KG6MZS

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:

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.

Here are my SOTA summit ratings

Here are some cool links to Summits on the Air (SOTA)

KG6MZS Summit Index by Year

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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.

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.

Here are my SOTA summit ratings

Here are some cool links to Summits on the Air (SOTA)

KG6MZS Summit Index by Year

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Summit 3,620′

Looking west to Santa Ynez Peak

1 MARCH 2025 W6/SC-124

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

Here are some cool links to Summits on the Air (SOTA)

KG6MZS Summit Index by Year

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La Cumbre Peak

The early morning marine layer to the south of this lovely summit.

1 MARCH 2025 W6/SC-086

Elevation:	3,986′
Route:	Almost a drive up
Hike Distance:	.2 miles round trip
Elevation Gain:	80′
Navigation:	Easy
Steepness:	Gentle
Vehicle:	Passenger car
Road:	Good paved road
Cell Coverage:	Good verizon

Hike basics

Three stars for a virtual drive-up two pointer!? I just love this mountain. The Santa Ynez Range is so dynamic with unparalleled vistas of the Channel Island to the south and the great expanse of wilderness to the north. Yes, it isn’t much of a hike – and on a weekend afternoon, not much of a wilderness experience, but it still has a place in my heart.

I left Woodland Hills about 5am and was meandering up Gibraltar road as the sun came up. I had the summit picnic table, and, indeed the whole picnic area to myself.

It was a bit early for Saturday Morning chasers, but I made my contacts and moved on to W6/SC-124 further down the range.

I love this shot looking south over Cathedral Peak out to Diablo Mountain, the highest point on Santa Cruz Island. Indeed the highers point off the entire California Coast.

Looking west down the Santa Ynez range to Santa Ynez Peak.

Looking Northeast past the Gibraltar Reservoir and perhaps my favorite wilderness ares of Southern California.

Here are my SOTA summit ratings

Here are some cool links to Summits on the Air (SOTA)

KG6MZS Summit Index by Year

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Thomas Mountain

Here is one leg of the doublet and the roll-up slim jim antenna for 2m.

23 FEBRUARY 2025 W6/CT-016

Elevation:	6,825′
Route:	Drive up
Hike Distance:	n/a
Elevation Gain:	n/a
Navigation:	n/a
Steepness:	n/a
Vehicle:	High clearance 4wd suggested
Road:	As of this trip pretty rutted
Cell Coverage:	Good Verizon

Hike basics

When I first visited Thomas Mountain in August of 1996 I found all the campers down off the summit at Yellow Posts 6 & 8. They were all anxiously looking up to the summit while the sound of gunfire echoed down the mountain. I slowly drove to the beginning of the summit and found a campsite littered with broken booze bottles and bullet casings. Some extremely drunk guys were over on the actual summit yelling and squeezing off rounds. I beat a hasty retreat.

This time there were only a few, well behaved campers and I found an unused campsite near the top.

I ended up doing both roads up from Highway 74. I went up the one marked “Thomas Mountain” and down the one marked “Little Thomas Mountain.” I’d suggest the latter as it is a bit shorter.

Both roads seem to have suffered from the last two rainy years. I did it back in 1996 in a Volvo sedan. I would suggest a high clearance 4wd now, but I saw some guys going up in a Lexus sedan.

When it came to the radio portion of our show: what a difference a day makes! The summit-to-summit contact with Pavel OK1MCS/P in the Czech Republic really made my day!

Only two 2m contacts on the rollup slim Jim seen in the background here.

The station is looking a little battered.

Here are my SOTA summit ratings

Here are some cool links to Summits on the Air (SOTA)

KG6MZS Summit Index by Year

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Lookout Mountain #1

Looking east from the summit toward Toro Peak.

19 MARCH 2026 W5N/CT-104

Elevation:	5,590′
Route:	Pacific Crest Trail and use trail
Hike Distance:	4 miles round trip
Elevation Gain:	1,000′ plus 400′ on the return
Navigation:	Moderate
Steepness:	Steep use trail
Vehicle:	Passenger car
Road:	Paved highway
Cell Coverage:	Good Verizon

Hike basics

It’s always good to get what I consider to be a SOTA trifecta: a unique activation, a complete activation and a new Hundred Peaks Section (HPS) summit. Lookout Mountain (number 1 by the HPS) provided just such an opportunity.

Since I was making the drive, I figured to spend the night in Idyllwild and do Thomas Mountain in the morning before returning to the San Fernando Valley. Cassie (KG6MZR) and I have been staying with a friend since being displaced by the Palisades Fire.

I got a pretty early start and got to the trailhead just before 8am. It was a warm, dry, clear day with a general offshore flow to the airmass over Southern California. The Pacific Crest Trail leaves Highway 74 and heads up to a small pass through a forest of large Redshanks. The trail then descends 400 feet over the next mile or so to the gully where I left the PCT at 33.54859º N, 116.57528º W and headed up a pretty well defined use trail.

Here is my ascent track up Lookout Mountain

Here is the HPS guide

The use trail is fairly obvious but I did need to backtrack a few times where animal trails threw me off.

This is a relatively seldom visited summit and the summit register went back 15 years.

Radio conditions weren’t the greatest and I missed quite a few of my regular chasers, but it was such a nice day and a peaceful summit I didn’t mind too much.

Looking north toward Thomas Mt. by my head and San Jacinto to the right.

Here are my SOTA summit ratings

Here are some cool links to Summits on the Air (SOTA)

KG6MZS Summit Index by Year

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Mount Lemmon

Highway 39 on the way up to Mount Lemmon.

15 DECEMBER 2024 W7A/AW-001

Elevation:	9,167′
Route:	Drive up if the gate is open
Hike Distance:	3.6 miles round trip if gate is closed
Elevation Gain:	800′ if gate is closed (Dec 15 to Mar 1)
Navigation:	Easy
Steepness:	Gentle
Vehicle:	Passenger car
Road:	Good paved road
Cell Coverage:	Full bars Verizon

Hike basics

Cassie KG6MZR and I decided to take the southern route to her place in north central New Mexico to avoid any weather and to do a bit if exploring. We had driven from Topanga, California to Tucson the previous day and decided to lay over a day in Southern Arizona.

K0NR had mentioned that the road to the summit from the small ski area might be closed in November, so we knew we might need to do a bit of hiking. Highway 39 turns out to be a very good road that ascends through multiple vegetative zones from Sonoran Desert to Coniferous Forest. This fun drive winds its wayup through a maze of dramatic granite formations and offers spectacular views of the Tucson area below.

We lucked out and found the gate open with a sign that said the road was closed for winter from December 15th to March 1st. Later we met a forest service ranger that was locking the gate on Mount Bigalow.

The day use area below the observatories and communication facilities is within the activation zone and offers a comfortable place to set up the station. I kept this activation short because KG6MZR was with me, however Cassie did get her first SOTA activation thanks to 4 chasers on VHS in the greater Tucson Area. Thanks guys!

KG6MZS 30′ fiberglass mast for my doublet in the day use area on Mount Lemmon.

Suguaros in the Sonoran Desert on the way up.

Comfy station set-up on a picnic table in the day-use area.

Here are my SOTA summit ratings

Here are some cool links to Summits on the Air (SOTA)

KG6MZS Summit Index by Year

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Summit 3,853′

Looking north at the Agua Dulce Movie Ranch aka Firestone Ranch, Letteau Ranch or Annan Ranch with Mount McDill Behind

9 NOVEMBER 2024 W6/CT-165

Elevation:	3,853′
Route:	4×4 trail
Hike Distance:	4.0 miles round trip
Elevation Gain:	1000′
Navigation:	Easy
Steepness:	Moderate
Vehicle:	High clearance suggest for the last bit
Road:	Good dirt road
Cell Coverage:	Good Verizon

Hike basics

This summit turned out to be far more enjoyable than I expected. I didn’t see anybody else all day and not a lot of signs that people do this mountain very often. As a result of this solitude I saw a surprising amount of wildlife: a bobcat, a roadrunner, some quail, a few big jackrabbits and, of course, the ubiquitous ravens taunting me: “Ha! Ha! Ha! You have to walk and we can fly! Ha! Ha! Ha!”

I looked into a little closer approach via Hierba Road and even though it abuts the Angeles National Forest the whole neighborhood looked to be on private roads, so I went with the Pacific Crest Trailhead off of Peterson Road that everyone else uses. I was able to get to the two powerline towers on a dirt road that I would’ve driven my passenger sedans. Your mileage may vary on that one.

Here is my track up As usual, my descent track was a little more direct and I would probably go this way next time I visit this pleasant little peak.

Band conditions were okay and I did get Christian F4WBN in France along with two summit-to-summit calls. Because this mountain is tucked in behind the San Gabriel Mountain Crest, 2 meter FM into the LA Basin is tough.

Looking down the doublet to Cobblestone Mountain just peaking over the ridge right of the mast. Hines Peak and Santa Paula Peak to the left in this nice view to the west.

Looking east down all three masts of my doublet to Sierra Pelona (W6/CT-116)

Close up of the station from the operating position.

As I started down a fire broke out in Agua Dulce. I could hear explosions.

Here are my SOTA summit ratings

Here are some cool links to Summits on the Air (SOTA)

KG6MZS Summit Index by Year

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Summit 2,569′ “Teri’s Peak”

Sunrise over San Jacinto Peak from the trail up Teri’s Peak.

20 OCTOBER 2024 W6/CT-195

Elevation:	2,569′
Route:	Good trail
Hike Distance:	2.25 miles round trip
Elevation Gain:	800′
Navigation:	Easy
Steepness:	Moderate
Vehicle:	Passenger car
Road:	Good dirt road to Horse Camp
Cell Coverage:	Good Verizon

Hike basics

Another 5AM start from Topanga Canyon found me back in the Bernasconi Hills after last weekend’s enjoyable hike up Mount Russell (W6/CT-188). There is a $10 day use fee ($3bfor seniors) and the recreation area opens at 6AM. I got to the Horse Camp trailhead before the sun came.

Here is my track up Teri’s Peak

There were a few early-risers hiking down the trail before sunrise and a dozen or so people visited this summit during my activation. This summit is much more heavily traveled than the neighboring Mount Russell. The granite boulders the punctuate the trail are scarred with graffiti and there was quite a bit of trash. All this led me to only give this summit one star. I did see a couple with a trash bag and a trash picker cleaning up some of the mess on the way down. Good for them!

Here’s the station looking northeast to Mount San Gorgonio.

I used one of the graffiti-scarred boulders as one antenna support for my doublet.

Huge warehouses to the west and Santiago and Modjeska Peaks.

Plenty of room in the activation zone to set up my big antenna. March Air Force Base visible here.

Here are my SOTA summit ratings

Here are some cool links to Summits on the Air (SOTA)

KG6MZS Summit Index by Year

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Mount Russell

Perris Lake to the southwest of this fine summit

12 OCTOBER 2024 W6/CT-188

Elevation:	2,703′
Route:	Good Trail
Hike Distance:	4 miles round trip
Elevation Gain:	950′ via route 2
Navigation:	Easy
Steepness:	Moderate
Vehicle:	Passenger car
Road:	Paved
Cell Coverage:	Excellent Verizon

Hike basics

This summit turned out to be a very pleasant surprise. The only Mount Russell I’d ever heard of was the spectacular 14,000 footer near Mount Whitney. I’d done this magnificent summit in July of 1986 and it remains one of my favorite all-time summits, so I wasn’t expecting much on this little Mount Russell. KG6LI had warned that Perris Lake State Recreation area can be quite crowded on weekend, so I was also expecting a lot of hikers.

I left Topanga Canyon right at 5AM and got to the Hunter’s Trailhead parking lot at 7AM and was not surprised to find a dozen or so cars already parked there. I figured I’d see a lot of hikers. Wrong. Not only did I not see a single hiker all day, strangely there were no cars in the lot when I got back at about 1pm! This is contrary to my usual experience.

KG6LI mentioned that there are a variety of ways up this mountain, so I followed his track up the ridge. There is a considerable of elevation loss after the last false summit. I did find a slightly more direct route on the way down that is a little shorter and avoids this loss. The trail was very well maintained by the state but, surprisingly not on any map!

This is my descent route track that I suggest is an easier route up avoiding that elevation loss. You can make a fun loop of this mountain by taking KG6LI’s route as an alternate. Here is the track I took on that way up

The summit looks like it is going to be a cramped summit block on the way up, but once on the top a wide set-up area appears within the activation zone. On a clear day like this one the view is spectacular. All the bigs: San Antonio, San Gorgonio San Jacinto and Santiago dominate the horizon. Lake Perris and the very cool named Mystic Lake surround.

I loved this summit!

Radio conditions were okay and I did manage to pull F5PYI out on 15m as well as three s2s contacts. A lot of photos to follow – more than I usually post because this was a very photogenic activation.