W6/SD-037 Inspiration Benchmark

Since we had a 12-month national park pass, we decided to go down to the desert during Christmas break to check out Joshua Tree and Death Valley National Parks. We left San Jose early, and after a long drive down California, we reached Joshua Tree. We went straight to Keys View in the park, where we planned to activate Inspiration Benchmark, then enjoy the sunset from the viewpoint.

View across to San Jacinto.

There is no official trail up to the summit, but enough people go up that way that there is a use trail. It is hard to follow in places, but the way you should go is obvious. There are two false summits on the way to the high point. 

Joshua tree on the first summit.

We made good time up the hill, and were soon in the activation zone.  We found some comfortable rocks, and got set up. KN6REU went first on 10m, but there were no contacts. It appears that the antenna was somehow broken, so we put up the other one and tried again. She soon had a few contacts in the log, including one to Chile.

Calling on 10m.

AA6XA then worked a small pileup on 20m before we packed up and headed back. It was a quick hike down, and we were both surprised to see a dog on the trail. We both thought they weren't allowed off the pavement in the national park.

Sunset.

Back at the lot we joined the small crowd watching the sunset. It was quite spectacular, and I'd recommend going to the desert for excellent lighting. As it got dark we left the park to find some food and rest for another day of exploring the park.

Joshua Tree at sunset.

The next day we drove around and saw a lot of the sights in the park. The area is definitely worth a visit! 

Trailhead: Keys View.

Website: SOTA Site.
Maps: AA6XA SOTA Hikes map.
Route: Take one of the use trails up to the first peak. From there the trail becomes more defined as is drops the col then climbs up to the true summit.
Red Tape: None. Just the standard national park rules. 
Video: ham_bitious YouTube