W6/SC-363 Sharp Benchmark

Sharp Benchmark is a low peak near the west end of the Los Banos Reservoir. I had the day off work so I decided to head south and do some peaks in Merced county. I drove down over Pacheco Pass, then down to the park entrance. I paid my entrance fee, then drove back up the hill and parked at the boundary gate. This was farther away than I wanted to park, but it was the only place the ranger said I could. I put on my bag and set off down the trail.

Start of the trail.

The trail is a ranch road that runs along the south rim of the reservoir. There were good views down into the canyon, and I could see some sierra summits above the haze. The trail is flat, and a quick walk. I passed through this section quickly because I was cold and needed to keep walking to  stay warm. After about two miles the trail turns and goes out to a point. Around here, cross the fence and go down the short and steep hill. By the time I got to this point, it had warmed up enough that I could take off my jacket. There is an old, unmaintained trail that continues along the rim for about another half mile.

Up the hill, along one of the ridges.

The trail ends at a gate, which you cross and continue along the road. The road heads towards the power lines, under which it intersects with another trail. The trail to the top heads up the valley near the intersection. The trail climbs up the valley to a small pass, where it turns right and continues up the hill. If you are used to seeing 40 foot contours, this part looks really steep, but it is very well graded. Upon reaching the crest of the ridge, the trail follows it around to the summit.

On the canyon rim.

I looked around on the summit for a benchmark, but I couldn't find one. I could see the high peaks of Merced county, and my next destination, Basalt Hill. After taking a look around, I setup my antenna and got on the air. I had an intermittent 3G signal, but it was enough to spot myself. There were not a lot of chasers out today, but I made some contacts on all of the MTR bands. On VHF/UHF I made two contacts on 70 with people near Fresno, but none on 2 meters, which surprised me.

Some of the high peaks of Merced County.

After packing up, I retraced my steps to get back to the car for the drive over to San Luis Reservoir and Basalt Hill.

Trailhead: Los Banos Reservoir, as close to the top of the dam as you can. The ranger indicated it might be possible to drive along the south rim for a ways.
Website: SOTA Site.
Maps: AA6XA SOTA Hikes map. Park Site.
Route: Take the road/trail along the south rim. Go down the hill, then across the plane to the base of the hills. Follow the old ranch roads up to the summit.

Red Tape: None.