific Ocean behind it.

There was a lot of really bad interference on VHF/UHF, so I didn't try to make any more contacts up there. Instead I went down to HF CW. There was a convenient wooden post that I was able to strap my pole to. I had a weak 4G signal on top, so spotting was not a problem. I started on 15 meters, and only made one contact. When I moved down to 17, N4EX was waiting for me, and called after I sent a QRL?. Seventeen was open, and I worked John, ZL1BYZ, in New Zealand again. On 20 meters I tried SSB, hoping to find a jamboree on the air (JOTA) station so I could talk to some scouts, but didn't hear any. It was getting late in the day. I finished on 30 and 40 CW, and got contacts with the usual chasers. I also got another summit to summit with KR7RK in Arizona.

Mt Diablo (left) and North Peak.

I found that the noise levels were relatively high on all the bands compared to most other summits. The hike back to the car was uneventful, retracing my steps. I enjoyed the views across the central valley of the Sierra until I got below the trees.

Trailhead: Morgan Territory Road Staging Area.
Website: SOTA Site. Park Website
Maps: AA6XA SOTA Hikes map.
Route: Take the Clyma Trail for about 0.8 miles. After going over a hill, there is a re-entrant with a red water container. Go up the ridge from here to the summit.
Red Tape: None.
Video:  ham_bitious YouTube

W7I/CI-077 Monument Peak

Monument Peak is the highest peak in this section of Sawtooth National Forest. Access is easy, it is close to some roads. To get there, I drove up Forest Road 538 to its intersection with Road 671. I found a small pullout to park in, then started walking up 671. It was a perfect day for hiking, with temperatures in the mid 60's and a nice breeze.

The car is hidden behind the trees on the right.

Follow this road for about a mile. It first goes over a sub-peak that is nearly as high as the main peak, then through a shallow col. Once it breaks out of the forest on the other side, head cross country up the hill. You will cross another road, then I found a dirt road that went up to near the highest point. The top is a wide, flat ridge, and there are a few spots that could be the highest. I went to what looked like the highest one, and found a USGS marker in a rock.

I thin this is the high point.

I setup near this, and got on 30 meters. After working all the chasers, I went up to 20, then down to 40. Propagation seemed decent, but I didn't try the higher bands because it was late in the afternoon and I thought they would be closed to the east coast. To get back to the car, I simply retraced my steps. There were some people camping nearby, and one of them came over and talked to me for a few minutes.

QRV on the summit. Luckily, nothing blew away in the wind.

Trailhead: Intersection of Forest Roads 538 and 671. You could probably drive up 671 to very near the summit.
Website: SOTA Site.
Maps: AA6XA SOTA Hikes map. NPS Maps
Route: Follow Forest Road 671. When it goes out of the forest near the summit (not the first, false summit), go cross country up the hill. Short climb from this point.
Red Tape: None.

I thin that is Deadline Ridge North in the distance, or Pike Mountain.

W7I/CI-126 Big Cinder Butte

Big Cinder Butte is the highest point in the main area of the Craters of the Moon National Monument. There are some steep areas on the peak, but a number of ways to get up and down. I started at the trailhead along the Loop Road. I wanted to see the tree molds, so I headed down that trail.

On the trail.

This is a well graded gravel path, and it ends at the tree molds. These are places where the water in the trees cooled the lava down enough to harden it, preserving the outline of the tree. After taking a look, I headed cross-country up the hill towards the summit. The hardest part was walking through the thigh-high sagebrush. There is a small sub-peak between the tree molds and the summit, and I angled my way across the slope to avoid going over the summit.

Climb up the main peak. Use trail is visible going up the side. 

 There are some cliffs on the west side of the mountain, and I climbed up the face just north of the cliffs. This went up at a reasonable grade, all the way to the summit. The rocks making up the peak are interesting, they are extremely light. They're also easy to crush. At the top I got set up, then got on the air. I made 18 contacts on the 30, 20, 15, and 40 meter bands. There was decent service on top, but not in the rest of the park.

A convenient rock for sitting at the top.

I decided to take a more direct route back to the car, so I headed down the north face. Part way down I came across a use trail that was heading in the right direction, so I followed it. This took me around some of the steepest slopes. At the bottom I went across some lava flows, which was interesting and somewhat difficult in places.

Lava flow near the parking lot.

I would advise against going up or down the north face. It was steeper than I liked, and the west face was easier and better.

Trailhead: Trailhead parking off of the loop road.
Website: SOTA Site.
Maps: AA6XA SOTA Hikes map. NPS Maps
Route: Take the Tree Mold Trail to the tree molds. Go up the hill, to the east, and go to the summit. You may find use trails through the sagebrush.
Red Tape: None. Park roads closed in winter.

Big Cinder Butte from near the lava tubes.

W7I/CI-097 Thunder Mountain

Thunder Mountain is a sub peak of Cache Mountain, a much taller and more prominent peak, in the southern section of Sawtooth National Forest. It had snowed a bit the night before, and some of the cars in the valleys had snow on them as I drove by. My plan was to drive up as far as I could on the road, then hike up hill. Google maps took me to the Forest Road, number 708. I had called the rangers to find out if you could take this road to the National Forest boundary, and they assured me that it was all on BLM land, and to make sure to leave gates in the state I found them.

Looking East, towards the Jim Sage mountains, from partway up. My car was visible from here.

I went through the gate, and after a few feet the dirt road started getting much rougher. Not wanting to get stuck or damage the rental car, I backed up and parked in an open area next to the road. This added about two miles each way to my trip, but they were on relatively flat ground. I also think that the route I took was better than the one I had planned. There were some cliffs that didn't show up on the aerial imagery. Walk up the road until you reach a gate. Here the main road goes straight, and there is a faint road that follows the fence to the left. Take this path. If you have a high-clearance vehicle, you could easily drive to this point.

First Gate. Follow the fence on the left side.

Shortly before crossing a small stream, there is another fence, with gates. Go through the gate, and continue following the fence.

Second gate with Thunder Mountain.

Nice stream along the fence.

The fence will continue across a re-entrant and up the hill. Partway up it makes a sharp 90 degree turn and goes across the face of the mountain. From this corner I started going cross-country up the hill, aiming for the ridge running down the south side of the hill. At the ridge, I turned and took it up to the summit. The summit area is covered in sparse trees, easy to find a way through. Some of the other faces have cliffs or rock slides, it was hard to tell at a distance. There were great views of Peak 6220 and the Cotterel Mountains on the way up and down as well.

Setup at the summit, Cache Peak behind me. High point just to the left of the photo.

 I found a reasonable flat area, and got set up. I had intermittent 4G service. I made a total of 22 contacts on the 30, 15, 17, 20, and 40 meter bands. The thermometer said it was in the mid thirties when I left the car, but the summit was pleasant in the sun, as long as the wind didn't blow too much. After spending an hour on top, taking in the views and playing radio, I headed back the way I came.

Beginning of the trees on the way up.

Trailhead: Regular car: Beginning of Forest Road 708, by the highway. High Clearance: At the first gate along the road.
Website: SOTA Site.
Maps: AA6XA SOTA Hikes map.
Route: Follow the road to the first gate. Follow the fence to the left, through a gate, then up the hill. Where the fence turns sharply left (south), go uphill cross-country towards the south ridge. Follow the ridge up to the summit.
Red Tape: None. All on BLM or FS land. Leave gates in the state you found them.

Happy Jeff.

W7I/CI-109 Cotterel Mountains High Point

Almost at the summit.

This peak is an easy drive up mountain near a lot of other easy SOTA peaks. I came up after activating Peak 6220, a few miles to the south. The dirt road to the summit is passable in a sedan, though there were some very steep sections. At one point the car didn't seem to want to shift down to a lower gear on a steep hill, but it did eventually, and I made it up. I parked about half a mile from the summit where I found an area I could turn around in and park off the road. There were some construction workers on top, but I setup in an area out of the way, in some juniper trees. The trees also did a marvelous job cutting down on the wind.

Looking south.

My loop was already adjusted for the 17 meter band, so I started there. I then worked my way down to 30. I thought I heard a JA calling me on 30 meters, but I didn't get a contact. I also called on 15 meters for a while after having a nice QSO with a fellow in Pennsylvania, but didn't get anyone else on the band. After I was done operating, I went over to the true high point, which was a few feet higher than where I had been, then returned to my car.

Trailhead: Along the road to the top, or at the summit.
Website: SOTA Site.
Maps: AA6XA SOTA Hikes map.
Route: Follow the road up, if you didn't drive all the way.
Red Tape: None. Appears to be all on BLM land.

Panorama, looking mostly south. Summit behind me.

W7I/CI-131

This unnamed peak is just north of the town of Almo, near the Utah border. There is a dirt road that runs around the base, starting from the south side, and this road is where I started. I found a place I could pull off to the side to park, then crossed the road and headed up the hill.

Start of the hike, with the destination in view.

The terrain is a reasonable steepness, and land cover is open juniper forest. On the north side of the mountain there are some cliffs, so don't stray around too far while heading up. There were a few old strands of barbed wire to cross, but I wouldn't call them fences. It took me about 30 minutes to make my way to the top. Next to the small pile of rocks I found a very small canister and log, which I signed. Not many entries in it. I also added a small rock to the top, making the peak about a half inch taller.

Set up and ready to go.

I got my antenna up, and got on 30 meters. There was intermittent cell service, so I used the text to spot to send the spots. I got a total of 12 contacts on 30 and 17 meters. It was warmer than I expected, which was nice. There were also great views. I had time to get another peak, so I didn't spend as long on top as I could have. The trip down was fast, and I was quickly back in my car and ready to drive up to the Cotterel Hills High Point.

Trailhead: Somewhere at the base of the mountain. There is an old cemetery on the east side you could start at.
Website: SOTA Site.
Maps: AA6XA SOTA Hikes map.
Route: Walk to the summit. North side is cliffs, inaccessible.
Red Tape: None.

Peaks in the City of Rocks National Reserve.

W7I/CI-086 Pike Mountain

Pike Mountain is an easy drive-up summit across the valley from the Magic Mountain Ski Area. I drove up after activating Deadline Ridge North on a very cold morning. To get to the summit, drive up to the top of Forest Road 507. This road is very rough in places, but my sedan was able to get up and down.

Pike Mountain summit from the parking area.

There is a decent sized lot just below the summit, and a very short and paved path that goes around the high point. I stepped off the path to stand on the high point, then went back and set up the radio and antenna on one of the benches surrounding the peak. It was around 11, so the sun was out in full force, which made it more pleasant to sit on top. Again, I had good cell service and views on top.

Deadline Ridge in the foreground.

I started on 30 meters again, then went up to 17, which was open to the east coast. Finally, I went to 20 meters, where my fourth contact was with OH9XX in Finland. I was very surprised to hear the call, but when I got home I looked him up and found he is a top chaser from Finland. This was definitely the highlight of the day.

Me, happy to have just worked Finland.

It was still cold, so I decided to stop and get warm, so I walked back to the car and drove home for a hot shower. I suppose one advantage to going out in the cold is that I didn't have to share the mountain with anyone.

Trailhead: Parking lot at the top of Forest Road 507
Website: SOTA Site.
Maps: AA6XA SOTA Hikes map.
Route: Walk to the summit. The parking lot is also in the A.Z.
Red Tape: None.

The Sawtooth Mountains, where I was yesterday, were visible, but not with a cell phone camera.

W7I/CI-094 Deadline Ridge North

It was a cold morning, but I decided to head out to get some activations in. My targets today were Deadline Ridge North and Pike Mountain. From the Magic Mountain Ski Area I drove up Forest Road 541 to its intersection with Road 647. This is an easy to drive dirt road, and the sedan had no problems getting up. There was a pullout on 647 just past the intersection where I parked.

Looking back at my parking space.

The thermometer in the car said it was 28 degrees out, so I set out at a brisk walk. By the time I got to the summit I had warmed up a bit. To get there I simply followed Forest Road 647, then went cross country to get to the true highest point. I bushwhacked through the trees at the summit, but one could easily go around if they wanted to. It was just as cold and windy at the summit, so I found a place to setup that was out of the wind.

Rock that I set up on.

I didn't have cell service on the drive up, but at the summit I had a few bars of 4G service, so I sent out a spot and got on the air. Thirty meters brought in the usual chasers. As I was sending out my last CQs, W9CBT decided to be a lid and start calling on the frequency without checking. I was cold, so I packed up rather than fight with him. This was also the first summit I've been to in Idaho that has trees in the activation zone that could be used to support an antenna.

I believe that is Pike Mountain.

The walk back took the same amount of time as the walk over, about 20 minutes. The car had warmed up nicely sitting in the sun, and I gladly got in to defrost myself on the drive over to Pike Mountain.

Trailhead: Intersection of Forest Roads 541 and 647. There are quite a few roads and trails int the area, and a longer hike would be easy to plan.
Website: SOTA Site.
Maps: AA6XA SOTA Hikes map.
Route: Take Forest Road 647 to near the top, the bushwhack up to the highest point. Copse is avoidable if desired.
Red Tape: None.

Is that a smile because I'm outside, or a grimace because its so cold?