This is the first summit of four E and I completed for Winter SOTA Fest 2024. Until my activation, this was only activated once in 2012 – 12 years earlier. I’m not sure why. Hiking around this was really fun, the rocks were interesting, and it wasn’t that hard of a climb. I’d definitely some back to this one. Worked 7 and 14m CW. After packing up we chose to hike a different way down, through a wash with large boulders to make it a loop.

https://sotl.as/summits/W6/SD-064

Date:12/01/2024 |  Summit:W6/SD-064 (4835) 

This was the second summit of the day for So.Cal Winter SOTA Fest, having just finished up Su Casa Benchmark to the north. I missed a open clearing to park off the narrow dirt road and couldn’t turn around after realizing my mistake, so I ended up parking a bit further away. After slathering on sunscreen, E and I started hiking up the summit, following a track provided by Kevin, the event organizer. After getting through a wash and dry waterfall we started the steeper climb up out of a box canyon. I kept thinking of my great uncle, Jack, who lost a leg in WWII. He would always joke that the lack of a leg was an advantage when walking sideways across a hill. I think he might have been comfortable than me because most of this hike is side-hilling. The summit was super windy, so I only worked 40M and 2M. On the way down, we took a much better route as we had gone through a sketchy area on the way up.

https://sotl.as/summits/W6/SD-128

Date:13/01/2024 |  Summit:W6/SD-128 (Daggett Ridge)

I activated this summit with E. for So.Cal Winter SOTA Fest 2024. Having worked Kevin on this same peak the day before on two meters, it became an attractive target to get a complete in the log. This is basically a drive up, but the last bit is steep and washed out. The trail stops on a ridge where there isn’t much room to turn around. You probably want 4×4. If I were to do this again, I would park at the end of the easy two-track road when it starts making it’s way up a hill and just hike – It’s not that far. You will know what I’m talking about when you get there.

It was pretty windy getting out of the truck on the ridge, but surprisingly it was pretty calm at the summit. I worked high bands with the 817 and a vertical, and worked 2M for locals and other Winter SOTA Fest operators who were also crawling around on hills in the area. After exhausting the chasers, E. and I headed over to Daggett Ridge.

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

Date:13/01/2024 |  Summit:W6/SD-116 (Su Casa Benchmark) 

This was a nice, relatively easy hike up; I didn’t know there was a communications site at the top, so I was a bit surprised. While setting up my 817 Kel and I watched para-gliders fly back and fourth gaining altitude until they were out of sight. There was a cold wind blowing at the summit, so the para-gliders must have been extra cold with their extra altitude. Worked the high bands, heard my 2M radio squawk which turned out to be another SOTA station up in Los Angeles. We hiked down the same way and got on the freeway North to try and beat some commuter traffic back to L.A.

https://sotl.as/summits/W6/SC-338

Date:18/11/2023 |  Summit:W6/SC-338 (Black Mountain)

This summit is right off I5 by the San Clemente Denny’s, the one with the neon sign. Access is easy – park in the cul-de-sac at the end of Del Dios and walk up the obvious path, then turn right. If you pass an old AT&T long lines tower you went the wrong way. Most of this is paved. The true summit is just off the paved path. At the top I setup my Yaesu 817 and worked high bands. Japan was booming in with good signal reports both ways. I didn’t realize it at the time, but I crossed the UTC time threshold, so this ended up being two activations on separate days. As the sun set, I packed up and headed back to the car.

https://sotl.a10Ms/summits/W6/SC-460

Date:18/11/2023 |  Summit:W6/SC-460 (906) 

Date:19/11/2023 |  Summit:W6/SC-460 (906) 

Kel and I woke up at our hotel in Point Loma, grabbed some breakfast and headed to Cowles Mountain. It was obvious at the trailhead that this is a popular place to hike. We had to pace ourselves, otherwise the potential for getting stuck directly behind a slower group hiking several abreast unaware of their surroundings was real. At the top were several groups relaxing and chatting. Because of all the people, I used high band (shorter) antennas to keep myself out of the way. After working two bands, I packed up and headed to the next summit. I’m not sure I’ll do this one again.

https://sotl.as/summits/W6/SC-335

Date:18/11/2023 |  Summit:W6/SC-335 (Cowles Mountain)