W6/CC-029 Laguna Mountain

It was forecast to be a hot day, but I still wanted to go for a hike. I had decided to head down to Laguna Mountain to avoid some of the Bay Area traffic, since it was Friday. I left the house early, but by the time I got to the trailhead the temperature had climbed to 80 degrees.

Gate at the trailhead, keeping vehicles out.

There was plenty of parking. I think I was the only one on the mountain. The first climb up to the ridge was partially shaded, which made the hiking more pleasant. However, this was the last shady area until I got to the summit.

View of the summit.

There were great views of the area as I walked along the low ridge. I could see some of the ranches in the San Benito River valley. This part of the Diablo range has a very remote feel.

The reservoir was nearly empty. It was full when I was here in April.

The trail dropped into a small col, then started the climb up to the summit. At a flat area below the top the fire road branched. I took the right path, because it looked like less elevation change to get to the turnoff for the primitive trail that ran to the summit. This part of the trail was more overgrown than the road leading up to it.

At the trail junction at the flat area below the summit.

There was a small cairn marking the start of the primitive trail. The cairns marked the trail to the summit, with some old flagging tape. The route the trail takes is very different from the one marked on the map, but it is a better route. There were a few sections of this primitive trail that were hard to follow, but I made it to the open area near the summit without any problems.

The final section climbed up a dry stream bed.

The highest point is covered in very dense brush, so after tagging it I returned to the more open area to set up. I found a shady spot to sit, and went to set up my antenna. I had finished making a trapped EFHW antenna from QRPGuys, and it took some trial and error to find the best way to set up the new antenna. Once I got it in the air, the built in tuner was able to match it on the bands it was designed for, 20-30-40.

A somewhat pathetic setup. At least the yellow wire is easy to see.

I had no cell signal from where I was sitting, and RBN spotted me, so I had no desire to wander around looking for one. The chasers seemed weak, but I had no problem getting enough of them. I was able to work Rex, KE6MT, who was the first activator a few months ago, and who was kind enough to scare the rattlesnakes away. It made my hike more pleasant.

About to head down. Not totally dehydrated yet!

I decided to use the GPS and follow the marked trail on the way down. This was much more difficult than I anticipated. There really wasn't a trail, I just had to find ways through some of the dense, chaparral bushes. I made it back to the road in one piece, and retraced my steps back to the car. There was a lot more climb along the first ridge than I had thought, and it was much hotter now.

Black Mountain on the right, Pinnacles NP in the center distance.

Back at the car I drank the rest of my water, and cranked up the AC for the drive home. The car thermometer now read 100, and it felt like it.

Trailhead: Laguna Mountain Campground. At the top of the hill is the hiker parking.
Website: SOTA Site.
Maps: AA6XA SOTA Hikes map.
Red Tape: None. No fee to park!

I had a brief staring contest with a hummingbird.