Sunset Peak is rad. I started at Glendora Ridge Road across from Sunset Ridge Fire Road, and followed that up to the summit. At the top is a big chunk of sheet metal, I think from a lookout tower. I thought about ways to use this as a ground plane next time I’m there. Worked 20, 40, 2, and 1.2GHz. I got snowed on, in May, which was a nice surprise. The way down I was having so much fun, I went wayyyy past the turn off back to the car, but I eventually ran into GDR and cycled back on the road.
https://sotl.as/summits/W6/CT-022
Max elevation: 5777 ft
Total climbing: 2080 ft
Date:21/05/2021 | Summit:W6/CT-022 (Sunset Peak)
| Time | Callsign | Band | Mode | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23:03 | KC9YDC | 14MHz | SSB | S35 R47 POTA |
| 23:07 | W5GDW | 14MHz | SSB | S48 R32 |
| 23:07 | K6QCB | 14MHz | SSB | S59 R59 |
| 23:08 | WW7D | 14MHz | SSB | S57 R54 |
| 23:09 | WU7H | 14MHz | SSB | S57 R59 |
| 23:11 | K6ARK | 14MHz | SSB | S57 R42 |
| 23:11 | WD8KDB | 14MHz | SSB | S43 R33 |
| 23:12 | KK6JM | 14MHz | SSB | S59 R59 |
| 23:14 | NG6R | 14MHz | SSB | S59 R57 |
| 23:18 | W7MDN | 14MHz | SSB | S33 R22 S2S W7W/FR-044 |
| 23:42 | K6KWI | 144MHz | FM | |
| 23:44 | KI6SLA | 144MHz | FM | |
| 23:47 | WB6UNG | 144MHz | FM | RANDY |
| 23:54 | K6LDQ | 1240MHz | FM | S51 R59 %QRA%DM03TU% |
Edit December 5th, 2022. I was right about the big metal sheets on Sunset being from a old fire lookout tower. The info below was borrowed from firetower.org without any kind of permission.
Description
Sunset Peak replaced the former site on what is now known as Lookout Mountain, across the saddle to the north. Photographs appear to show it as an L-4 or BC-301 cab atop a 20 ft. steel tower. There was a small residence to the north and a cistern to the south. (The corrugated metal remains over what is believed to be the cistern.). Besides that all that remains are the footings for the tower and the foundation for the house.
Ron Kemnow’s site recounts stories of a 1928 lightning storm that destroyed the cabin, construction of the motorway in 1938 (eliminating the need of a pack train to bring supplies,) and a December 1938 fire which threatened the tower. Nonetheless, lookout Sherman Foster remained at his post. Both he and the tower survived.
The cab and tower were reportedly disassembled and transported to the Ontario Air Tanker Base in 1974 or 75. The final disposition of the structure is unknown.
