Wild Bill Hill

View of the highest point in Arizona, Mount Humphreys, from the enjoyable approach hike to the fun-named Wild Bill Hill

3 MAY 2025 W7A/CS-014

One star – Nothing special but I’d do it again.
Elevation:8,189′
Route: Cross country
Hike Distance: 2.5 miles round trip
Elevation Gain: 525′
Navigation: Easy
Steepness: A little steep in one place
Vehicle: Passenger car
Road: Short dirt road
Cell Coverage: n/a
Hike basics

After Wing Mountain’s cacophony of dirt bikes and gunfire and steep slopes, I found that the peace and quiet and gently sloping prairie to be a relief. There are several stands of aspen that have survived the ravages of the changing environment along the south side of the ravine that my route took me.

This is another forested summit with not much of a view on top, but a lot a great trees to hang wires.

I didn’t bring my table and chair and found that underneath the layer of pine needles there was a sooty layer of ash that got on everything. If ever there was a summit not to bring these amenities, this one was not it!

Radio conditions were again very poor. I think I owe my 10 points to Jay W7USA who roused some other Phoenix area hams to give me the necessary contacts on 40m.

Looking southwest on the summit slopes to Bill Williams Mountain – a mountain where I met Jay W7USA my hero for this activation.
The forested summit of Wild Bill Hill.
A striking burnt tree on the route.
The route moseys up this pleasant draw.

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Wing Mountain

The station on this forested summit

No stars – This is a one-off summit. I am unlikely to return. Not recommended..

3 MAY 2025 W7A/CS-008

Elevation:8,573′
Route: Cross country
Hike Distance: 1.8 miles round trip
Elevation Gain: 900′
Navigation: Easy
Steepness: Extremely steep
Vehicle: High clearance vehicle suggested
Road: Dirt road with ruts
Cell Coverage: Good Verizon
Hike basics

This summit area is popular with dirt bikers and firearm enthusiasts. My activation was punctuated by the whine of two-stroke engines and semi-automatic gunfire. Not very relaxing. Too bad, because in a more peaceful environment this would be a nice spot. I guess there should be a place for everyone’s preferred recreational activity.

A perplexing array of marked and unmarked roads make finding the trailhead challenging. I would have no trouble driving a passenger car here, your mileage may vary.

Here is my ascent track of Wing Mountain

Radio conditions were again difficult.

Not much of a view from this forested summit.

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South Turkey Hills

Looking west from the summit to Elden Mountain and Mount Humphreys.

2 MAY 2025 W7A/CS-045

One star – Nothing special but I’d do it again.
Elevation:7,425′
Route: Short 4WD tracks
Hike Distance: .9 miles round trip
Elevation Gain: 175′
Navigation: Easy
Steepness: Steep
Vehicle: 4WD suggested
Road: Deep cinder dirt
Cell Coverage: Good Verizon
Hike basics

I left the LA Basin at 5am and was in Flagstaff around lunchtime. I was traveling with Charlie the Cat and hung out with him at the motel for the early afternoon to help get him acclimatized to his first visit to Arizona.

This summit is probably a 4WD drive-up from the right start to the spiral road that leaves the cinder pit to the south. I took Whitedog too far around to the east and into the cinder pit. found that road exceeded my skill as a 4WD driver, if not the Tacoma’s ability. I parked where I felt comfortable and walked the rest of the way.

Here is my track up Turkey Hills South

This might be a more beginner-friendly 4wd route.

Weather was unsettled late in the day and the wind and a bit of rain came up as I was setting up my doublet. At one point static electricity snapped at my hands from the feed line of my doublet as the wind raked the wire. I wondered if it was safe to connect my precious KX2 to this live wire.

Fortunately, the wind and rain abated and I was able to make a few contacts under very poor HF radio conditions. Noise level on 40m was s7 with static crashes over s9. I was also able to make a few 2m contacts on 146.520 thanks to amateurs on I-40 and in the greater Flagstaff area.

The station amidst the cinder that is Turkey Hills
The 31 foot fiberglass center support mast for the doublet.
Elden Mountain and Flagstaff to the southwest.
Looking south across the Coconino Plateau. Note the cinder pit in the foreground.

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Piute Butte

Granite Boulders on the way up to the wonderful sounding Piute Butte.

20 APRIL 2025 W6/ND-340

Two Stars – a nice summit. I’d do it again. Recommended.
Elevation:3,176′
Route: Cross country
Hike Distance: 1.25 miles round trip
Elevation Gain: 450′
Navigation: Easy
Steepness: Moderate
Vehicle: Passenger car
Road: Paved road
Cell Coverage: Good Verizon
Hike basics

Piute Butte. I love just saying that! What a surprise the Antelope Valley State Indian Museum turned out to be! Initially I thought we would approach this summit from the west. The obvious dirt road off 150th Street East had a mailbox and looked like a private drive. So we swung back around the south side and went into a location that I have been curious about for quite a while. We wandered around off to the west and found a route easily to the summit.

Here is our track up and down from Piute Butte

Piute Butte is a fine rocky summit with large granite boulders. Mark showed me one huge boulder that was ripe for trundling. We restrained ourselves.

Some nice contacts were made including the first ever of Weever’s Needle in Arizona. At very least this is a 4th class summit.

On the way down we visited the museum. The structure was built in 1929 by Howard Arden Edwards. It is a fantastical structure built into the granite. Edwards was a collector of indian artifacts typical of his era – indiscriminate in his technique. Many of the most interesting (to me) displays of artifacts are covered out of respect for their ceremonial nature to the Tongva and Chumash. I think the museum is doing the right thing, but is it sad. This shouldn’t overshadow the fact that this is a totally hidden spot that is well worth visiting.

Terrific view of the San Gabriel Mountains from this rocky summit.
The station.
The antenna
Looking the other way at other mast.

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Alpine Butte

Alpine Butte is a modest pile of granite in the Antelope Valley.

20 APRIL 2025 W6/ND-334

One star – Nothing special but I’d do it again.
Elevation:3,248′
Route: Cross country
Hike Distance: .4 miles round trip
Elevation Gain: 190′
Navigation: Easy
Steepness: A little steep
Vehicle: Passenger car
Road: Sandy dirt road
Cell Coverage: Good Verizon
Hike basics

My brother Mark and I headed out to the Antelope Valley on Easter Morning at a civilized hour driving Mark’s rental car, a Hyundai Sonata. This car did fine with a little fishtailing in the sand. There are a few compounds right out of Road Warrior along the drive up, but we didn’t see anybody. and parked short of the end of the road. This is a quick and easy hike.

Here is our track up Alpine Butte

The summit affords nice views of the San Gabriel, San Bernardino, Sierra Pelona and Tehachapi Mountains.

Radio conditions, once again, weren’t great and I didn’t want to spend too much time on the radio because, as patient as my brother is with my SOTA obsession, it has limits. I did manage a s2s with a station in Alberta.

Mark rests on the summit after the short hike. Looking east.
The Station
The town of Lake Los Angeles to the east.
A mast tie down right out of Royal Robbins’ Basic Rockcraft

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Cahuilla Mountain

My brother Mark far ahead on this enjoyable hike.

13 APRIL 2025 W6/CT-103

A Summits On The Air Classic!
Elevation:5,636′
Route: Well graded trail
Hike Distance: 5.8 miles round trip
Elevation Gain: 1,200′
Navigation: Easy
Steepness: Gentle
Vehicle: High clearance vehicle suggested
Road: Rutted dirt road
Cell Coverage: Good Verizon
Hike basics

To use N7DA Drew’s words: “Cahuilla Mountain is a hidden gem.” This peaceful summit garners 4 stars from me on the wonderful solitude of the Cahuilla Mountain Wilderness alone.

After doing the short but strenuous Little Cahuilla on Saturday, Mark and I made a lovely camp Saturday night in Juan Diego Flat between the two Cahuilla Mountains. I was struck by how little man-made noise finds its way into this out-of-the-way sanctuary.

Sunday we got an early start and found the well-graded trail to Cahuilla much easier than the bushy use-trail of the previous day. We only saw two other hikers all day – remarkable in itself for a nice spring day in Southern California.

.Here is our ascent track We took our time.

It was a short activation but one with a gratifying number of summit-to-summit contacts. Thank you chasers!

Mark and I found a peacful campsite between the two Cahuillas at Juan Diego Flat.
Santiago and Modjeska Peaks to the northwest.

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Little Cahuilla Mountain

Little Cahuilla Mountain from the Cahuilla Mountain trail. Note the saddle to the right of the summit.

12 APRIL 2025 W6/CT-253

One star – Nothing special but I’d do it again.
Elevation:5,043′
Route: Bushy cross country
Hike Distance: 2.4 miles round trip
Elevation Gain: 600′
Navigation: Moderate
Steepness: Moderate
Vehicle: High clearance vehicle suggested
Road: Rutted forest service road
Cell Coverage: Good Verizon
Hike basics

My brother Mark and I wanted to do an overnight car camping trip and the Cahuilla Mountain Wilderness Area seemed like a good spring trip. We were not disappointed. This area is an overlooked gem — very quiet — away from the noise of highways. In all my years of exploring Southern California I had somehow missed the hidden corner of the Golden State.

We had planned on doing Little Cahuilla and Red Mountain, but the former was surprisingly taxing. We found the use trail easy to follow but somewhat overgrown with Redshanks and Manzanita. Ascending the first hill I kept a sharp eye out for rattlesnakes and, sure enough, a large one was right in our path. We clamored around this guy on the rocks that provide the preferred habitat for these shy reptiles. I was glad I brought my trekking poles to probe ahead when the brush precluded seeing where I was putting my feet.

My brother remarked that this seemed to be the longest mile and a quarter he’d ever done. To cap it all off there is a deep saddle that must be traversed right at the end. I’d say the 600 feet of elevation gain underestimates the elevation loss.

There is not a lot of space on the summit rock pile and we disturbed another rattlesnake just off the summit. The first warm days in March and April are always an adventure.

Here is our ascent track

I kept this activation short but still managed 4 s2s contacts if not anything further than Washington and Arizona.

Mark makes his way through the brush with the San Jacinto Ridge in the background.
Still a ways to go to the summit.
Looking southwest across Reed Valley to the Palomar Ridge.
Looking southeast from the summit to Thomas Mountain and Toro Peak. Note the rocky snake habitat.
Gorgonio and Jacinto to the north. Little Cahuilla Mountain does have a nice view.

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Valley View Benchmark

Valley View Benchmark is a lovely summit. Not sure what kind of bird that is – maybe a condor? (See below)

29 MARCH 2025 W6/SC-377

Two Stars – a nice summit. I’d do it again. Recommended.
Elevation:735′
Route: Trail
Hike Distance: 2.5 miles round trip
Elevation Gain: 550′
Navigation: Easy
Steepness: Pretty steep in one place
Vehicle: Passenger car
Road: Paved
Cell Coverage: Good from Verizon
Hike basics

I love the central California coast in the spring! Late winter is even better. Too many tourists in the summer, but in the off season this part of California is a joy.

I got up early again and wanted a new summit that was easy. Those are getting harder and harder to find nearby as my SOTA obsession matures. The green hills from the late season rain prompted me to return to the central California coast.

This summit can be hiked from the east or the west. As I had never actually been to the end of the cul-de-sac that is Avila Beach, I opted for the west end off Cave Landing Road.

Here is the route I took

The Saturday crowd even in the off-season was fairly robust. Lots of people out to take in the good sea air and have at the one big hill that goes straight up the mountainside through the Black Mustard and grass.

On the way down I took a the featured picture above and I think that large bird might be a condor due to the white patches under the wings. This didn’t seem like condor habitat to me. Here is a blow-up:

Looking southwest to Avila Beach
Lovely trail along the summit. A dense forest of Coastal Live Oak (Quercus agrifolia) cloaks the north side away from the ocean. Lots of poison oak on that side!
The station using an oak as a mast support.
I handed out a lot of my SOTA cards to the many passerbyers.
Southeast down the coast

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Agua Dulce Benchmark

Looking west across the station to Hines Peak and Ventura and Santa Barbara Summits

25 MARCH 2025 W6/CT-273

One star – Nothing special but I’d do it again.
Elevation:2,844′
Route: Cross country
Hike Distance: 1.5 miles round trip
Elevation Gain: 800′
Navigation: Easy
Steepness: Moderately steep
Vehicle: Passenger car
Road: Paved road
Cell Coverage: Good Verizon
Hike basics

Looking for an easy new one and this pleasant jaunt filled the bill. I wanted to get back and spend some time with KG6MZR before she left for New Mexico so I made this one a quickie. The hike is very straightforward. Just follow make the first ridge line and follow it up. A recent fire has made the going easy.

Radio conditions were poor due to recent solar storms, but I still managed a few contacts

Here is my track up Agua Dulce Benchmark

The route up follows a sometimes steep ridgeline up from Agua Dulce Canyon Road. That’s Soledad Canyon Road visible in this shot.
The station looking west.
Looking northwest to Highway 14 and Cobblestone Mountain.
Recent fire made the route easy pickings. Looking east. You can actually see Whitedog below if you blow this shot up.

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Summit 3,620′

Looking west to Santa Ynez Peak

1 MARCH 2025 W6/SC-124

One star – Nothing special but I’d do it again.
Elevation:3,620′
Route: Paved Road
Hike Distance: Drive-up
Elevation Gain: n/a
Navigation: n/a
Steepness: n/a
Vehicle: Passenger car
Road: Good paved road
Cell Coverage: Good Verizon
Hike basics

Nothing much to this one. The high point on Camino Cielo is within the activation zone. There is a gated road to the summit but a fenced aviation radar facility blocks access to the actual summit. I look at a spot up that road but opted for a spot along Camino Cielo that was shielded from the radar.

I did manage to lose my Packtenna end fed random wire on the turnout on the road.

Here are my SOTA summit ratings

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KG6MZS Summit Index by Year

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