W6/NC-432 Fairmont Ridge

According to Peakbagger, Fairmont Ridge is the lowest SOTA-qualifying peak in the Diablo Range. This was my third activation of the hill, also called Chabot 2 Benchmark. This Saturday, Rex, KE6MT, and I had organized a meetup for SOTA participants. We met up at a restaurant in Hayward, then after eating and chatting headed out to different peaks for some activations. I was still tired from the long day on Condon Peak and Black Mountain the day before, so I decided to head up here for an easy hike.

Weidemann Hill from the trailhead.

The small parking lot was full, but there was plenty of on-street parking. It was a pleasant warm temperature for hiking, and I quickly made it up the trail. It wasn't too hazy, and I got good views to the east and south.

The poppies are still blooming. And the grass is green!

There was a bit of time before everyone else would get to their summits, so I spent some time walking around at the top, trying to see if there was a way to get to the true summit. It is well fenced, so I hiked back to the same spot I had activated the last two times. I set up my antenna using a barbed wire fence, then sent out some calls on VHF.

Calling CQ on HF.

K6EL was the first summit to summit, on Mt Davidson. I heard KE6MT calling from El Sereno, but for some reason he couldn't hear me, so no luck there. I worked AB6SO on 12m cw while he was on San Bruno Mountain. There were some contests going on, and I tried to work some PSK, but didn't have any luck there either. Eventually I put out a spot for 30 cw and worked the usual chasers.

Mt Diablo.

After spending around two hours on the summit I decided it was enough, and headed back down.

Trailhead: Fairmont Ridge Staging Area, Lake Chabot Regional Park
Website: SOTA Site. Taylor Mountain Park
Maps: AA6XA SOTA Hikes map.
Route: Follow the paved trail to the end. Turn right, and follow the fence, squeezing through a gap, to the row of eucalyptus trees. Set up somewhere around here.
Red Tape: None.