W6/SS-269

 This is one of three SOTA peaks in the Kaiser Wilderness above Huntington Lake. After some staring at a map, I decided the easiest approach was to drive up to Kaiser Pass, then follow the ridge. This is broadly what we did.

About to enter the wilderness.

The road gets pretty narrow and windy on the way up to the pass, so be prepared for that. There was plenty of parking at the pass, and even some bathrooms. Much cushier than I expected. Heading up the hill we passed a few campfire rings, then the sign marking the wilderness boundary. The slope here is pretty gentle, and it was a pleasant walk through a Sierra forest. On top of the first sub peak we headed down to the col.

Enjoying the view from the open areas.

On the way there we stayed high enough to avoid the marshy meadows. It was probably slightly longer, but having dry shoes made it worth it. The original plan was to get on the ridge and follow it to the summit, but the ridge looked pretty rough. We decided to stay a little below where we only had to walk through calf-high brush. Going was pretty easy, and there weren't any areas we had to fight through.

Huntington Lake.

After you pass around the last sub-peak, you can see the summit above you. This climb was the steepest of the day, but nothing terrible. From below it looks like there are some cliff bands, but the rocks are broken and it was easy to just walk to the summit. From the top the views to the north were excellent, there being a cliff on that side of the mountain. My Verizon phone had ok service, enough to put out some spots. AT&T had some, but not as good.

Making contacts with the new KH1.

The bands were not in good shape, but I managed to get enough on HF with only the KH1 whip. We called on 2m for a while, but there was a station hogging the calling frequency, so we didn't make many there. 

We retraced our steps, more or less, to get back to the car. We stayed a little lower on the ridge during the traverse, and it was just as easy as higher. It did mean, however, we had to cross the wet meadow. Luckily we were able to find enough solid ground to keep our feet dry. Back at the car we coasted down the hill to the general store at the marina to get some snacks and beverages, then back to the campground to relax by the lake.

Trailhead: Kaiser Pass.

Website: SOTA Site.

Maps: AA6XA SOTA Hikes map.

Route: Head west into the wilderness and follow the ridge around and up to the summit.

Red Tape: None. Permit needed if you want to camp in the wilderness.

Video: ham_bitious YouTube

HL/SL-009 Namsan

 We were in Korea for vacation, so naturally I wanted to do some SOTA. Korea is a mountainous place, and it looked like there were plenty of choices. The first summit we did is in the middle of Seoul, literally. The geographic center of the city is on the side of the plaza on top.

The tower is visible from a lot of places in the city, including this traffic island in Myeongdong.

Our hotel was in the Myeongdong neighborhood, near the Hoehyeon subway station. From exit 1, head uphill through the neighborhood. There was a flight of stairs just below a busy road, which we crossed to enter Baekboem Plaza. The tower on top was visible from here, and it was easy to follow the path to the bottom of the staircase. 

From the plaza. Still some blossoms on the trees!

Since the summit is easy to get to in a big city, there were a lot of people out. The stairs up to the top were wide and paved. There are plenty of benches, and even a few viewing platforms on the way. It was hazy as we ascended, but we could still see Bukhansan a few kilometers away to the north. We were glad it was cool out, it probably would have been a miserable hike in the summer.

Base of the stairs.

You know you are close when you see the cable car terminal. This is also where it goes from busy to crowded. Once you make it up the last few stairs, there are plenty of benches around the plaza and under the structure. We sat for a few minutes taking in the scene. On one side the fence is filled with locks that couples have attached. There was even a vending machine to buy your own to add.

High point of Namsan.

We found a bench out of the way, and I got on 2m. I had been warned that Korean hams are chatty, and they were. It took a couple of minutes calling CQ, but I soon had a long conversation with someone who couldn't quite get my Korean callsign (HL1/AA6XA). The slash seemed to trip him up. After a long chat I got two more stations in the log. Some more CQ calls didn't get anyone else, and we were getting bored and hungry, so I packed up. I thought about trying HF, but there really isn't anywhere to put up a wire without getting in people's way.

At the geographic center of Seoul.

We took the stairs back down, then turned onto a different road to get to the bibimbap restaurant near the base. It was a tasty and well earned lunch. 

Trailhead: We started from Hoehyeon Station exit 1, but there are myriad routes one could take

Website: SOTA Site.

Maps: AA6XA SOTA Hikes map.

Route: Make your way through the streets to the base of the stairs, then up the stairs to the summit. Or take the cable car.

Red Tape: None.

Video: https://youtu.be/PhfTnJKnz4U

W6/CT-241 Pedley Hills

This is not the most interesting summit I've done. It is, however, a short and easy hike. Drive up to the end of Lakeside Drive, and find a place to park in the neighborhood. At the end of the pavement, the dirt starts and it is a quarter mile up to the summit.

The summit is visible from the trailhead.

You can see where you want to go, so just walk on up. The eroded jeep trails are an easy walk, but would require some serios OHV capability to drive. The top is rocky, but it wouldn't be too hard to set up an HF antenna. I was short on time, so I did VHF only. It took about 15 minutes to get four contacts, and I was worried I'd have to leave before I got number four. 

Views of the Jurupa Hills, and the San Gabriel Mountains.

Talking with locals later, it sounds like that area is just not very good for VHF. Too low and far away from the chasers in LA, and not that many hams in the inland empire. Oh well, next time I'll leave more time for HF.

Back at the car it was a short drive over to the airport for my flight home. 

Trailhead: End of Lakeside Dr.

Website: SOTA Site.

Maps: AA6XA SOTA Hikes map.

Route: Walk up to the summit. You can see it from the end of the road.

Red Tape: None that I'm aware of.

Video: Coming Soon!

W7O/WV-099 Cooper Mountain

 This mountain west of Portland is an easy activation. There are a few places you can activate from. The traditional spot is at the Winkelman dog park on SW175th Ave in Beaverton. But the Cooper Mountain Nature Park on SW Kemmer Road is also in the activation zone, and this is where I chose to set up. See the video linked at the bottom for a longer exploration of the actual activation zone.

Not the greatest view, but at least I was in the shade.

There was plenty of parking on the Thursday afternoon I stopped by. There wasn't much shade in the parking lot, though, so I walked a few meters down the trail to a picnic table under a tree. I wasn't in the mood for setting up HF, so I only brought my HT and did 2m. The hill is in the middle of the Portland metro area, so there were plenty of chasers. Most people were on 58, but I did get one random person on 52. There was a bit of interference from something, so I was glad to have the band pass filter with me.

Getting those QSOs.

After I had made half a dozen contacts, N7KOM took his dog up to the park, and I drove over to have an eyeball QSO. It is always nice to meet SOTA people from other areas. It was hot, and I was getting tired, so after talking a while I headed back to the city.

Trailhead: Winkelman Park or Cooper Mountain Nature Park

Website: SOTA Site.

Maps: AA6XA SOTA Hikes map.

Route: Both parking lots are in the AZ, so find somewhere comfortable to set up.

Red Tape: Dogs are not welcome at the nature park, and I wonder if they really want people stringing wire antennas around there. I had no issues doing VHF only.  

Video: ham_bitious YouTube

Sunol Peak W6/NC-244

 Some time recently Pleasanton Ridge regional park was expanded to include the southern part of Sunol Ridge. This is great news for peak baggers and SOTA enthusiasts - there is now a public trail to the summit. The trailhead is the Tyler Ranch Staging Area at the end of Foothill Road in Sunol. There is a large dirt lot with pit toilets.

Looking down at the new parking lot.

There are two trails that head up from here. The shorter paved road, or the dirt trail that rejoins the road at the end of the pavement via a long switchback. I took the switchback up and the road down for some variety. The main trail that runs up and along the ridge is called the Sunol Ridge Trail. Stay on this, and you'll be taken directly to the summit. 

Partway up the steep section.

The forecast was not great for the Friday I went, but I decided to risk it. It was pretty nice below the clouds, but as I climbed it got colder and windier. Around the base of the clouds it even rained a little. There were no views, sadly. Just before the summit I scared some cows out of the way, then reached the paved road that comes up from the west. I took this the last quarter mile or so to the top.

View as I approached the summit.

It was cold and windy, so I walked around the fence surrounding the many towers to try and find somewhere out of the wind. I partially succeeded, but it was a cold activation. There was some sort of HF blackout that morning, and I barely made three contacts on 20-30-40. Luckily I had thrown in my HT just before leaving, so I was able to get enough contacts for the point.

Looking over at Pleasanton Ridge on the way down.

The clouds had lifted some while I was on the summit, so I had some ok views on the way down. The high peaks were still obscured, but I enjoyed what I could see. I also was moving pretty quick, since I was cold after sitting for so long. The hike down was quick, and a real leg workout. Overall, it was a good hike, and I'm glad this new area has been opened.

Trailhead: Tyler Ridge Staging Area

Website: SOTA Site.

Maps: AA6XA SOTA Hikes map.

Route: Take the Sunol Ridge Trail to the summit.

Red Tape: None.

Video: Coming Soon!

January VHF Contest 2023

 It was a beautiful day as I hiked up to Loma Alta (W6/NC-350), my usual VHF contest spot. I was worried it would be very muddy after all the recent rains, but the trail seems to have mostly dried out. The was water running in the trail, but it was in little erosion channels. The flat areas a little below the summit were more muddy, but my socks stayed dry.

Looking down Lucas Valley.

I was a bit worried it would be really busy since the parking area was totally full, but I didn't see that many people on the trail. Maybe everyone was going to Big Rock Ridge instead. It seemed like a long two miles to the summit, but I was carrying a lot of stuff.

Two of the antennas.

I brought my usual six-band setup. This includes yagis for 144, 222, 432, 920, 1296, and EDZs for 6m and 2m. Four radios, four transverters, and lots of connectors and coax. I'd bring 10GHz, but no one from the local microwave club ever seems to get on for this contest, so its not worth it. I've gotten good at setting it up, so I had some spare time before the start, which I used to make some 10m SOTA contacts. 

Extended Double Zepp pole.

The first hour of the contest was action packed, and I made lots of QSOs, particularly on 6m and 2m. After that it slowed down a lot. I'm not sure why activity was so slow this year. My best guess is that it was the first nice weekend of the year, and people were tired of being cooped up inside. So they went out instead of sitting at their radios.

As expected, 223 and 902 were not very active. Two meters provided the most contacts. It will be interesting to see how the scoring works out this year now that there are "all mode" and "analog only" subcategories. My guess is that single operator portable stations don't do much FT8, so the competition will be similar.

So much stuff to carry.

I took a break part way through to try out 12m. I did get a Japanese station, but there weren't many other takers. After some more calling on the VHF bands I eventually decided to pack it up. As I was taking down the 6m EDZ, on leg came off. It was nice of the antenna to break at the end of the day instead of during setup. I made it back to the car before sunset, which is unusual for me. 

I had plenty of time to let my mind wander since it was so slow. I definitely need to finish my Mountain Top VHF presentation and give it to the area clubs to try and drum up more activity. More QSOs means more fun for everyone! Overall, I'm claiming a score of 1,820, 63 QSOs and 20 mults. 

Here's hoping June will be better! 

W6/CT-218 Temescal Ridge

 It was a warmer than expected day as I drove up Reseda Blvd. At the end is Topanga State Park, with Temescal Ridge my goal. At the end of the road there is paid parking, but if you're willing to walk a little farther you can park for free below. I was feeling cheap, so I used the free parking, then set off up the hill.

Top of the free parking lot.

There are a lot of trails in the park, so bring a map. I didn't see any paper ones available for taking at any of the kiosks. I took a fire road that seemed to be going in the right direction. It was, but it would've been more direct to take a single track trail at the start.

Looking back at Oat Mountain.

The fire road trail winds its way up nearly to the summit. About 3/4 of a mile before the summit the road reaches a col with a pit toilet and bench. After a quick pit stop I continued up to the top. Just before the summit a trail reaches the road. Take this single track up to the high point.

Pacific Ocean

The very top of the mountain is pretty small, so I went down a few feet to set up near some bushes. I didn't have cell service where I was sitting, but RBNhole spotted me no problem. Once I was done on HF I went to the top for some VHF and made a few more contacts.

Summit just behind my pole and antenna.

I took the same route down, mostly. I did take a little single track that went over one of the bumps. It added some variety, though there were some steep parts. Back at the car I put on some clean clothes before heading to the airport to go home.

Trailhead: End of Reseda Blvd. There is both free and paid parking.
Website: SOTA Site.
Maps: AA6XA SOTA Hikes map.
Route:  Take the fire road to just below the summit, then take the Backbone Trail up to the top.
Red Tape: None. 
Video: ham_bitious YouTube

W6/CT-274 Saddle Peak

 After activating Calabasas Peak I headed up to get Saddle Peak. The trailhead for this peak is at the top of Stunt Road. There is a very sharp turn at the end of the road, and to the left is a small parking area and view point. I parked here. The trail goes up between the roads. There is a steep embankment, then it is pretty pleasant.

Looking down at the parking area.

The trail to the summit is mostly the Backbone Trail, a long distance trail that crosses the Santa Monica Mountains. Follow it up to the paved water tank access road, then follow the road uphill past the left side of the tank, where it re-enters the woods. I found the signs in this area confusing and unhelpful.

Water tank with the summit.

There are a few more junctions below the summit, but it was obvious which way to go. I went up to the East Peak, since it looked nicer with fewer towers. There seems to be confusion to which peak is actually higher. Sources differ, but both seem to be in the activation zone.

Saddle Peak West.

I found that I only had cell service on the north side of the peak, so I set up there to make spotting easier. I made a few contacts on HF, then got out the HT. Two meters was hopping, and I made lots there. Even on that peak I put on the BPF, and I'm sure it helped cut down on the interference.

Heading back down.

It was starting to get late, so I packed up and headed back. At the car I braced myself for the long drive in traffic up to the desert. Overall, a great day in a new area!

Trailhead: Calabasas Peak Trailhead, south of the peak on Stunt Road.
Website: SOTA Site.
Maps: AA6XA SOTA Hikes map.
Route:  Follow the backbone trail to the summit.
Red Tape: None. 
Video: hambitious YouTube

W7O/WV-096 Mt Sylvania

 We were up in Portland for a long weekend, and decided to do some SOTA wile exploring the area. We had a bit of time before lunch, so decided to grab an easy summit. This peak is in a residential neighborhood, with a small park around the high point. We drove up, and parked on the side of the road to the south of the summit. From there it was a quick walk up the path to the park on the summit. 

You could even sit on the bench for the activation!

We assumed that it would be an easy activation, and we were right. We only brought up the HT, and quickly got four contacts each on 2m, in less than 5 minutes. With the activation complete, we unscrewed the antenna, walked back to the car, and drove down to the city for a tasty lunch.

Easy to find people on 2m

Trailhead: Road in the activation zone.
Website: SOTA Site.
Maps: AA6XA SOTA Hikes map.
Route: Drive into the AZ, then walk up the path to the summit top park.
Red Tape: None.
Video: ham_bitious YouTube

W6/SS-293

 We had a campsite in Yosemite Valley, so went out for a long weekend of fun. After exploring the valley a bit on Friday, we drove up Tioga road on Saturday. Our goal was an unactivated peak, Peak 9222. KN6REU had never done a first activation, and this seemed like the perfect one for her to get first. 

Nice view of Half Dome on the drive into the valley.

We started from Old Tioga Road, which is just past White Wolf. The road was gated, but there was a large pullout that we parked in. From here we walked up to the top of the hill along the road, the stepped into the woods. 

Marker explaining some history of the area.

The first part of the climb was a bit steep, but we quickly got to the first sub-peak. Here there is a flat section as you walk over to the base of the next climb. It is typical open Sierra forest, with plenty of big rocks scattered around.

Heading through the rocks and forest.

The second climb is a bit longer, but not any harder. The rocks are spaced enough that it was easy to find routes up or around them. As the terrain levels out on the ridge, the forest opens to some large meadows.

Head up the ridge.

There is another peak that is nearly as high as the main peak, but the col is a bit too deep, so it isn't in the activation zone. We crossed it, and continued into the AZ. There isn't much interesting at the summit, just a rock that's a bit higher than the others. Slightly down from there we set up in a clearing. 

The cell service was very marginal. We got a few spots out, but I wouldn't count on it. KN6REU got on the air first with the HT and whip. After a few minutes of calling CQ, there were no answers, so we put up the EDZ. With this in the air, the contacts started rolling in.

Views of the Yosemite wilderness.

AA6XA tried to get some HF contacts, but the FT-817 didn't seem to be putting out any power. This was disappointing, since it meant there would be no CW, and now QRO POTA later, but he was able to get his four contacts on 2m. By this point it was close to lunch time, so we packed up and retraced our steps back to the car.

Back at the car, we continued driving up to Olmstead Point for lunch, then continued to Tenaya Lake to enjoy the beauty. Back in the valley that evening, we walked over for some Curry Village pizza, then back to the site for s'mores, a critical part of every camping trip.

Half Dome from Curry Village.

Trailhead: Old Tioga Road, big pullout before the gate.
Website: SOTA Site.
Maps: AA6XA SOTA Hikes map.
Route: Follow the ridge up to the summit.
Red Tape: None, just regular Yosemite rules.
Video: ham_bitious YouTube

W7O/NC-090

 On our way back from the beach we decided to stop and do an activation. This unnamed summit is a drive up in Tillamook State Forest near US26. From 26, turn north onto McGregor Road. This road is unpaved, but very well maintained. It was surprising how busy it was, so watch out for other vehicles.

Parked on the side of the road.

There are a few intersections to go through, so have a map or GPS to take the correct path. We went right, right, left. The roads get a bit rougher as you get closer to the top, but the rental sedan we were in had no trouble getting up. The high point of the road is in the activation zone. We parked at a wide spot, and set up along the road. AA6XA did HF while KN6REU did 2m. 

There was cell service for spotting, and AA6XA had no problem getting contacts on 20m and 40m. KN6REU on the HT, on the other hand, had a harder time. It took some time calling CQ to get enough contacts, but she did it, and even got a few summit to summit contacts. If we had been up earlier we probably would've had an easier time since there was a summit event going on.

Checking out 10m.

After we had all gotten our contacts, we packed up and drove back the way we came, and went back to Portland. Overall, this was a nice easy summit.
 

Trailhead: Road in the activation zone.
Website: SOTA Site.
Maps: AA6XA SOTA Hikes map.
Route: Drive into the AZ
Red Tape: None.
Video: ham_bitious YouTube

W6/CT-170 Kagel Mountain

 On my way back to the airport I stopped for some SOTA fun. This time Kagel Mountain was the destination. This peak is used as a take off spot for hang gliding and such. There is a road to the summit, but it is gated. The easiest trailhead seems to be at Dillon Divide on Little Tujunga Canyon Road. Across from the gate there was enough space for a few cars to park. The road to the summit was gated.

Gate at the start.

It was pretty warm out, but there was a nice breeze blowing. Luckily, the hike is not very hard. The road is well graded, if exposed. The first part loses a bit of elevation before a steady climb up to the ridge. 

Looking over at Fernando 2 Benchmark.

Up on the ridge I got some great views of the LA area. The ridge is fairly flat, and the activation zone is fairly long. However, it is worth going to the high point. 

Summit of Kagel Mountain.

On the summit there are picnic tables, perfect for operating from. I sat at the wooden one, thinking it might not be as hot after sitting in the sun. There were some bushes conveniently placed to hold up the pole. Since it was Field Day, I only did 17m and 30m. I got a handful of contacts on HF, then decided to see how VHF was.

Paraglider launch point.

This was a good decision. There were a lot of people on 2m and 70cm, and I filled up the log. It was actually easier on 70cm, since the frequency wasn't as jammed with people. After handing out some points, I packed up and headed back down. As I descended, two cars full of people drove up, to take off I assume. Back at the car I opened everything up to try and cool it down before driving to the airport.

Trailhead: Dillon Divide, Little Tujunga Canyon Road
Website: SOTA Site.
Maps: AA6XA SOTA Hikes map.
Route: Walk up the access road to the summit. Enjoy the picnic table for some comfortable operating
Red Tape: None.
Video: ham_bitious YouTube

W6/CT-247 Mt Williamson

 Immediately after hiking Mt Islip I hiked up Williamson. Since I was already parked at Islip Saddle, I stayed there. The first part of this hike is up the PCT. There were a number of thru hikers heading up, and I was surprised I was able to catch some. I guess only having a small daypack really makes it easy to hike faster.

Flowers were still blooming.

The PCT section of trail is a few giant switchbacks up to the ridge. This area had also burned in the Bobcat fire, but looked like it was starting to recover. It was around noon, and was getting quite warm. The sections through trees were welcome. On the ridge, the PCT starts down the other side, but I turned right and followed the trail up. From below, it looks like the trail leads to the summit, but it only goes to the southeast peak, which is a bit lower. It may be in the activation zone, though. I tagged it, then headed for the high point.

Excellent views down the canyon.

The trail from the southeast peak was much rougher than the hike up. As I hiked over, a glider started flying back and forth over the ridge. It looked like it was gaining height on each pass. Over on the summit I found the remnants of a register. There was one very green plant amidst the burned trees. My suspicious was confirmed when my phone was able to identify it as Poodle Dog Bush. Scary! I watched my step as I set up. 

Burned zone on the way down.

I didn't have any cell service on top. Twenty and 30m didn't seem to be very good, but I got a nice pileup on 40m. I then tried VHF again, and was rewarded with contacts on both 2m and 70cm, including two summit to summit contacts. It was getting hot in the sun, so I packed up and headed back. There were more thru hikers still heading north, and a few day hikers as well. Back at the car I cranked the A/C for the fun drive back down to the hotel. 

Trailhead: Islip Saddle, Angeles Crest Highway.
Website: SOTA Site.
Maps: AA6XA SOTA Hikes map.
Route: Take the PCT north to the ridge, then take the trail to the summit.
Red Tape: None. 
Video: ham_bitious YouTube

W6/CT-010 Mt Islip

 It was forecast to be a beautiful day, so I headed up to the Angeles Crest Highway to do some hiking. On the schedule were Mt Islip and Mt Williamson. The highway was close at Islip saddle, so that was the trailhead I used. The lot was nearly full when I got there, from backpackers as I soon found out.

The route up follows the PCT to the campground.

Once I found the trailhead across the street, I started up. There are a few switchbacks to get up the steep embankment, then a pleasant walk through the forest. There were a lot of people coming the other way. About half of them were thru hikers, and the other half looked like they had just spent the night at the Little Jimmy campground.

Burn zone.

The trail crosses through some burn zones from the Bobcat fire. It was interesting to see where it had burned, then seemingly stopped randomly. I did have to appreciate all the work done to reopen the trail. Passing through the campground, I was amused at the antics of all the scout troops. Reminded me of backpacking trips with my troop. After the campground, the real climb starts. It was well graded, but definitely going up.

Overcast in LA.

As I climbed up to the ridge, the views got much better. I also stopped passing people, and it felt like the mountain was mine. Just below the summit is the remnants of a small building. The roof is long gone, as well as the doors and windows, but it would have been a neat little cabin. 

I set up on the LA side of the summit, so I could enjoy the view while operating. There was enough brush to easily put up the antenna. I didn't have cell service, so I decided to only do 20m/30m/40m, since 17m hadn't seemed that great the previous week. This worked out well, and I got lots of contacts.

Former summit hut.

Since I had a good view of the LA area, I decided to try some VHF. I soon had a small pileup on two meters. Southern California seems to be a great place for VHF. As I was packing up other hikers started arriving at the summit. I guess the hike is more popular than I first thought. On the way down I passed a bunch of people taking pictures along the ridge. The campground was empty when I passed through again. Back at the parking lot there was some trail magic for the thru hikers. I simply crossed the lot and headed north on the PCT towards Williamson.

Trailhead: Islip Saddle, Angeles Crest Highway.
Website: SOTA Site.
Maps: AA6XA SOTA Hikes map.
Route: Take the PCT south to the Little Jimmy Campground, then turn right and take the trail to the summit.
Red Tape: None. 
Video: ham_bitious YouTube