The marine layer stratus pushes up Zuma Canyon. That’s the wreckage of a windmill that burned in the 2018 Woolsey Fire.
25 SEPTEMBER 2021. W6/SC-229
Recently Ara N6ARA determined that the ridge slightly to the west of the actual summit of this peak was not contiguous to the summit. There is a dip of a few feet between them, so I discarded my two previous activations of this mountain. This is unfortunate because the ridge to the west can be accessed without crossing into private property. However, since both houses at the Buzzard’s Roost Ranch burned in the 2018 Woolsey fire I knew that the property is not currently occupied. I figured if I encountered anyone I would politely explain the SOTA program and ask for permission.
I left Encinal Canyon Road before the sun came up on this fine Saturday morning and hiked to the summit in about 45 minutes. There is an old, overgrown roadbed that skirts around the south side of the summit that is an obvious deer trail now. I saw plenty of scat and even two of the creatures as I made my way through the brush. The west side is pretty brushy so long pants and trekking poles or some other form of rattlesnake probe is recommended.
There is a benchmark and some wreckage of an antenna and a windmill on the summit. At this time the brush hasn’t grown back enough to cover the summit and there was a few spots to set up the station.
Again, Gary K6TCU in Pennsylvania was my longest QSO. And again I was treated to a summit-to-summit with that other early-riser Dan NA6MG on Townsend Peak. I also was surprised to hear from my neighbor Keith in Topanga. Thank you all you early bird chasers!
KG6MZS 