Here’s my comfy little station looking east toward Lockwood Valley and Frazier Mountain.
5 October 2024 W6/SC-012
Two Stars – a nice summit. I’d do it again. Recommended.
Elevation:
6,585′
Route:
Cross country
Hike Distance:
3.8 miles round trip from gate
Elevation Gain:
875′
Navigation:
A bit tricky to start/end
Steepness:
Moderate
Vehicle:
Passenger car
Road:
Good dirt road
Cell Coverage:
Good Verizon
Hike basics
This is a pleasant cross-country hike in a less-traveled corner of Southern California. I first hiked this mountain on September 18, 2003 when I was doing the HPS list. This time I found Pine Springs Campground closed and was obliged to park Whitedog at the gate about 3/4 of a mile short of the usual parking spot. So that added a mile and a half to my trip that I did not mind on this nice day.
Navigation on this hike is a bit tricky at the start and at the end as noted above. The trick is to find the correct ridge to ascend after going through the wash to the southwest of the campground. Once you are on the ridge, there is a fairly well established use trail that follows an ancient firebreak the was once bulldozed. If you miss this cross-wash transition on the way back it could lead to trouble, so make careful note of the route going out and look back to establish your landmarks for the return trip.
I got a bit off-route going up so here is my descent track that, as usual, provides a better route to follow.
Band conditions were spectacular for a change and I had a lot of fun working station in Europe as well as most of my usual favorites on 7 bands. I got my first 10m activation in quite a while after a summer of slim pickings on that band.
The summit looking west to Reyes Peak and Big Pine Mountain across several wilderness areas.A lovely fall day on the way up. Looking north at the summit.A cool meadow off the west flank of Guillermo. Not sure why the iPhone photo was so fuzzy.On the way up looking westLooking northwest.
Two Stars – a nice summit. I’d do it again. Recommended.
Elevation:
1,906′
Route:
Trail
Hike Distance:
1.5 miles round trip
Elevation Gain:
375′
Navigation:
Easy
Steepness:
Gentle
Vehicle:
Passenger car
Road:
Paved
Cell Coverage:
Excellent Verizon
Hike basics
If Flint Peak in Southern California is owned by David N6AN, then Vollmer Peak should be renamed Mount Pisor for K6EL’s myriad summit-to-summit contacts from this pleasant hike in the suburban hills of Berkeley. Many times I have been gratified to hear “Two dollars and ninety eight cents” from El.
I left Topanga Canyon at 4AM and braved the semis up I-5 on a trip that was to take my to my old climbing buddy Bill Smith’s house. We were going to take in the last few games that the Oakland A’s were going to play at the Oakland Coliseum. I could not resist adding a SOTA activation into the fun mix.
The trail to the summit is easy to follow but the circuitous drive up into the Berkeley Hills is a bit more challenging. Since I was a boy I have always loved the Bay Area. Compared to Southern California is was always cooler, greener and more beautiful to my eye. This lovely hike is a perfect example. The marine layer streamed in the Golden Gate and played cat-and-mouse with the bridges while Mount Tamalpias and Mount Diablo lorded over the green and gold of the autumnal equinox in the heart of California. The trail was lush with ferns and raspberry (and a lot of poison oak!) muddy from the copious fog-drip precipitation slakes the thirsty redwoods.
This was a work day for me and as I was on call, I made the activation shorter than I otherwise might’ve. Band conditions were poor, but I still had no trouble getting the requisite 4.
Looking east toward Mount Diablo.Mount Tamalpias and a bit of the bay to the Northwest.Sutro Tower in San Francisco is just visible poking out of the trademark fog here looking west.
Sunrise near the trailhead. Didn’t see another soul all day
14 September 2024 W6/SC-016
One star – Nothing special but I’d do it again.
Elevation:
6,261′
Route:
Forest service trail and cross country
Hike Distance:
5.5 miles round trip
Elevation Gain:
1,200′
Navigation:
Easy
Steepness:
Steep cross country
Vehicle:
High clearance suggested
Road:
Good dirt road
Cell Coverage:
Good Verizon
Hike basics
I last hiked this mountain on May 28, 1996 before it had burned in the Day Fire of 2006. While the area has rebounded fairly well in the intervening 18 years, there was noticeably more deadfall in the cross-country gully than there was back in the last century. Lorene (W6LOR) and Mike (K6STR) had done this mountain a few weeks before and suggested that the standard route up the gully used by The Hundred Peaks Section might be a bit shorter and less brushy, if not more fallen trees to contend with than the ridge route.
I found the hike to be very enjoyable. Others have mentioned finding water along the route, but in September there was none to be seen on this trip. There is no shade on the summit so bring plenty of water.
I was surprised to find a Jeep Rubicon parked at the spot where the route leaves Yellowjacket trail and ascends the gully. On the summit I found a full camp with a tent, sleeping bags, chairs and a mobile phone charging via a solar panel in the sun. No people, though. A few empty water bottles. I hope they are okay.
I made no 2m contacts which is unusual for Southern California. I suggest HG gear is a must for this activation. Even with a class C solar flare I had 3 s2s contacts and several back east.
The station looking south to Hines PeakThe “ghost camp” I found on the summit.Looking northeast to Frazier Peak and Lockwood Valley.Mount Pinos dominates the north view.The station.
The station on the uneven ground of the summit. Looking south with Cuymaca Peak in the background.
SPECIAL ACCESS NOTE: This summit is on the Santa Rosa Band of Cahuilla Indians reservation. A day-use permit is required to visit this summit. Permits are $40 per person and must be obtained in advance. A liability waiver is also required.
Two Stars – a nice summit. I’d do it again. Recommended.
Elevation:
8,694′
Route:
Dirt Road
Hike Distance:
1 mile round trip
Elevation Gain:
450′
Navigation:
Easy
Steepness:
Moderate
Vehicle:
High clearance suggested
Road:
Long dirt road
Cell Coverage:
Spotty Verizon
Hike basics
Toro Peak is a summit that has eluded me. It is the highest of the Santa Rosa Mountains one of the HPS summits that I have never done, so this was an extra special summit for me. I left Topanga about 5 AM and had a relatively fast trip to the Ramona Expressway. Once here however I was stopped by a seemingly endless procession of signals. Back in the days when I was rock climbing Suicide and Taquitz Rocks we often went this way. I was amazed to see the number of bedroom communities that have sprung up since that time.
Santa Rosa Road leaves Highway 74 — the so-called “Pines to Palms Highway” at
33° 34.0662′ N, 116° 30.7052′ W
From here is is 12.5 miles of pretty bad road. It’s the kind of road I have driven passenger cars on but I was glad to have Whitedog’s high clearance and 4 wheel drive. There was a Tesla and a Lexus parked about half way up before a rutted, muddy section.
The hike itself is short – about half a mile up 450′ – to a large communications facility. I continued past that to the west side where I found a place to set up away from the microwave dishes and repeaters. the ground here was pretty uneven and it took me much longer to set up than usual as my wires and ropes kept getting tangled and jammed in the rocks and buck brush.
It was pretty hot in the sun and I brought an umbrella. This was fortunate because my electronics rapidly overheated in the direct sun.
Looking south to Palomar and Cuyamaca Peak.Sign at the trailhead.Looking north to Mount San Jacinto, Mount San Gorgonio and Mount San Antonio — all the bigs.Looking west to Santiago and Modjeska Peaks and the fog laden Los Angeles Basin
On my way back to Southern California from our total solar eclipse adventure I like to break up the trip from Taos to Topanga with a layover in Flagstaff. The cinder cones on the Coconino Plateau are easy and fun activation. This time I set my sights on two juicy 10-pointers for uniques and completes: Goverment Hill & Mountain.
Strangely Government Hill is higher than Government Mountain by about 100′. The dirt road is a little bumpy but otherwise good. The hike is pretty straightforward — just head up the steep slope up and around a false summit to the right east. The false summit is just discontinuous from the activation zone – I checked.
Looking Southwest from Sycamore Lookout. Peaks in the area have a reputation for having no view. This one defies the stereotype. Photograph by Cassie Fitzgerald.
11 APRIL 2024 W5O/OU-005
Two Stars – a nice summit. I’d do it again. Recommended.
Elevation:
2,379′
Route:
Drive-up
Hike Distance:
n/a
Elevation Gain:
n/a
Navigation:
n/a
Steepness:
n/a
Vehicle:
Passenger car
Road:
Paved
Cell Coverage:
Verizon
Hike basics
On our way back to New Mexico from our adventure taking in the total solar eclipse in Arkansas I wanted to activate at least one summit in the state of Oklahoma. I had this idea that Oklahoma was all rather flat, dry and dull. This excursion disabused me of that notion. I found the place to be interesting, lush in places and lovely. From Rogers, Arkansas we drove southwest into the Ouachita Mountains across some really beautiful country.
Sycamore Lookout is along a long ridge line off an abandoned spur of Highway 1. There had been a lookout tower there once judging from the remnants of a foundation. It was a easy to find just west of a communications facility. We drove up the dirt spur to within feet of the summit. Here are the coordinates:
I was with Cassie, my brother and his companion Anne so I made this a relatively short activation. Besides we wanted to get a move on into Texas before the end of the day.
The station and the author. Photo by Cassie Fitzgerald
The 2024 North American Eclipse at totality. 400mm lens with a 100000 neutral density filter.
Our Moon is closer in size to the Earth than any other moon & planet combo in our solar system. The relationship is so close that we are sometimes called “The Double Planet.”
It is an astounding coincidence that the angular size of our Moon in the sky is almost exactly the same angular size in the sky as the far more distant and far larger star we call the Sun. This totally rando twist of fate gives us the wondrous phenomenon we know as a total solar eclipse.
In 2017 Cassie and I traveled to the Tetons in Wyoming to witness a solar eclipse in the path of totality in the backyard of our good friend Linnea Gardner. This profound four minutes of our lives prompted from us a vow to chase these magic moments whenever we could.
Our vows led us to Mount Nebo in the state Arkansas this year. This time we were joined by my brother Mark Fitzgerald, his girlfriend Anne Salzer and our good friend Kim Russo.
Cassie, Mark, Anne and I left Cassie’s little adobe in New Mexico on the 6th and battled a pretty decent-sized late season snowstorm over the Sangre de Christo Mountains. Once we cleared that hurdle we were met at the edge of the Great Plains by tremendous winds that tossed legions of tumbleweeds across the highway and into the grills of our intrepid vehicles. Totality or Bust!
Battling tumbleweeds across the Panhandle of Oklahoma. Photo by Cassie Fitzgerald.
Not only did the Sun and Moon align but so did our crew of merry eclipse hunters — we picked up Kim by the shores of Beaver Lake and excitedly made our plans for the following day. We had Mount Nebo State Park in our sights but we were prepared to go wherever the skies were clear. Our good fortune continued as the overnight thunder, rain and lightning moved on ant the big day dawned clear blue.
When we arrived at Mt. Nebo, the state park was very well organized by friendly people. We were two of the last three cars allowed to park at the Sunrise Point parking lot! My first choice! The view of the Arkansas River Valley is spectacular.
Some of our “Furry” friends at Dawn Point on Mount Nebo 😉Left to right: Mark, Anne, Kim and the author. I’m grateful to have shared this experience with such wonderful humans. Photo by Cassie Fitzgerald.
A total solar eclipse starts out oh, so slowly. The Moon takes a bite out of the sun. As the bite slowly grows the quality of the light changes in a way that is unlike a sunset or a cloud moving in front of the Sun. Colors seem to change and contrast increases. The air cools. Everything gets darker and darker by imperceptible increments. The nuclear reactions in the face of our Sun cause the surface to be so luminous that even when the Sun’s face is almost covered it is still too bright to look at.
And then, all at once: BAM! It’s dark! the stars come out. Jupiter and Venus burn steadily in the darkened sky. The temperature drops. The birds cease their songs. Crickets chirp. Streetlights come on in the villages down below.
The entire horizon is circled by the sunlight streaming down from overhead in the far distance. Not like a sunset – it is all around and the angle is too high. It is truly like nothing else.
The crowd gasps, cheers and then there is a hushed awe. Tears well up in my eyes even now reliving those powerful moments that rocked us all to the very cores of our being.
And then, just as suddenly: BAM! the Sun returns the life-giving light to our small blue planet.
Totality on Mt. Nebo’s Dawn Point. Photo by Cassie FitzgeraldThe first ray of sun returns to the limb of the Moon creating the so-called “Diamond Ring” effect.Photo by Cassie Fitzgerald.Our neighbors from the University of Colorado at Bolder had a Celestron 11″ Telescope and shared this amazing photo with us.
8 APRIL 2024 W5A/MA-004
Three stars – Highly recommended.
Elevation:
1,790′
Route:
Drive-up
Hike Distance:
n/a
Elevation Gain:
n/a
Navigation:
n/a
Steepness:
n/a
Vehicle:
Passenger car
Road:
Steep “crooked” paved
Cell Coverage:
Okay with Verizon
Hike basics
After the eclipse we figured we would let the crowd thin out and file down the steep “crooked” road that is the only way in and out of Mount Nebo State Park. Band conditions we very poor and I accidentally left my Yeti 1500 AC power inverter on for a portion of the activation. This added a lot (s9) noise to several bands. 10m was completely dead. Not wanting to drag the activation out in consideration of my crew, I only made 6 contacts. The icing on the cake of a wonderful day was catching David N6AN on Ortega Mountain in Arizona for a summit-to-summit.
KG6MZS 
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