W6/SD-459

 This peak is a short distance from the Rim of the World highway, in an area the appears frequented by OHV users. The rental car company had given me a Mustang, so I parked in the large dirt pullout on the downhill side of the road at 2N40. There was space for a few cars here, but I didn't see anyone else while I was out.

Start of the road.

The gate was open, so with a more appropriate car I could've driven quite close to the summit. It was sunny and clear, and getting warmer, and the road did not provide much shade. There is only one road, so navigation was easy. The road goes around a sub-peak to a col, then climbs up to the final col. Here there is a four-way intersection.

Good views, but it was a bit hazy.

At the intersection south of the summit, make a hard right. This path was gated, with extra posts to prevent people from driving around the gate. No problems for a pedestrian though. This path climbs the last few feet up to the unimpressive summit. There is a low building and a few small towers on top. The views were very limited with all the brush. I setup on the side of the road. There was good cell service.

More views of San Bernardino.

The bands didn't seem to be in good condition. I only made five contacts on HF and three on VHF. Enough for an activation, but I was expecting more, especially on VHF. Once I got tired of not making contacts, I packed up and hiked back to the car. It was still there, so I headed up the hill to Strawberry Peak.

Trailhead: Forest road 2N40. This is on the downhill side of CA 18, Rim of the World Highway.
Website: SOTA Site.
Maps: AA6XA SOTA Hikes map.
Route: Follow the road to the intersection in the col south of the summit. Go around the gate and up to the summit.
Red Tape: None.  
Video: ham_bitious YouTube