This was my 3th summit for 2025 So.Cal Winter SOTA Fest.

Summit 1-> https://blog.benmook.com/w6-sd-140-cougar-buttes/
Summit 2-> https://blog.benmook.com/w6-sd-145-3938/
Summit 3-> https://blog.benmook.com/w6-sd-018-rodman-mountains-hp/
Summit 4-> https://blog.benmook.com/w6-sd-218-watkins-benchmark/
Summit 5-> https://blog.benmook.com/w6-sd-040-west-ord-mountain/

After activating Cougar Buttes and 3938 earlier in the day, I felt like I had enough daylight for one more activation before heading back to camp. Rodman Mountain is a drive up, and pretty far from pavement. Since I was already half way there from 3938, that’s where I headed. I jumped on Camp Rock Road which is mostly wide and smooth. Eventually you need to turn off on Pipkin Cindercone Road, then, to a narrow, somewhat steep and twisty road that terminates at a large communications site. I parked at the top where it was extremely windy and cold. Not wanting to leave the comfort of the cab, but with the summit in sight I layered up and headed to the top, which isn’t very far at all. Once there I was able to tuck behind some rocks which made the rest of the activation quite enjoyable. Worked 15M and 20M on the KH1 whip. Barely made one 2M contact with Mike who was heading to Sawtooth Campground. Someone out there was running a repeater or something on 146.580 because I kept hearing a tone every time I released my PTT. Someone then came on frequency and said I should move. They wouldn’t give me their call, perhaps they didn’t have one.

I headed down the way I came up. It was almost dark when I arrived at Pipkin Cindercone road, where I stopped and attached some cheap Amazon ditch lights to the truck I bought months prior. I had never bolted these on before, so it took some time to adjust them where I wanted extra light to shine. I continued on to the intersection of Camp Rock Road, but instead of going back the way I came, I left at the intersection because it looked like it would be faster on the map. This was not the case. The road was extremely slow going, rocky and narrow in some places. At one point I saw a large critter run across my path into the desert. Because the ditch lights I could clearly see a bobcat! This was the highlight of my day. It took an hour and a half to get back to Sawtooth Campground to meet other SOTA activators. When I had enough of the cold, I headed to Barstow for the night.

https://sotl.as/summits/W6/SD-018

Download file: Rodman.gpx

Date:18/01/2025 |  Summit:W6/SD-018 (Rodman Mountains (HP)) 

Time	Callsign	Band	Mode	Notes
00:25	WU7H	21MHz	CW	S58N R53N
00:26	JG0AWE	21MHz	CW	S51N R33N
00:27	WW7D	21MHz	CW	S58N R55N
00:28	W5GDW	21MHz	CW	S52N R54N
00:31	W4JKC	21MHz	CW	S52N R55N
00:36	W5ODS	14MHz	CW	S599 R53N
00:40	AF0E	14MHz	CW	S52N R57N
00:47	K6STR	144MHz	FM	S33 R22

This was my 4th summit for 2025 So.Cal Winter SOTA Fest.

Summit 1-> https://blog.benmook.com/w6-sd-140-cougar-buttes/
Summit 2-> https://blog.benmook.com/w6-sd-145-3938/
Summit 3-> https://blog.benmook.com/w6-sd-018-rodman-mountains-hp/
Summit 4-> https://blog.benmook.com/w6-sd-218-watkins-benchmark/
Summit 5-> https://blog.benmook.com/w6-sd-040-west-ord-mountain/

The predicted temperature at Sawtooth campground was lower than I would be comfortable camping in, so I booked a warm room in nearby Barstow. The hotel has a really good Mexican restaurant and a bar attached, so I had a good dinner and some beers before going to sleep. My alarm was set for 7AM. I got up, got some coffee, and headed to Watkins Benchmark south of Barstow. Getting there was pretty easy, from Barstow Road, turn onto Stoddard Wells Road and follow it up to the first set of hills. I eventually found a very sand road, which was more like a wash, and followed it right to the bottom of the summit. Don’t try this in a passenger car. My truck was bottoming out in some areas, and it was extremely soft and sandy. You could easily get stuck back there.

The hike up was peaceful with cool, calm air. At the top is the remains of an old survey tower and a summit register. I setup a Yaesu 817 and worked 10M, and 20M, in addition to a few 2M stations who were participating in the weekend event. I wanted to do a bigger, longer hike, so my time at the top was short. After packing up and heading down to the truck, it took awhile to find the best way out of the sandy wash, as I didn’t want to go back the way I came. Once on pavement, I turned the truck south and headed to my next climb.

https://sotl.as/summits/W6/SD-218

Download file: Watkins.gpx

Date:18/01/2025 |  Summit:W6/SD-218 (Watkins Benchmark)

Time	Callsign	Band	Mode	Notes
16:40	KI6SLA	144MHz	FM	S59 R59
16:53	F4WBN	28MHz	CW	S57N R599
16:54	WN4AT	28MHz	CW	S55N R55N
16:55	KF6HI	28MHz	CW	S57N R55N
16:56	WB9HFK	28MHz	CW	S55N R52N
16:58	K9WO	28MHz	CW	S57N R57N
17:01	K6TW	144MHz	FM	S59 R59
17:01	W6LOR	144MHz	FM	S59 R59
17:02	KN6FNY	144MHz	FM	S59 R59
17:02	K6STR	144MHz	FM	S59 R59
17:03	KG6TGR	144MHz	FM	S59 R59
17:04	KB9ENS	144MHz	FM	S45 R59
17:09	N0IPA	14MHz	CW	S58N R55N
17:10	AA7OY	14MHz	CW	S2S W7A/AP-010 S599 R599
17:11	WW7D	14MHz	CW	S599 R57N
17:11	WU7H	14MHz	CW	S58N R56N
17:12	W0MNA	14MHz	CW	S58N R57N
17:13	W6TDX	14MHz	CW	S599 R56N
17:14	W0ERI	14MHz	CW	S58N R57N
17:15	AE0Z	14MHz	CW	S57N R599
17:15	KT5X	14MHz	CW	S57N R57N
17:16	AK5SD	14MHz	CW	S55N R42N
17:19	N7EDK	14MHz	CW	S31N R33N

This summit is in Death Valley National Park, and as the name suggests, on the border of Nevada and California. I parked at a large gravel area off Daylight Pass Road, crossed the pavement and began my hike to the summit, weaving around various obstacles on the way. There is no use trail, but several rock cairns along the way helped guide my path. The landscape is ‘lumpy’, and I wasn’t sure exactly where the summit was; a topo map on my phone was heavily used to ensure I was chasing the right mountain. Once at the top I found a register and three benchmarks. I signed the log and setup a Yaesu 817 with a 10M EFHW antenna. Worked several stations, packed up my kit, then headed back the way I came.

https://sotl.as/summits/W7N/NS-196

Download file: Boundry-Monument.gpx

Date:09/11/2024 |  Summit:W7N/NS-196 (CA/NV Boundary Monument 93) 

Time	Callsign	Band	Mode	Notes
17:03	AA4AI	28MHz	CW	S58N R42N
17:05	WN4AT	28MHz	CW	S57N R55N
17:06	K9WO	28MHz	CW	S58N R55N
17:07	WY7N	28MHz	CW	S57N R53N
17:09	F4WBN	28MHz	CW	S33N R599
17:10	KV4AN	28MHz	CW	S33N R44N
17:11	KC5BG	28MHz	CW	S57N R55N
17:12	N0TU	28MHz	CW	S58N R55N
17:13	W5ODS	28MHz	CW	S58N R57N
17:14	N4EX	28MHz	CW	S58N R54N
17:16	WB8BHN	28MHz	CW	S33N R41N