This was a fun one for me. After hitting up a few easy summits with summer bonus points in the Crestline area, I kinda wanted to camp before heading home to Los Angeles. Saddleback Butte caught my eye because there are camping facilities right by the trailhead – the idea was to head up to the summit just after dusk and activate, come back to camp, sleep, then head home in the morning. The hike up was easy, sandy in some parts and calm with a slight breeze. It took about an hour to get to the top, where I was greeted with extremely high winds, so high my antenna mast broke at the fattest, bottom piece. It was impossible to get any kind wire up in the air. I ended up with my 20M wire segment blowing like a flag over a ledge. After calling for about 20 minutes on CW, which I knew wouldn’t work at this hour – I gave up, packed my battered equipment down and went back to camp. I didn’t sleep well because the campground is situated near a busy road; trucks and motorcycles kept me awake. At first light, I headed back up to the summit where is was much calmer than the night before. I worked 20, 30, 40M CW. After I exhausted all the chasers I headed back to camp before the summer desert heat took hold. I’d do this one again, but I’m not sure I’d camp there again.
https://sotl.as/summits/W6/ND-308
Max elevation: 3644 ft
Total climbing: 1054 ft
Total time: 02:34:10
| 13:55 | K2JB | 14MHz | CW | S44N R33N |
| 14:02 | N0RZ | 14MHz | CW | S57N R55N |
| 14:04 | WN4AT | 14MHz | CW | S51N R33N |
| 14:06 | W4GO | 14MHz | CW | S33N R55N |
| 14:11 | W5ODS | 14MHz | CW | S57N R55N |
| 14:13 | W8EO | 14MHz | CW | S35N R55N |
| 14:18 | AK5SD | 14MHz | CW | S52N R51N |
| 14:29 | K7MK | 10MHz | CW | S57N R55N |
| 14:31 | K6HPX | 10MHz | CW | S44N R51N |
| 14:31 | N7CNS | 10MHz | CW | S45N R44N |
| 14:32 | K9OZ | 10MHz | CW | S51N R55N |
| 14:34 | N0DNF | 10MHz | CW | S51N R22N |
| 14:44 | WG0AT | 7MHz | CW | S32N R55N |
| 14:45 | K6YK | 7MHz | CW | S33N R33N |
| 14:48 | WW7D | 7MHz | CW | S33N R53N |
