This was my second summit of the day, having just come from Sierra Pelona. You can read about that summit here. I’m kinda glad I didn’t ride a mountain bike over to this summit like I had original planned, as there is some steep elevation to tackle on the way out. That being said, I think there are a few other ways up here that might be a bit easier on a bike than the was I took the moto. The top was easy to find, I looked around for a benchmark, but couldn’t find one. I did find a register going back to 2008 which I didn’t expect to see. I used the pile of rocks to support my antenna mast. I worked 40M, 30M ,and 20M with 4 S2S. Thanks! While I didn’t really notice at the time, where I was setup was almost directly on a moto trail. A group of bikers stopped for a minute to take in the great views, and luckily my antenna didn’t get snagged on anything. Wanting to explore the area bit more, I packed up and headed out after working all the chasers.

https://sotl.as/summits/W6/CT-118

Date:28/01/2023 | Summit:W6/CT-118 (Mount McDill)

Last summer I installed a new rear tire on my dual sport moto, rode it around the block once, parked it in the back yard, then promptly forgot about it over the wet winter. I’ve wanted to visit Sierra Pelona and Mt. McDill for some time, with the idea to take the mountain bike up there on a cool winter day. Well, the moto was in the back yard all sad, full of spiders, chain rusted, and had a dead battery. What better way to wake the bike up for the next season than a 100 mile round trip SOTA activation? After hosing the bike off, evicting the spiders, installing a new battery and applying copious amounts of gear oil on the chain, the ole’ DRZ was ready to go. I left my house in Echo Park and headed up Hwy 2, made a left on Angeles Forest Highway, over to Acton and up the road to Sierra Pelona. The road up was somewhat steep, but paved, which caught me by surprise. I was under the impression you needed a truck or something to get up there. At the top there is a radio installation, including a AT&T long lines tower. This isn’t where the summit is though, it’s further along the ridge, and the road isn’t paved at this point. I think a regular car would still be fine. At the summit, I looked around for a benchmark, but couldn’t find one. I setup my EFHW antenna and started working the bands, 40M, 30M, and 20M + 5 S2S. After exhausting the chasers, I packed up my gear and headed over to Mt. McDill a few miles away.

https://sotl.as/summits/W6/CT-116

Date:27/01/2023 | Summit:W6/CT-116 (Sierra Pelona)

I enjoy seeing whats in others amateur radio field kits, and how they are packed. Here is a quick walk through of mine.