W7I/SI-193 Chester Hill

 Right after hiking and activating Rabbit Mountain I drove across Soda Springs to the end of North Main Street. There is a dirt lot at the very end of the street in which I parked. Next to the lot is a dirt recreation trail which travels around the base of the hill. Perfect for finding a good spot to head up. 

Looking back at the parking area.

I walked a short distance down the path before heading up the hill. There was a pullout in front of a fenced area, with open water behind the fence. Behind a concrete barrier with a "No Motorized Vehicles" sign was a use path heading up. I didn't see any tracks in the snow, but decided it was a good spot to head up.

Where I left the bike path and headed up the trail.

The trail climbed up, but never at an objectionable steepness. At a fence with an open gate another trail joined, and a single trail continued up the mountain. The trail first goes to a lower false summit with a big stone cairn on top. This seems to be where most people stop, since I didn't see a well worn trail after that.

Large cairn on the false summit. Some sort of power plant belching steam or smoke in the background.

From the cairn I dropped down a short distance to a wide, brush filled col. There were tracks across the brush, either from humans or animals. But either way, it made crossing pretty easy. On the other side I started climbing up to the summit. The top is covered in an open forest. I had no problem picking my way through the trees, and I think with some careful planning you could avoid the forest altogether. 

Going up through the woods.

There was enough of a clearing at the high point to put up an antenna, but I had passed a clearing with a view a few feet lower, so I backtracked a little before setting up. There was great cell service the entire hike. On the air I did only 20m again, since it was chilly. And like on Rabbit Mountain, there was a big pileup. 

Looking down at Soda Springs. (Or should we call it SOTA Springs?)

I took the same path back to the car. Not really any good options for a loop on this hill. From the base it was about an hour drive back to Pocatello and a warm shower.

Trailhead: Dirt lot at the end of North Main Street.

Website: SOTA Site.

Maps: AA6XA SOTA Hikes map.

Route: Take the bike path around to where you want to go up the hill, then follow one of the trails to the false summit. Cross the col, and head up through the woods to the high point.

Red Tape: Not signed anywhere.

Video: Coming soon!

W7I/SI-185 Rabbit Mountain

 There are two SOTA peaks on either side of Soda Springs Idaho. This peak and Chester Hill. I drove out to these peaks for a double activation. First up was Rabbit Mountain. Following the advice of Bill N0DNF, I parked at the baseball fields in Kelly Park. At least I assume they were baseball fields, everything was covered in snow. Across the street I found a cross country trail, and started heading up. 

One of the signs. Skiing, disc golf, there was a lot going on there.

There is a small ridge that all the trails go around, to the right. I followed them around, then climbed up to the large water tank. The groomed and used section of ski trail seemed to end at the tank. After looking around a bit, I decided it would be easiest to just go straight up the hill, and that is what I did.

View from near the water tank.

The first part was through waist high grass. Where the hill got steeper, the grass ended and it was thigh high brush. Not hard to get through in the winter, but might be more of a challenge in the summer. The views did get better as I climbed towards a small wood at the top. It turns out the summit is through the woods and higher, but as you go up you can't see that.

View from the top. Low clouds the day I was there.

I was able to get through the woods without much trouble. There were a lot of deer tracks and other signs, so I just followed those where I could. Animals usually are good at finding the easiest way through. On the other side I found a road, and followed it to the towers.

I used one of the fences to hold up my pole, and got on the air. Since I didn't want to sit in the snow, I just kneeled in it. Not sure I stayed any warmer. With a big wire in the air I had a bigger pileup on 20m than I wanted, but I stayed long enough to work everyone. 

I retraced my steps back down the hill, more or less. In some places I thought I could find a shorter way down, but I don't think I saved any time. Back at the car I drove the five minutes across town to the trailhead for Chester Hill.

Trailhead: Baseball fields in Kelly Park. Near the end of Kelly Park Road.

Website: SOTA Site.

Maps: AA6XA SOTA Hikes map.

Route: Follow the cross country ski trails around the low ridge and up to the water tank. Then either go straight up the hill or follow old roads to the top.

Red Tape: Not signed anywhere.

Video: Coming soon!

W7I/SI-177 Chinese Peak

 On the east side of Pocatello, a mountain with a flat top covered in towers looks over the city. This is Chinese Peak. The peak is on BLM land, and a nice hike. I drove to the end of Barton Road and parked. In the winter the road is gated next to a small lot. I'm told in the summer you can drive all the way up. 

Looking over at the Bannock Range across the freeway

To get to the top just follow the access road. It was obvious that lots of other people use this area for hiking and fun. The snow on the road was packed down, and there were even tire tracks that went all the way up. It is about three miles and 1700 vertical feet to the top from the parking lot. 

Out of the wind and snow making contacts.

The tire tracks ended just below the summit, so the last quarter mile was a bit harder. I walked around on top looking for somewhere where I wouldn't have to sit in too much snow to set up, then spied a utility box just below the summit. I walked over and set up on it. As a bonus it was out of the gentle breeze as well. 

As I started making contacts, everyone seemed very weak. I assumed it was because I was using the short whip, but realized that it was because the attenuator was turned on. It was much easier hearing people with it off.

Hazy in the early afternoon.

I didn't hang out on top too long, since I was getting cold. I took the same road back down. It appears there are some other trails in the BLM land, and you could approach from the north rather than the west. If you're looking for a longer or possibly more scenic hike, those trails could be a good option.

Trailhead: Parking lot at the Barton Road gate.

Website: SOTA Site.

Maps: AA6XA SOTA Hikes map.

Route: Walk up the road to the summit.

Red Tape: None.

Video: Coming soon!

W7I/SI-215 Howard Mountain

 West of Pocatello, at the north end of the Bannock Range, stands Howard Mountain. Many parts of town have a view of the summit and its many towers. It is a pleasant hike, and worth a walk up. I woke up on my first day in Pocatello and the temperature was a crisp 17 degrees Fahrenheit. I could see the summit across town from the hotel. After breakfast, and some time psyching myself up for the cold, I drove across town to the trailhead at the end of West Trail Creek Road. 

Peak on the right.

In the winter the road is gated about a mile below the saddle. There was plenty of space to park, despite the "No Parking" signs. It was cold, as I knew it would be. I was layered up, and wasted no time in heading up the trail. The first mile to the saddle is on a dirt road, and is obviously a popular spot for cross country skiing. There were a lot of tracks. In the summer you can drive up this part for an even shorter hike.

Looking back along the road.

At the col the nice, beaten down path ended as I made a right turn towards the summit. The snow wasn't deep, but it was much slower going as I had to make my own path. I thought about going straight up the hill to the high point, but decided it would be easier to take the graded road up. This worked out well until I got to the ridge, where the snow was thigh deep in places. Post-holing is not easy.

Making QSOs on the summit.

Eventually I got to the high point, which has a tower. I found a nice rock I could stand in front of and put up the wire. Having a KH1 would've made setup so much easier. It was much warmer on top than I was expecting. As the guy wires and tower warmed up in the morning sun, snow and ice would fall off making a racket. On the bands I had no trouble getting contacts. Since it was so warm, I chased a few summit to summit contacts before packing up. 

Views of Pocatello.

Since going down is easier, I just went straight down to the road. This was steeper and slipperier than I thought it would be, but I made it to the road without falling. From there it was an easy walk back to the saddle and down to the car. 

Trailhead: As far up West Trail Creek Road as you want to or can drive.

Website: SOTA Site.

Maps: AA6XA SOTA Hikes map.

Route: Walk up the road to the saddle, then turn right and follow the access road to the summit.

Red Tape: None.

Video: Coming soon!