W7N/CK-186 Rattlesnake Mountain

Surprisingly, this peak had not been activated before, despite it not being a challenging hike. I parked at the McCullough Trailhead, off of McCullough Hills Parkway in Henderson. There was plenty of parking, but sadly none of the shady spots were open. This is another trail that starts with a paved section, in this case a bunch of switchbacks. The switchbacks aren't really necessary unless you're handicapped.

Starting up the hill.

At the top of the low hill the trail intersects a rough dirt road that runs along the power lines. Turn left here and start following the McCullough Hills Trail. There are large metal markers at intersections, and the trail was well worn. After following the power lines for a while the trail turns to the left and stays fairly level for a mile or two.

One of the trail markers.

At the top of the wash that the trail has slowly been descending into, it crosses, then goes up a few switchbacks to a small shelter. A few mountain bikers passed me here, and I saw lots more tracks in the dirt. I took a few minutes rest in the shade before the real climb started.

McCullough Trail Shelter. Too bad the benches weren't in the shade yet :(

The shelter is where I left the trail and started going cross country up to the summit. I went straight up the ridge by the shelter. The slope was pleasant, and there were not steep parts or areas with bad footing. I made good time up, despite the heat.

Setup, with Black Mountain in the background.

I started on 20 meters, and got a number of the usual chasers. As I was finishing up on the band, I got word that a conference call for work was about to start, so I called in. After finishing the call, I tried 30 meters, but didn't get any responses. Forty came back with more chasers. There was a lot of RF in the 2 meter range, so I made one contact on 440. I was getting hot, so I packed up and headed back down, retracing my steps.

Back at the power lines.

Trailhead: McCullough Trailhead, Sloan Canyon Conservation Area.
Website: SOTA Site.
Maps: AA6XA SOTA Hikes map.
Route: Take the McCullough Hills Trail to the shelter. Take the ridge up to the top.
Red Tape: None.