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.

W6/CT-028 Monrovia Peak

 I was down in southern California for a visit, so it was time to do some peakbagging. My goal for this day was to get Monrovia Peak and Mt Bliss, and the other small summits along their ridges. Based on other trip reports, I decided to do a big loop. From the airport I drove to Monrovia, and parked on North Canyon Blvd at the intersection with Ridgeside Drive. From here it was a short walk up Ridgeside to the start of the Lower Clamshell Truck Trail.

Start of the trail.

 

The gate was open, which was good, and I headed up. It wasn't very busy, but I did pass some people out for their Easter morning walks. After about a mile the truck trail reaches a saddle. The trail continues down the other side but I turned right and followed the fire break up the crest of the ridge. It started out ok, but, as expected, became quite steep.

Someone put a flag at this viewpoint.

It took a while to hike up the steep fire break, and it got warmer as I hiked. As I climbed I started to get views of the forested ridge top, and other peaks in the San Gabriel Mountains. It was a relief when I reached the top. I took the short spur to Clamshell Peak, then returned and went down the steep hill to the fire road below. The road was generally in the forest, which was a nice break. 

Final section of fire break.

Finally I reach the spot to rejoin the firebreak along the ridge for the final climb. It felt steep since I was hot and tired, but it wasn't too long. First I went over Rankin Peak. There was a wooden sign on the summit. I'm not sure why, the summit wasn't remarkable in any way. One last small col, and I was on the summit. The views were nice, but it was hot in the sun and the bushes weren't big enough to provide any real shade.  

Summit sign and register.

I signed the register and put up my antenna. Cell service wasn't very good, but I had enough to get out a few spots. Once I was done playing radio, it was a short and steep trip down the fire break to the road. Back on the road, I headed over to my next summit, Mt Bliss.

 

Trailhead: Intersection of North Canyon Blvd and Ridgeside Dr.

Website: SOTA Site.

Maps: AA6XA SOTA Hikes map.

Route: Head up the Lower Clamshell truck trail to the col, then follow the firebreak to the ridge. On the next road, go up, then take the firebreak to the summit.

Red Tape: None.

W6/CD-012 Quail Mountain

The summit of Quail Mountain is the highest point in Joshua Tree National Park, and was my goal for the morning. After breakfast in the hotel room in the town of Joshua Tree I headed into the park to the Quail Springs parking area. I had done some research beforehand, and this seemed like the best place to start. 

The direction I started out in.

 From the parking area there was a trail that headed straight towards the mountains. It was well used until it crossed the wash, where it disintegrated into a lot of lightly used use paths. I picked my way through these to find the start of a trail that would go over a low pass to the base of Mt Minerva Hoyt.

Heading up the trail.

Turned around, looking back towards Quail Springs.

 

The trail did not appear in any of the park maps I looked at, but it is clearly visible in satellite views of the area. Having the trail marked on my phone map made it a lot easier to find. Once on the trail it was quick going to the wash on the other side. In the wash you need to choose which ridge to take up to the top of Minerva Hoyt. I walked down the wash about a quarter of a mile before turning and heading up the hill.

Heading up the ridge.

The climb up was steep, but not too bad. The terrain was open, and I had no bushwhacking problems. Once I got to the main ridge I turned and headed up to the summit of Minerva Hoyt (named after one of the main advocates for creating the park). There looked to be a false summit that I went around, but it turns out it would have been easier to just go over it. From the summit of Minerva Hoyt there is a use trail that goes along the ridge to the summit of Quail Mountain.  

Looking across the ridge.

 The use trail was mostly easy to follow, and I was soon on the summit of Quail Mountain. The summit is broad and it is not entirely clear which pile of rocks is the highest, so I tagged both of them. There was marginal cell service (Verizon) on top, but none lower down the mountain. It was a bit chilly, so I quickly got on the air and made plenty of contacts on the bands I tried. The views to San Gorgonio and San Jacinto were great, and it was nice to see the park from a different angle.

View of the Salton Sea and Coachella Valley

 To get back down, I simple retraced my steps. Following the use path back to Minerva Hoyt was challenging in places. In the wash at the bottom I climbed out too soon and had a little work to find the trail. There were people going up the trail as I headed out, hopefully they had fun. Back at the parking lot it was quite busy, all the spots were taken and people were playing on the big rocks there. Overall, a fun summit and nice morning.

 

Joshua Trees at the parking lot.

 

Trailhead: Quail Springs parking area.

Website: SOTA Site.

Maps: AA6XA SOTA Hikes map.

Route: Take the trail across the wash, then find the trail that goes over the low pass. Head down the wash a short ways, then up the ridge to Minerva Hoyt. Take the use path across the ridge to the summit.

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

W7N/TR-027 Captain Pomin Rock

 If you at Tahoe in the winter do you go skiing? No, of course not. It is the perfect season to go get some SOTA activating in. After leaving very early and driving up from the Bay Area, we stopped in town to pick up some snowshoes. It was then a few more minutes around the lake to the trailhead.

First steps in snowshoes!

We started at Spooner Summit snow park, at the intersection of US 50 and NV 28. There was a decent size parking lot, and a nice hill for sledding. It was Naina's first time snowshoeing, so after we got them on we took an easy walk along the road until we found the track to the summit. There were a few sets of footprints to follow.

Heading up the hill.

 

The forest was open, and the hill wasn't too steep. It was windy, but we were on the lee side of the hill. Ideal conditions for winter hiking. It took a few minutes to re-acquaint myself with snowshoe walking, but we were soon making good time up the hill. The trail climbs up to a relatively flat area, which it crosses, then has a final climb up to the summit.

Summit photo.

The very final climb was quite steep, and it wasn't obvious which way was best to the top. I followed some other tracks and was able to get up without needing to take off the snowshoes. That was probably the only part of the hike that would have been easier in the summer. 

As we suspected, the wind was really blowing on top, so after a few pictures we retreated into the forest for a quick activation. Thankfully there were enough chasers I could get enough contacts before we got cold.

Hard to get tired of lake views.

 

One the way down we decided to take a shortcut, and go straight back to the car from the flat area. This was easy, since any brush was well buried under the snow and we were going down hill. Summer hikers might make a different choice. Back at the car, the parking lot had filled to capacity with sledders, who we watched while eating lunch. 

Enjoying the view from South Lake Tahoe.

Trailhead: Spooner Summit snow play area.

Website: SOTA Site.

Maps: AA6XA SOTA Hikes map.

Route: Winter: just go straight up to the summit.

Red Tape: None.

Video: ham_bitious YouTube

VE6/HC-034 Stoney Woman Mountain

 After our trip to Asheville had to be cancelled at the last minute (Thanks Helene!), we booked tickets to Calgary for a trip to Banff National Park. After a few days of focusing on foliage, looking at lakes, and seeing the sights, we had some time for SOTA. I chose this peak, since it was a relatively easy hike, and easy to get to the trailhead. It had snowed on the higher peaks the night before, so I didn't want to get too high.

On the hike.

Across the highway from the town of Banff, we drove up the switchbacks to the Mount Norquay ski area. I parked at the first, lowest lot. Across the road is the trailhead. The trail is well worn, and  was easy to follow. The one spot where there is a sharp turn there were two signs to make sure you went the right way. 

Enjoying the cool Banff weather.

It had been rainy and foggy earlier in the day, so all the exposed roots were slick. Or maybe my boots were just too worn down. Either way, I made it to a semi-open area just below the summit. From the trail I could get glimpses of Banff down below. I stepped off trail to tag the high point, and set up on a sunny slope looking down at the town. 

The best view of town I got.

 

There were some geomagnetic storms that day, so propagation wasn't very good. I did make enough contacts though, and it gave hope for some good aurora later that evening. The cell service on top was good. 

Very neat seeing the aurora.

The hike back down was quick, until I slipped on a root. That was a bit unpleasant and forced me to slow down a bit. Back at the car we headed back to our hotel then out for dinner. After eating, we wandered around Canmore until it got dark, and that's when the aurora started. Never having seen it before, it was spectacular, and we were not in a particularly dark area. Definitely picked a good week to visit Canada!

More Aurora.

 

Trailhead: Bottom of the Mt Norquay ski area parking.

Website: SOTA Site.

Maps: AA6XA SOTA Hikes map.

Route: Take the trail up to the summit.

Red Tape: None. There are some great views of town at the last switchback on the way up.

Video: ham_bitious YouTube

W6/WH-004 Campito Mountain

 A few miles down the road from the Sheep Mountain trailhead is the Campito Mountain trailhead. The best place to park is at the col to the northeast of the summit. There is a pullout so you can get off the road. From here, the hike is pretty straightforward.

Looking at the summit from the car.

From the col, there is a cliff which blocks the view of the high point, and to the left a dead tree on the ridge. Start walking towards the tree. It was not a hard walk, especially before the small grove of trees. 

Talus on the way up.

Higher up the slopes there is a lot of talus and some scree. It was pretty easy to avoid the scree which made the hike up a lot more pleasant. If you want a spicier hike, aim for the cliff. It is some class three excitement, but is completely bypassable. On the summit we set up and did our usual thing. The cell service  was good enough to send out some spots.

Looking at County Line Peak and Blanco.

On the way down the scree that was so carefully avoided was gleefully followed. It made it much quicker. Overall, this was a fairly easy summit, and I'd do it again.

Trailhead: White Mountain Road, col to the north east of the peak.

Website: SOTA Site.

Maps: AA6XA SOTA Hikes map.

Route: Walk straight up the hill to the summit.

Red Tape: None.

Video: Coming Soon!

W6/ND-378 Sheep Mountain

Our second night in the Whites was a lot nicer than the first. The weather in the afternoon and evening was sunny, and there was no rain. From our campsite at the trailhead we had excellent views of the area. We could see White Mountain Peak, the bristlecone pine forest was below us, and the lower peaks were spread out to the south.

Sunrise over the trailhead.

We woke up early again, and started up the hill at dawn. It was chilly, but not too windy. On the way up we just went straight up the hill to the top of the summit by the road. From there it was obvious we could just walk along the wide ridge connecting the two peaks. 

Looking at the summit.

It was a quick walk. The talus was large and easy to traverse, and we were fresh from a good night's sleep. As we got to the summit we were treated to the sun rising on the Sierra across the valley. We could even see the giant triangular shadow of our mountain. It was worth the early start.

Sierra Sunrise

We put up the antenna and got on the air. There was cell service, and good views to Bishop. We did HF and VHF, getting contacts on all the bands we tried. Once we were done, Rex and Saurabh went down the hill, and chased me on 2m CW. Always fun to get weak signal VHF contacts, and doubly fun with the Quansheng.

Looking back at the subpeak.

On the way back we decided to go around the left (north) side of the peak we had gone over on the way up. This saved us some climbing. It was a good route, that side of the hill is not very steep, at least at the elevation of the col. The final descent was steep, but there was no way to avoid that. 

 Trailhead: White Mountain Road, east of the summit. There is a large pullout marked with some rocks here.

Website: SOTA Site.

Maps: AA6XA SOTA Hikes map.

Route: Go up towards the sub-peak, then sidehill around the north side to the col. Straight up from there.

Red Tape: None.

Video: Coming Soon!

W6/WH-003 Piute Mountain

 After getting down from White Mountain Peak we packed up our tents which we had left set up so they could dry out after the previous night's rain. A quick lunch was eaten, then we headed up the hill towards Piute Mountain.

Looking up at the small col.

We hiked up the hill to the ridge, then turned right. There are two small peaks with a low col between them, and we aimed for the col. From the col, the peak is in front of you. Its not very visible before then. It had been cloudy and windy all morning, but the afternoon weather was great. Calm, warm, sunny, everything you'd want for hiking.

Looking back at White Mountain Peak.

The upper parts of the peak are mostly talus, but is was a size that was pretty easy to walk on. The wind picked up as we approached the summit, but it was easy to set up on the lee side of the hill. There was cell service, at least enough to get some spots out. The bands didn't seem as hot as they had the day before, but all three of us made enough contacts without struggling.

Such a beautiful area.

We took the same route down, more or less. We decided, near the bottom, to go down the hill and walk through the meadow near the parking lot. It was a nice choice, the whole area is very pretty. And there's cell service in the meadow, so we could send any last texts before losing it on the drive to the next peak.

Trailhead: End of White Mountain Road.

Website: SOTA Site.

Maps: AA6XA SOTA Hikes map.

Route: Head up to the ridge, the follow the ridge to the col between the two small peaks. From there, straight to the summit.

Red Tape: None.

Video: Coming Soon!

W6/CD-001 White Mountain Peak

 White Mountain Peak is a 14er and the third highest mountain in California. We had driven up the day before, and camped at the end of the road. Despite afternoon and evening showers, including some overnight, it was mostly clear when we woke up before sunrise. 

Sunrise in the White Mountains.

At dawn we mounted our bikes and started up the trail. It was steep, and we quickly went to pushing our bikes up. Turns out its really hard to bike at 12,000 feet. By the time we made it the two miles to Bancroft station, the sun had come up, and it was turning into a nice day. The summit was still shrouded in clouds, but they still had time to clear before we got up there.

The trail up White Mountain Peak is long. The downhill sections were quick on bikes, but the ups were slower than if we had just be hiking. Nevertheless we made steady progress up the trail. The switchback section seemed never ending, pushing a bike up it, but we did it. At around 14,000' we left the bikes by the side of the trail and went straight up. Then we were on the summit. The clouds had mostly lifted, and we got decent views.

Happy to get my first 14er.

There were already a number of people up there. After quickly layering up, we took some photos then got on the air. There was decent cell service, and we had no trouble spotting. It was pretty chilly though, so we didn't linger too long. The walk back to the bikes was quick, then even quicker riding down the hill.

Looking back at the summit.

It took a few switchbacks for me to get the hang of riding down the steep, rocky trail, but I got it. Everything was going well until Rex's back brake cable broke. That made the ride more interesting for him. But we all made it back to the car safely. 

The bike I had was old, and not very fun. Turns out you really do want shock absorbers and working gear shifters when riding in the mountains. Who could have guessed. Next time I think I'll just hike to the summit, or do it as a trail run. 

Trailhead: End of White Mountain Road

Website: SOTA Site.

Maps: AA6XA SOTA Hikes map.

Route: Follow the road all the way to the summit. There are no junctions.

Red Tape: None.

Video: Coming Soon!

W6/WH-010 Station Peak

Station Peak is one of the more remote peaks of the White Mountains. With Rex's SUV we were hoping to get all the way to the base, but we had bikes if the road turned out to be too rough. From the main road we turned right towards the Crooked Creek Station (road 5S01). Past the station the road got much rougher. We made it a few miles down before it was too much for the Pilot. 

On the way.

A short distance after starting my bike decided it had had enough, and the rear wheel came loose. Luckily, we had the tools and strength to get it back where it belonged. Thankfully it was the last real problem I had with my (very old and cheap) bike that weekend. After riding downhill a few miles, we turned off and headed up (road 5S01B). Around the place this spur road ended, there was a small station with two guys working. They were doing something with the cattle grazing in the area.

Station Peak.

From here there was no road or trail, and it was too steep for the bikes, so we left them by a rock and walked the rest of the way. On the way up we went straight. It was a decent route, however our return route was better. On the way down we hiked to the col to the east of the summit then followed the reentrant back to the bikes. I think I would take this route up next time.

Large meadow where we left the bikes.

The summit was covered with flying ants or something like that. It was pretty bad when the breeze didn't blow. There was marginal cell service, and we were able to get a few spots out. Sadly, the bands were in terrible shape, and I barely got my contacts. We could see rain moving in, so we packed up quickly and got out. Back at the bikes we rode back to the road, then up the hill to the car. It is hard to bike at elevation. So hard.

Trailhead: Road 5S01

Website: SOTA Site.

Maps: AA6XA SOTA Hikes map.

Route: Take the road past Crooked Creek Station as far as you can or will drive. The bike or hike to the small station, the cross country up to the summit.

Red Tape: None.

Video: Coming Soon!

W6/WH-008 Peak 10942

 This peak is the easiest in the White Mountains, by far. The main road goes around the peak just below the summit. However, the only nearby parking is to the south, at the last switchback below the peak. We parked here.

Radio set up at the summit.

From the pullout, it was about a five minute walk up to the top. I was pretty out of breath despite spending the night at 8000 feet. I guess it takes more that eight hours to acclimate.

Pointing at tomorrow's goal, White Mountain Peak.

There was good cell service on top, and the bands were open. We shared a KX2 so we could eavesdrop on all the QSOs. It was a quick and easy activation.

Bristlecone Pines.

We didn't spend too long on top since we wanted to get another peak or two before heading to the end of the road. We were feeling good and hopeful, so we decided to try and get Station Peak next.

Trailhead: Last switchback south of the peak.

Website: SOTA Site.

Maps: AA6XA SOTA Hikes map.

Route: Head straight up the hill to the summit.

Red Tape: None.

Video: Coming Soon!

W6/ND-037 Lookout Mountain

 KE6MT, N6RUN, and had decided to go to the White Mountains for some peakbagging and SOTA. In order to acclimate a little, we left after work on Thursday and drove through Yosemite to spend the night on top of Lookout Mountain. I was around 11:30pm when we arrived at the turn off from 395, and with Rex's SUV we quickly made it to the top. 

Trying a midnight activation.

It was a bit hard to see, but my guess is a sedan would've had a lot of trouble getting up to the summit. There were a few rough or sandy sections. We put up our tents, then quickly put up an antenna. Saurabh called CQ for a while, but only got two contacts. Since it was late, we went to bed after deciding to just get our contacts in the morning.

Sierra in the background.

In the morning I woke up first and got on the air. Since it was light across North America, it was easy to get contacts and I quickly got a dozen or so. As the other took their turns, I packed up and made breakfast. Once we all had our contacts and had finished packing up, we headed back down the hill and on to Bishop.

Despite a few trees, the views were excellent.

At the Great Basin Bakery, we met up with Adam K6ARK who was in town for his own trip. Properly fueled with tasty sandwiches, we headed into the White Mountains and our next summit, Peak 10920.

Trailhead: None, just drive to the summit. Turnoff is across from the Mammoth Scenic Drive north entrance.

Website: SOTA Site.

Maps: AA6XA SOTA Hikes map.

Route: Pick your favorite spot and set up!

Red Tape: None.

Video: Coming Soon!

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