W6/ND-317

This peak is not much to look at from a distance, but was a nice hike. Red Rock Canyon State Park is just north of a small fault line, and it creates a stunning escarpment. This peak is the southernmost SOTA peak along the escarpment ridge. I wanted to get some miles in, so I parked across the park in an unmarked dirt lot on the side of Highway 14 at about 35.37715, -117.98062. This seems to be a real trailhead, and I saw other people parked here or starting their OHV drives when I got back later.

Starting up a wash.

The road parallels the highway for a little, then turns and starts up a canyon wash. The surface changes from constructed road to just sand and gravel here. Definitely something you need real OHV to drive. It was much nicer in the canyon away from the road, and I enjoyed my jog up. There was a small slot canyon to go through, so that was fun.
 

Some of the red rock canyon?

At the top of the canyon the road made a u-turn around a ridge to the south, then turned again to continue north through a parallel canyon. At the top of this climb was a nice view of the wide canyon in the middle of the park. I took in the view, then crossed the canyon. 

Summit finally in view.

On the ridge on the other side, the road got much rougher but it was still easy to follow. Up out of the canyons the wind started to pick up as well. It wasn't a hot day, but the breeze did feel nice. After traversing the ridge for a while I made it to the turn off spot. This was right below a sub-peak. I went around it on the south side then was on the summit. I didn't see any register, so I found a nice spot to set up to make some contacts.
 

Looking south, more or less.

 

The HF bands were good, but I didn't get anyone on VHF. I thought there would be people out and about in the desert since it was the weekend. Once I was done I packed up and took the same route back. This went well, until I made a wrong turn in the first canyon and ended up at the top of a large cliff. Thankfully it was a short backtrack to the correct branch of the canyon and back to the car.

Canyon walls.

There were some other people parked in the lot when I returned, and someone drove in to start there OHV adventure. I was a bit surprised since I hadn't seen anyone on my run.

Trailhead: At the dirt lot at (35.37715, -117.98062)

Website: SOTA Site.

Maps: AA6XA SOTA Hikes map.

Route: Take the OHV trails through the canyons and up to the summit.

Red Tape: None. 

Not the way to go!

W6/SS-435

 I was on the summit of Noname Peak, and it seemed foolish not to tag this peak while I was on the ridge. It was a quick and steep descent to the small sub-peak on the ridge, then a short climb up to the top. I looked around, and noted my ascent to record in Peakbagger later.

Along the ridge.

There were a few cliffy areas to avoid on the way to the main col, but the cliff bands were short enough that it was easy to go around if they were too high to step over. I managed to arrive at the high point of the col to avoid extra climbing. I did stop, however, to empty the sand out of my shoes.

Near the summit.

 The climb up to the summit wasn't long or hard, but felt that way after the big climb up to Noname Peak. I was at the summit pretty quickly. On the air, band conditions seemed better, and I quickly got enough contacts. The weather, however, seemed to be getting worse. The breeze was cool, and it seemed like a storm front was making in. I wasn't in the mood to linger, so I packed up after a short time.

The descent was steep and sandy. I had to stop multiple times to empty the sand out of my shoes. I really was wishing for some gaiters. At the bottom is a small stream. It was a little tricky finding a place where I could jump across, since the brush was so thick along both sides. After crossing it was quick back to the car along a dirt road.

 

Trailhead: Nine Mile Canyon Road, at the LA aqueduct.

Website: SOTA Site.

Maps: AA6XA SOTA Hikes map.

Route: Use the access road to cross the canyon, then pick you own way to the top.

Red Tape: None.

 

W6/CT-266 Mt Bliss

 After activating Monrovia Peak I was hot and starting to run low on water, but I was still on top of the ridge and had a long way down. I had enough, though, to swing by Mt Bliss on the way down. From the road on the ridge below the Monrovia summit, I headed down. At the Sawpit Truck Trail (2N30.1) I turned right and started really going down. This road switchbacks down the southeast face of Monrovia, and had some nice views. I didn't enjoy them very much since I was getting hot.

Mt Bliss seen from the side of Monrovia Peak.

I did pass another running heading up, which surprised me. I thought the area was fairly remote. After a few miles of quick switchbacks I reached White Saddle and turned left onto 1N36 for the climb up to the summit. This was a gentle climb. From studying maps beforehand, I hadn't seen a trail to the summit, so knew I'd have to bushwhack to get to the firebreak along the ridge. I picked a spot that looked good, and went up through the brush.

Monrovia Peak.

It was steep, but I soon got to the ridge. Turning around, I could see that if I had continued a little farther along I could've taken a use trail the whole way. Oh well. A few more feet of climbing and I was on the summit. This peak was even sunnier and hotter than Monrovia had been a few hours before. I didn't waste time getting on the air, since my water was running low. I had some cell service, but it wasn't great.

Summit sign and register.

Once I had made my contacts I headed down, taking the trail this time. It was a quick jog back to the Sawpit road. I was pretty happy the road has some stream crossings, I was able to dip my hat and arms in the water to cool off a bit. The dirt ends at the entrance to the boy scout camp, but there is still a few miles back to the car. At the Monrovia Canyon Park I saw a water fountain and stopped to drink and fill up my bottles. From there it wasn't far back to the car, but having plenty of water made it much more pleasant.

Trailhead: Intersection of North Canyon Blvd and Ridgeside Dr.

Website: SOTA Site.

Maps: AA6XA SOTA Hikes map.

Route: From Monrovia, head down the Sawpit truck road to White Saddle, then up to the summit. There is a use trail, so no bushwhacking required.

Red Tape: None.

W7A/MN-135 Javelina Summit

I was on my way back home, but I had time for one more summit before heading to the airport. This peak in the suburbs of Phoenix fit the bill. I drove to Skyline Regional Park and parked in the main lot at the end of the road. From here it was a pleasant few miles up to the summit.

First view of the summit. 

I took the Quartz Mine trail to the Tortuga trail, then up the Javelina Summit trail. Quartz Mine was relatively flat, lots of small ups and downs. About half a mile from the main parking lot the trail passes another, smaller parking lot. If you were looking to minimize distance, that would be a better place to start. 

Getting closer.

After a short jaunt on the Tortuga trail I turned onto the Javelina Summit trail. This is where most of the climbing is. It was still early enough it wasn't super hot yet, and that made the climb a lot more pleasant. The trail was in good shape, like the others in the park. After a few days of peakbagging off trail, or with unmaintained trails, it was like being on a superhighway. Its amazing how much easier travel is on a trail.

Summit post. All the junctions were well marked with similar posts.

There wasn't anyone else on the summit. After taking in the view of the western Phoenix suburbs, I set up the radio. As I expected there was good cell service on top, and I had no trouble spotting. 

Just below the high point.

To get back to the car I simply retraced my steps. It seemed like the park was more crowded when I got back. There were still parking spots available. I took advantage of the flush toilets at the trailhead, the headed out to the airport for my flight home. 
 

Trailhead: Main parking lot of Skyline Wilderness Park

Website: SOTA Site.

Maps: AA6XA SOTA Hikes map.

Route: Take the Quartz Mine to Tortuga to Javelina Summit trails. Or pick your own way for a longer hike.

Red Tape: None. 

One more saguero picture

W6/SD-417 Pasadena Mountain

Across the Colorado River from Yuma is this low range of mountains. The southernmost one is Pasadena Mountain, my goal for the day. Other hikers on Peakbagger had indicated there is a trail that goes to the summit, but I was a bit concerned about reaching the trailhead. I didn't know how the unpaved desert roads would be, and didn't really want to get my rental car stuck.

Pasadena Mountain rising from the desert floor.

I decided to just drive as far as I could up Sidewinder Road, and walk the rest of the way. The road was ok, until I found some soft sand. I turned around, giving the traction control a real workout, and parked on the west side of the road in a large, flat, well-packed dirt area. There were other cars here, and it seemed to be a popular area to use for OHV or free camping.

The turnout at the base of the trail is lined by these white quartz rocks.

I thought about following the road up and then over to the trailhead, but it turns out going cross-country was just as easy, if not easier. The ground was hard packed dirt and small stones, except in washes. I made good time, crossing under a set of high voltage lines then finding the road that goes around the base of the mountain. The turnout was easy to find as it was lined by white rocks.

Looking south at Pilot Knob.

The trail was reasonably well worn at the bottom, and gave me hope it would be an easy hike. My optimism was somewhat misplaced though. The trail went to the top, but in a lot of sections it was overgrown and hard to follow. Certainly not as nice as people a few years ago had it. If the trail got more foot traffic, it would go a long way to keeping it clear of grass. 

The interior of the range.

At the top of the hill it flattens out a bit, and I mostly lost the trail here. I found it again at the base of the final summit climb. Luckily, the terrain is open and not having a trail was not a big deal. After the last short push to the summit, I stopped to enjoy the views. Getting the radio out I discovered I had good cell service and the bands were cooperating. 

Just north of the summit, with Pilot Knob in the distance.

Going down was easier, both because I no longer needed to fight against gravity and because I could follow my track from the way up. However, a splinter or something worked its way into my shoe and sock and started stabbing me every few steps. It was quite painful and frustrating trying to find it in my foot. Back at the car I was just glad I didn't have to walk on the splinter any more and could go take a shower. My return, however, was delayed as I had to wait for a long freight train before I could get back to the freeway.

 

Trailhead: As far up Sidewinder Road as you can drive.

Website: SOTA Site.

Maps: AA6XA SOTA Hikes map.

Route: Walk across the desert aiming for the trailhead, which you hopefully have drawn or your map. The follow the trail as best as you can to the top.

Red Tape: None.

W7A/YU-095 Fortuna Benchmark

This peak just outside Yuma is probably climbed somewhat frequently due to the B-17 wreckage near the summit. Despite this, I had trouble finding information on the best route to take. In the end I was able to figure out that the wreckage is on the north side of the peak, and thought I could pick out some use trails in the satellite view.

The center-left peak is my destination.

I parked on the dirt section of South Frontage Road, east of the intersection with Avenue 15 but before it crossed the concrete wash. With the right car you could drive a mile or two farther in, and I passed a truck at the bottom of the trail which had done just that. From my spot I followed the road parallel to the freeway for a distance before it turned south. 

Looking back out the canyon.

The road winds its way through the desert to the base of the north-facing canyon. This section is flat. Once you find the trail, it initially follows a ridge before entering the canyon. It seemed like the trail stayed on the right side of the canyon, but I lost it a bunch of times. Luckily its easy to just go up, assuming you're in the right canyon. 

A piece of the plane.

About three quarters of the way up you'll find the first pieces of debris. There is more as you climb, and some of the rocks have been painted to memorialize the crew members, all of whom died in the crash. 

Two of the crosses.

I was a bit concerned going up since I wasn't sure if I'd be able to get onto the ridge from the canyon without rock climbing. It turns out there are enough use paths to follow around the cliffs that I needn't have worried. I approached the summit on a ridge from the northwest. It was cool and shady in the canyon, and sunny and windy on the ridge. A pretty pleasant day for the desert. 

Summit pole, with Jester's Peak behind.

On the summit I signed the register then used the pole to hold up the other end of my wire antenna. It was a nice setup. I had good cell service and had no trouble spotting or getting contacts. The people who had driven the truck in caught up to me on the top where they stopped for lunch.

If I knew more about planes I could probably tell you what part this was.

I took the same route back down, which was slightly tricky. There are so many use trails you need to be careful if you want to go the same way. Heading down was much faster than up, and I was soon back on the desert floor. Like the previous day, I stopped to pick up lunch on the way back to the hotel. 

Trailhead: As far along South Frontage Road as you're willing to drive.

Website: SOTA Site.

Maps: AA6XA SOTA Hikes map.

Route: Follow the road to the base of the mountain, then find the use trail that goes up the canyon past the B-17 wreckage.

Red Tape: Please don't take pieces of the plane.

 

Summit view looking north.

W7A/YU-123 Jester's Peak

This peak does not actually have a name, but the trail that goes to the summit is called Jester's Trail, so I think Jester's Peak is better than "Peak 1954". I was surprised to find it had never been activated before, since it is not remote and has a trail. There must not be any SOTA activators in Yuma. This summit is a bit hard to see from the Yuma area because it is in front of and a little lower than the ridge. It just blends in.

From the parking area.

Since I had a small sedan, I parked in the big dirt area on the east side of Avenue 15 East, across from East 48th Street. The dirt was well packed and I didn't have any trouble getting in or out. From here I followed a jeep road that headed east towards a low ridge. There are a lot of OHV trails in this area, and I saw plenty of cars and other walkers while I was in the low area.

Start of Jester's Trail.

At the end of the road is an informational board with a map and some posters about the local flora and fauna. The start of the trail was obvious and easy to follow. It climbs along a ridge, mostly on one side, but occasionally crosses to the other. It was warm in the sun and a bit cool in the shade. That's desert hiking.  

Through some ocotillo.

The trail was easy to follow until a steep area just below the summit. Here it seemed like there had been some small sides that wiped the trail away. It was class 2 steep, and required a little care, but nothing bad. The trail ends at a flagpole on a peak that is a little lower than the summit. I took a use trail over to the high point. Note there is a military range south of the summit, so don't wander too far in that direction.

Looking over at the city.

 On top I had good cell service, and band conditions seemed good too. I had no trouble making contacts with the KH1 whip. It was a pleasant temperature too, warm with a breeze to keep it from getting too hot. Once I was done playing radio I packed up and retraced my steps down. The steep area below the summit took some care to get through, but at the bottom I enjoyed the run.

Canyon separating this peak from Fortuna Benchmark.

I had to watch out for some unleashed dogs near the bottom. The human assured me they were friendly, but I seen enough dogs to know when it is friendly or not. This dog was not. Back at the car I headed back into town to get some lunch. Overall a fun summit and one I would recommend if you're in the area.

Fortuna Benchmark behind me.

Trailhead: Large dirt area at the intersection of 15th Avenue and 48th Street.

Website: SOTA Site.

Maps: AA6XA SOTA Hikes map.

Route: Drive or walk along the jeep road to the trailhead, then follow the trail to the summit.

Red Tape: Be aware of the military range south of the summit.

W7A/MS-048 Mt Suappoa

 Mt Suappoa is easy to pick out from a lot of places in Phoenix. The forest of towers on top really makes it stand out. In fact, I could see it from the airport train despite having never been to Phoenix before. It is also an easy summit to reach, since there is a road that goes to the Gila Lookout just below the summit.

The views from the lookout were nice.

I drove up to the lookout and parked. From there I walked back down the road towards the summit. At the first driveway I stepped off the road and headed up the hill to the fence. Once I was confident I was in the activation zone, I stopped and got out the KH1. I was tired after doing a big loop over the other two peaks in the park, so I did a quick activation. Thankfully there were still chasers listening, and I got my contacts quickly.

Saguaro along the road.

Having got my QSOs, I headed back to the car for the long drive to Yuma. 

 

Trailhead: Gila Lookout parking.

Website: SOTA Site.

Maps: AA6XA SOTA Hikes map.

Route: Walk back along the road, then cross country into the AZ.

Red Tape: Don't go climbing over fences.

W7A/MS-065 Goat Hill

 This was the second summit I did on my loop in South Mountain Park. After coming down from Salt Benchmark I continued up the National Trail which slowly climbs up the ridge. By this point I realized I had underestimated how much water I needed, so I was feeling slow and thirsty. But the scenery kept improving as I climbed so I kept going. 

Looking towards the summit.

This trail seemed busier than the Alta Trail across the valley. Maybe its easier? Either way I was making good time going up, and soon had the knobby summit in view. I was slightly concerned with how I would get to the top, but as I got closer I could see some well defined switchbacks leading to the high point. These don't appear on any map I looked at, but afterwards I could see they were clearly visible in the satellite view.

Mt Suappoa in the distance.

Like Salt Benchmark, the summit area is small. It would take some skill to string out a wire on this summit. After doing HF, I was getting ready to call on 2m when I realized my HT antenna had fallen out of my bag somewhere. Disappointed, I had to call it quits. From the summit it was a short and quick run back to the car. I headed down the Ranger trail, and after crossing the road, turned left to go back to the parking lot.

Looking back up at the summit, which is the knob on the right.

I was glad I had filled up my nalgene, and I promptly drank a good fraction of it. Since it was still early enough I decided I had enough time to drive up to Mt Suappoa for a quick activation before heading out of town. 

Trailhead: Alta Trailhead, as named by Google maps

Website: SOTA Site.

Maps: AA6XA SOTA Hikes map.

Route: Head parallel to the road, then go up the hill on the Ranger Trail. Follow the National Trail to the summit use path.

Red Tape: None. 

W7A/MS-060 Salt Benchmark

 This is one of three peaks in Phoenix's South Mountain Park. I had mapped out a loop over this peak and Goat Hill to get my Sunday run in, so headed to the park after my flight landed. I parked at the Alta Trailhead, at the corner of Stephen Mather Drive and Telegraph Pass Road. My plan was to go up to Salt Benchmark, then along the ridge and down across the valley and back up to Goat Hill before dropping back down to the lot. By my calculations, it would be about 14 miles.

Heading towards Salt Benchmark.

I set off down the Bajada Trail, then turned right onto the Alta Trail. The Alta Trail climbs up to the ridge with plenty of switchbacks. It was my first time in the desert with saguaro cacti, so I was slowed down taking pictures of them. They're pretty neat. On the ridge I turned left, staying on the Alta Trail. The trail along the ridge goes over or around some minor peaks, and I saw a coyote on the shady side of the hill. 

Cliffy area just below the summit.

When I reached a point north of the summit, I turned and stepped off the trail and headed straight up the ridge. This was quite steep, but nothing too bad. Just below the summit are some small cliffs, but I was easily able to find a way through them to the top. The summit area is small, so don't plan on stringing out a long wire. My KH1 whip did very nicely instead. I had cell service on the summit.

Cholla on the ridge.

Once I was done playing radio I took the same route back down to the trail. It looked like there might be a use path along the ridge to the slightly lower summit, but since I knew what the north ridge one was like I took it. Didn't want to get stuck on top of a cliff. Back on the trail I continued along the Alta Trail and took it down to the small parking lot where I turned left onto the Maricopa Trail/National Trail. This took me across the valley to the base of Goat Hill.

 

Trailhead: Alta Trailhead, as named by Google maps

Website: SOTA Site.

Maps: AA6XA SOTA Hikes map.

Route: Bajada Trail to Alta Trail, then cross country to the summit.

Red Tape: None. 

W6/SS-428 Mt Savage

 We wanted to get one more Yosemite trip in before the weather got too cold and rainy, so we booked the only campsite we could, in Wawona Campground. This was a new area of the park for both of us, and is worth a visit if you have extra time. Since SOTA time was limited, I decided to go up the summit first thing in the morning to Mt Savage.

One of the planets (probably Venus) rising.

I parked in a lot in front of the Wawona Hotel. As far as I could tell, this was not reserved for guests only, and either way the hotel was closed for renovations. I crossed the highway and golf course, the turned left onto the Wawona Meadow Loop Trail. This trail is partially paved, and goes around the meadow, with the highway on the far side. 

The meadow through the trees (from my return)

At the far side of the meadow there is a trail juction, which I almost missed in the dark. I turned right onto the trail, which quickly began heading up the hill. After a short distance it becomes single track and starts following contours more than going straight up. There was a strong inversion too. As I climbed the temperature increased noticeably. This was good news, since I wasn't really prepared to activate in the freezing cold. It must be in decent shape, since I had no problems following the trail by headlamp.

The scenery isn't as good at night.

The other end of the single track is a fire road. The road appears to be used, there were tire tracks and plenty of freshly cut trees along it. I turned left and continued up the hill to the height of land. Here there was a small clearing. I had read in previous trip reports that there was an unmaintained trail to the summit, but I couldn't see where it started in the early dawn, so I made my best guess and started up the hill. I found the trail pretty quickly, so I guess I'm a good guesser.

Sun is about to rise.

The use trail led me right to the summit. The first part of it didn't go straight up, but after a turn it did. Pretty steep. There are some large rocks on top, high enough to give a good view if you walk up to the top. This was a nice surprise, otherwise there would have been no view.

It was a bit windy, so I didn't set up on the rocks, but out of the wind just below. Despite the early hour I had no problems making contacts while watching the sky get brighter as the dawn neared its end.

Start of the use trail.

I had to get back to the campsite so I couldn't hang out on top as long as I would have liked. It was a quick run back to the road, then to the single track as I retraced my steps. Since the sun had come up I was able to enjoy the forest views and make good time. Back at the meadow it was still freezing cold, so I kept moving to get back in the relatively warmer car for the short drive to the Wawona campground.

Alpenglow from the valley.

Trailhead: Wawona Hotel parking lot.

Website: SOTA Site.

Maps: AA6XA SOTA Hikes map.

Route: Take the trail around the meadow, then the trail up to the road. At the height of land, find the use trail and take it to the top.

Red Tape: None, just the standard national park things.

Video: Coming Soon!

W0C/MZ-051

 This peak is a short distance north of Steamboat Springs. While planning for my trip, I was surprised to see it hadn't been activated before, since it didn't look like a hard one. The best place to start is probably the Red Dirt Trailhead on CR 129. There is a pullout with space for about half a dozen cars. The trail was easy to follow, but the brush along it could have used some trimming.

Near the start of the trail.

 The first short section of the trail is parallel to the road as it slowly climbs across a steep slope. When it reaches the end of the steep section, it turns right and heads into the woods. 

Along the trail.

 The trail appears to get enough use to keep the tread clear, but the brush was growing over it. It had rained the night before, so my legs and shoes were quickly soaked. I manage to keep my shirt mostly dry. There wasn't rain in the forecast until late morning, but the clouds kept coming and going.

Entering the wilderness area, relatively close to the peak.

The trail climbs steadily, with only one section that loses a little bit of elevation before crossing a meadow. The Red Dirt Trail does not go over the summit, so a little bushwhacking is required. There is a large boulder at the high point of the trail, and I turned off here to go up. I started going up a wide clearing, but the brush was pretty bad. It was much easier going in the forest.

View from the summit.

I was surprised to find a clearing with a view at the summit. There was even a register. It had warmed up a little since I left the trailhead, but was still chilly, so I didn't wait too long to get on the air. I had cell service on top. Once I made my contacts, however, I packed up and headed down. I was getting chilly.

Crossing one of the aspen stands.

 

I stayed in the forest until I got to the trail, then jogged back. This went well until I was a mile or two from the car when I tripped and donated a little blood to the trail. A yearly donation. Back at the car I tried to text my wife, but there was no service. That would have to wait until I was almost back in town.
 

Fish Creek Falls, which we visited later in the day.

  

Trailhead: Red Dirt Trail, on CR 129 north of town.

Website: SOTA Site.

Maps: AA6XA SOTA Hikes map.

Route: Take the Red Dirt Trail to its high point, then go through the woods to the summit.

Red Tape: None.