W6/NC-150 Black Mountain

Black Mountain is a prominent peak along the peninsula. There are many trails on the mountain, many of them open to bikers, and a backpack camp near the summit. There are also a plethora of options to choose from when deciding on a route to the top. The summit is open, with a few stands of trees near the top. On a nice day there are excellent views of the bay area from the summit. This trip, however, was very wet.
It was overcast as I left the parking lot and headed downhill on the Skid Road trail. All of the recent rains had turned the trail into a sea of mud.

So much mud.

I got down without slipping, and crossed the numerous, very full streams at the bottom of the canyon. One section of the trail looked like there had been a small slide, but it was not big enough to block the trail.

The streams were all full.

As I hiked up the other side, the wind and rain picked up, especially when I got to the backpackers camp. It was chilly, and it reminded me of hiking above tree line in New England. My original plan was to do a HF & VHF activation, but with the wind and rain I decided to do a quick VHF only activation. Near the towers on top I found some trees on the lee side that offered some much-appreciated shelter.

Some sheltering trees. The towers are behind me.

I made six contacts, five on 2m and one on 70cm in about 20 minutes. There is a fair bit of interference from the towers. It was intermittent on 2 and 70, but constant on 1.25m, so no contacts there. As I headed down, the rain started for real, and did not let up until I drove down to the valley.

A very wet hiker.

I saw some deer while I was hiking here as well, but my camera did not cooperate, so no pictures. When I activated last September, I enjoyed clear blue skies, and had a much better time at the summit.

The summit, September 2016.

Trailhead: I started from Skyline Ridge Parking. Also trailheads on Page Mill Road, at Rancho San Antonio, and other places.
Website: Sota Site
Maps: http://www.openspace.org/sites/default/files/map_MB.pdf. KB1KXL SOTA Hikes map
Route: I took Skid Road Trail to Canyon Trail to Indian Creek Trail to Montebello Road. There are many other options in the area. For an easier hike, start on Page Mill Road. For a harder hike, start at Rancho San Antonio, or another trailhead at the base of the mountain. Also lots of options for mountain bikers.
Red Tape: None

W6/NC-209 Sierra Morena

Sierra Morena is an extremely easy peak to activate. It is located in the El Corte de Madera Creek Preserve, in the Santa Cruz Mountains. This area is popular with mountain bikers, and you will probably see some while you're out. From the parking lot at Skeggs Point, it is a short distance up the hill. From the parking lot, cross the road, turn right and walk down the road a few hundred feet. Follow the paved fire road, then continue onto the dirt road. Shortly past the junction on the left there is the remains of an old fire road. 

Turn right where the trail appears to turn white.

Looking back, trail on the right, old fire road going up on left.

Follow this old road up the hill a short distance, pushing through some trees and brush. 2019 note: There is now a sign on this "trail" saying the area is closed for resource protection. Enter at your own risk. At the top there is a clearing. Toss your antenna over a tree branch and you'll be on the air. 

Clearing at the summit.

I got my doublet up about 25 feet in an inverted-v configuration over a pine tree branch. This year I made 6 contacts, including one on 222 MHz, my first on that band. The weather was supposed to get rainy in the afternoon, so I didn't linger because I wanted to activate Black Mountain before it got too wet. On my way back I saw three deer, and managed to get a picture before they ran off into the woods.

Oh deer!

2018 Activation and update

I ordered a 2 meter amplifier, and it came the day before I headed back up this peak. On top I used it made some good DX with the amp and an Extended Double Zepp I made.

Trailhead: Skeggs Point Lot, Skyline Blvd.
Website: Sota Page
Maps: At Trailhead. KB1KXL SOTA Hikes map
Route: Follow paved road to gate. Continue on fire road, past trail intersection. On the right is the remains of an old fire road. Take this back to a clearing at the summit. See pictures.
Red Tape: None.

W6/NC-298 Vollmer Peak

I activated this peak shortly after Abrott Benchmark. I drove up to the parking lot, and sat in my car for a while to let the heaviest rain showers pass. Once they seemed to be over, I headed up. When I activated the peak in December last year, I took the trails to the top. This time, because of the rain and mud, I opted to take the paved fire road. Having done both, I recommend the trails (Vollmer Peak Trail, starts at same place).
Once at the top I looked around for somewhere sheltered to set up. The building at the far end of the summit has a covered entryway, so I set up there. In December I sat at the edge of the gravel area, looking out over the bay. I made 5 QSOs on 20 meters. As I was taking down the HF antenna, the rain stopped, so I took out my HT and made a number of contacts on 2m. K6EL was on, and we talked about my route for a different peak. He also tried to convince some of the other ops I worked to go out and do some activations. K6EL is usually the first person to answer my CQs on HF, so it was nice to actually talk to him. When I started to get cold, I packed up and headed back the way I came.

The view on a sunny, December day.

Trailhead: Put "Redwood Valley Railroad" into your GPS. The trailhead parking is just past the train parking, off of Grizzly Peak Blvd.
Website: Sota Page. Park page.
Maps: EB Parks map. KB1KXL SOTA Hikes map
Route: From the parking lot, either follow the paved road (Seaview Trail) to the top, or take the Vollmer Peak Trail to the Seaview Trail. For a longer hike, start at a different trailhead in Tilden Park. There are a number of nice trails that wind through the hills.
Red Tape: None

W6/NC-417 Abrott Benchmark

The weather report for Saturday was rain in the morning, and getting better as the day went on. Armed with this knowledge I decided to go out and do some activations, deciding that the weather would get better the longer I stayed out. How wrong I was. It was an easy drive to the trailhead in the Kennedy Grove Recreation Area, and the big lot was nearly empty.

The grove at the parking lot.

In fact, I did not see anyone else on the trails. I took the Laurel Loop trail to the Lower Sea Foam trail to the Upper Sea Foam trail, but there are a number of different options to get there. There are free maps available at the trailheads, but they don't cover the section of the hike outside of the park.

On the way up. That's San Pablo dam and reservoir.

At the highest point of the Upper Sea Foam Trail the trail makes a sharp turn. At this point head away from the trail, and cross the fence. This marks the boundary between the park and EBMUD land. When I was there (2/2017), there was a gap with only one strand of barbed wire, next to the gate. There is a fire road on the other side, down a bit. Follow the road to the left, and it will head downhill until it breaks out of the trees and starts climbing. The peak is easy to see once you're out of the woods.

If you come to another fence, turn left up the hill to the summit. If you cross the fence then you will have gone too far, and probably entered some private property. The summit has some flat areas to set up, with the fence running across it. There is a USGS benchmark at the summit, so its easy to figure out if you're at the correct point.

The summit benchmark.

I set up, and the rain started to pick up. I brought a sheet of tyvek for some shelter. The wind kept it plastered to my back, and it worked until rain started pooling in the bottom. I kept the radios in a plastic bag to keep them dry. My log however, got damp. I made 10 contacts on 30 and 20 meters, including one in NH. By this point I was wet and getting cold so I didn't try VHF. I packed up, and hiked down in the rain and mud. By the time I got back to the parking lot, the rain had mostly stopped. 

So much mud (and water).

Overall it was a nice hike, and the summit seemed like it would be pleasant to operate from in nicer weather. This weekend of activations, though, made me realize my wet-weather SOTA setup is totally inadequate. This might not be a problem, since California is so sunny, but being more prepared is good in general. 

Trailhead: Kennedy Grove Regional Recreation Area off of San Pablo Dam Road. Parking free November - March, a few dollars rest of the year.
Website: Sota Page. Park site: http://www.ebparks.org/parks/kennedy
Maps: KB1KXL SOTA Hikes map
Route: Get to the high point of the Upper Sea Foam Trail. Head away from the trail into the woods, cross the fence, and follow the fire road on the other side left (generally North at this point). Very muddy and slippery in/after rain.
Red Tape: The summit appears to be on EBMUD property. The fence running across the summit is probably the boundary.

W6/NC-406 Sulphur Springs Mountain

Sulphur Springs Mt is a small peak above Vallejo, and was the second one I did on a two summit activation day. There are two routes up, one starting at the highway, the other in a neighborhood. It is unclear what the parking situation is at the second trail head, so I started at the Park & Ride lot at the off ramp. 2019 update: The park and ride lot is closed, with big stones blocking the entrance. There is space for a few cars along the parkway where the trail turns into the hills. Google has this spot marked as "Bay Area Ridge Hiddenbrooke Trailhead". KF7PXT describes the other route in his blog. The first half-mile or so is a paved sidewalk along Hiddenbrooke Parkway.

2019 parking spot.

After turning into the hills the trail makes its way over a few small hills before getting to the summit. There are a few towers at the top, but they looked like they could have used some maintenance. There was a reasonably flat open area to operate from. I didn't use this area, instead choosing to setup in some trees on the sunny side of the peak.

After putting out a spot I worked the pileup on 30, then jumped up to 2 meters I only had my whip antenna, so not many VHF contacts this time. The contest was still going on, so I handed out a few points on 20 as I worked my way down the band. In total I made 16 contacts. By then it was getting late, so I packed up and made it back to the car before the sun set. 

Trailhead: Just off I-80, small park & ride lot. Bay Area Ridge Hiddenbrooke Trailhead, about 1/2 mile from freeway.
Website: SOTA Page
Maps: Bay Area Ridge Trail. KB1KXL SOTA Hikes map
Route: Hiddenbrooke Trail all the way. Some steep sections. Trail is totally exposed. Copse at the top can provide shade while operating on hot days.
Red Tape: None, just don't park illegally. Don't block the gate at the trailhead.

Mt Diablo to the south.