SOTA Punchbowl Dome (W7U/WS-122) Back After 3-years

 

I wanted to get back out this Saturday since it's been a while. I had more ambitious plans than Punchbowl Dome, which is just a 1-pointer which I've done before. I had a Zoom meeting in the morning though, so didn't have time to follow my plans. Probably better anyway, I'm not in good shape and the other plan would have been very strenuous.

Back to Failed Area, POTA/WWFF, Joshua Tree Historical Area

I went back to Joshua Tree Historical area today (K-6092) in Beaver Dam Wash Conservation Area (K-6096) where I had a failed activation in Sept. since, of course, I couldn't let it go without being properly activated. It was a great day and activation. It's also a WWFF area (KFF-4966).

SOTA/POTA/WWFF at Strawberry Point, Kane Co., UT During 10-Point Madness

It's been almost a month since I've been out. What better to draw me out than the weather finally getting better and the 10-point Madness of the W7A Association. It's easy access and includes all three organizations (being in Dixie National Forest).

FAILED Activation (POTA K-6092), not Skunked, but not Good

This is my first failed activation for POTA--Joshua Tree National Land Historic Area. It was pretty disappointing. There were three things I'll be changing for next time I give it a try. My position, the orientation of the dipole, and the coax cable.

New POTA of K-6083 Rim Rock Trail (w/ K-6084 Santa Clara Reserve) Good Conditions

 

Next on the list of never-before-activated POTA places was Rim Rock Trail. It lies within the Santa Clara Reserve which I have activated before. The trail is very close to my house, maybe an 8-minute drive to the trail head. From there it's just a mile and a half hike to the highpoint of the trail.

POTA K-6078 Fort Pearce 1st Activation CW Back to QRP

 

The Fort as the sun peeks through

This was next on my list of first activations to be completed in the area I live. It's out in the desert, but I passed by it a few times doing SOTA summits, so knew exactly where the turn off was and what it would be like. It was cloudy with a small chance of rain, so cooler than normal thankfully. I had one whole activation going a full 100 watts--it was one of the tougher, longer activations, so I went back to what I like and know--4-5 watts QRP.

Old Hwy 91 Rec. Area within Beaver Dam Conservation Area--POTA 2fer/WWFF 1

 

Operating from the pickup

I went out to get an all-time-new-one (ATNO) activated, Old Hwy 91 (K-6094), which is in Beaver Dam Conservation Area, which I activated a while ago (K-6096) which is also KFF-4966. Since the highway itself was the area, I decided to operate from the pickup (and have A/C) and use 100 watts from my go-kit with a Yaesu FT-857.

Santa Clara River Reserve (POTA K-6084) and Lower Graveyard Trail (POTA K-6082) w/ New Wolf River Coil

 

My setup for the morning

This was a before-work, before school starts double activation really to test out the new antenna I got. Normally I make my own antennas, but I've been looking for a vertical I can use. I decided on this Wolf River Coil antenna (SOTA Special). These are the closest POTA places to my house and had never been done before.

POTA Little Black Mt. Petroglyphs (K-6071), 1st Activation QRP CW

 

Just south of St. George, and just across the border into Arizona, is this historical site. I've been there twice before (never for radio though). We've been under an extreme heat watch which continues on (supposed to be 100 degrees today). I knew I wouldn't stay on long. Plus, this is my first activation that is POTA only and is not a World Wide Flora & Fauna site.

Awesome Desert Scenery at Beaver Dam Wash, POTA/WWFF Activation

 

Out in the desert as the sun comes up, Beaver Dam Wash National Conservation Area (POTA K-6096; WWFF KFF-4966) for its first activation. I had been out there before on the way to SOTA summits, so I was familiar with the area and knew a couple of spots to use to set up. There aren't really trails out there so it would be close to my pickup.

Slow Day at Quail Creek State Park, UT POTA/WWFF CW QRP

 

Operating position

Another POTA/WWFF activation, K-3086, on a Monday morning since I have the week off work. This one is less than 1/2 hour from home and has been activated for WWFF, but not for POTA. I wanted to go when there wouldn't be many people, but I was worried about how many contacts I would get on a Monday morning.

POTA/WWFF Red Cliffs Conservation Area (Desert Reserve), It's First Activation

 

Shack near small spring

I can enter the Red Cliffs area in 5 minutes from my house, not the place I went today, but it's a huge area with a main artery into the city that goes right through it. I looked at a number of possible places to go. I decided on the T-Bone Trail, mostly because it's still close (15 mins) yet no one would be there. This is another that had never been done before. This one is POTA K-6077 and WFF KFF-4968.

QRP CW Parks on the Air at Sand Hollow State Park, UT

Surprisingly Sand Hollow State Park has never been activated before with Parks on the Air. I decided to go out again and see if I could do better this time with the radio with a good start. It was supposed to get to 110 degrees today, so the plan was to be out from 8-10am and call it a day.

QRP CW Parks on the Air at Gunlock State Park (K-3077), UT

For some reason I got the itch to check out POTA (Parks on the Air). I did one over a year ago (Snow Canyon State Park) just to see, and then starting looking into it in more detail this week. Since then they had added quite a few "parks" so there's a lot more to choose from. Most around here have not been activated before. Certainly not replacing SOTA, but these hot months I don't have the time or inclination to do tons of hiking.

Brian Head W7U/SU-016 (my 5th time)

At the summit, 11,307 ft. with stone shack

The second summit of the day that I always do together with Navajo Point is Brian Head. It's just up the way and being a drive-up you can get from one summit to the next in about 40 mins. At times the way is blocked by snow, even in June, but July is usually clear, which is was this time.

Navajo Point W7U/IR-002 (my 5th time)

As seen from Brian Head

This is one of those annual summits I activate when it's hot at home. We were under an excessive heat warning (109 degrees). This is my fifth activation of the summit, one each year. This is a simple 10-pointer that many miss because Brian Head is more popular in the SU (Southern Utah) region and this is listed under the IR (Iron Co.) region. I always do both of them the same day, and I don't know why, but I always start with Navajo Point.

Field Day 2020 (at Home) Working as 1E (Emergency Power)

Field Day 2020 1E UT

In the past few years I have gone with the club (Dixie Amateur Radio Club) and been the primary CW operator. Before that, I would go to the field and setup my own station, usually as 1B and qrp, which is always a challenge. This year I had just gotten back from traveling, it was getting HOT down here in the desert, so I decided it was time to see how long and well I could run my home station on emergency power. I'm glad I did it, but in the future I think I will always be out in the field unless my health prevents it.

1st Activation Spencer, ID W7I/ER-088 (7340)

Summit proper

This was a chance to activate while visiting my folks in Rexburg, ID. I thought about some other summits closer to home, but they were still snowed in with the recent storms they've had. This one, never activated--which is always extra fun--was a 4-point summit about an hour drive north. My dad drove up with me, although he stayed by the pickup to walk about.

1st Activation of Scarecrow Peak W7U/WS-117

This was one of those peaks I've put off for a few years--it's way far out and only worth 1 point, but it has the allure that draws me in the most: it's never been activated before. I did a lot of map and image recon before going, although it never fails that a place looks different in real life. Normally I would wait until fall or winter for a desert mountain like this, but the day was supposed to be unusually cold for June.

Yellowstone Mesa W7A/NM-062

The top of the mesa

This is one of the first activations I do during Arizona's summer bonus season. It's a little ways out, but not far across the border into AZ from UT. Being a mesa, there's no vertical climb. I usually get out earlier in the morning before it gets too hot. Some years there's rattler's or flies--this year was clear of both.

Wolf Hole Mountain W7A/NM-035 Start of Summer Bonus in AZ

Approaching the summit

Wolf Hole is an interesting summit. Not too many go up that way. The summit is almost a mesa so once on top it's fairly flat. It's an 8-pointer in AZ with 3 points for summer bonus. There is a mountain road that gets close, although I would never actually take my pickup up it. It was supposed to be a nice day, and even hot later on.

Starvation Point W7A/NM-134 First Day of Summer Bonus in AZ

View from near the summit into the Gorge

I have always gone out on the first day of Arizona's summer bonus. I live in the far southwest corner of Utah, it is desert and near the Arizona Strip, a mostly unoccupied stretch of desert. This summit is a drive-up (by ATV) but it goes to nowhere, so very few go out to it. While I have seen rattlers out here, there were none this time.

Harmony High Point W7U/IR-019 and Using Te-Ne-Ke CW Key

Setup at the summit

This is my fourth trip up to this summit. It's beautiful, has nice views, and the access is long but easy--I'm surprised no one else has activated it yet. It's snowed in if you try to go too early in spring. I also did some visual recon for a couple of other summits that can be seen from the top. The weather was great, beautiful day.

1st Activation of Red Hills South W7U/IR-046

At the summit!

I had once scouted this never-before-activated summit out, but it looked way to rocky from the northwest approach I was at. This summit can be seen from I-15, though most notice the radio antennas (which is not the high point of this small range). Later I noticed on Google Earth that there was a trail that led from the radio antennas the next "hill" over, so if I could reach that, I could just follow the trail over. 

1st Activation of Water Canyon Peak W7U/WS-031

Looking at the southern face

This summit was the last in a group in an area that had never been activated before. I did most of the others a few years back on the quest to reach Mountain Goat. This one is the farthest of the group, the hardest access, and thus ended up being the last for me to activate. It's a 4-pointer, and pretty out of the way for me.

"Flower Top" W7U/WS-089 (6494) in Spring!

2-pointer in Washington County

I enjoy this summit in the spring because of how beautiful it is, I nicknamed it "Flower Top" from the first time I went (it doesn't have it's own name, just a designator). It's in Dixie National Forest and is easy access. This is a nice one just to enjoy nature and getting on the radio.

"Deadwood Hill" W7U/IR-035 (7450)

Just off the summit looking north

This 4-point summit is a pleasant ATV ride up the mountain and a short hike. It's covered fairly thickly with trees so you have to go off to one side to find any views. The activation zone was heavily covered with dead, fallen trees when I first activated it, thus its nickname. The deadwood does leave the space and means for setting up a mast and getting a wire spread out.

Flat Top South W7U/SU-050

Looking up from the "upper base"

Flat Top is another go-to every spring. When I'm ambitious I'll try and go when there's still a winter bonus in March but often the lower road is impassible, given that it's steep and in shade all day so if there's ice and snow anywhere in the area, it's there. A little later in the year and it does look better, but this one isn't too far from home.

"Mount Moo" W7U/WS-016 (7660)

From my favorite spot

When I first activated this summit in 2016, it was my third activation ever, and the first one where I was the first to activate a summit for SOTA. It's a 6-pointer that's less than an hour from my house. It has no name, but is nicknamed "Mount Moo" for the ranch down below and my son, Daniel, who's nickname is "Moo". I have activated it in every season, and enjoy them all.

Big Mountain W7U/SU-051, lots of contacts!

Cool spring morning!

Big Mountain, which actually isn't all that impressive to be honest, is an easy one since there is an access road to reach all the tower on the top. They do cause a lot of interference though, so I go as far as I can away in the activation zone to minimize the static. There's a nice view of the little town of Enterprise.

Sand Mountain W7U/SU-061, a few DX and some Pixie fun!

The "actual" summit

Sand Mountain is probably the summit that's the "most fun" to get to since it's basically an ATV haven with red-sand trails going everywhere. For some reason though, the high point is marked incorrectly in SOTAmaps (in fact not even close). There's another area that people think is the high point since it's marked with a huge pile of rocks and a big sign that reads "Top of the World," but both topo maps and the benchmark confirm that's not the high point either.

Shinob Kibe W7U/WS-124 Back to the Beginning

The shack for the day

This is my fourth activation of this summit (I didn't do it last year for some reason), but it is special to me since this is where I had my first successful SOTA activation ever in Aug. 2016. For the first couple of years I went back the same weekend as an anniversary kind of thing--but August here is miserable with heat, so I did it early. Plus, it's the second closest summit to my house and is right in town. I've taken so many photos of it, I didn't even take one from a distance this time.

Seegmiller Mountain W7A/AW-035 Taking a Ride with Dad

The high point, there are other antennas as well

This is a summit I would normally do together with Wolf Hole Mountain (W7A/NM-035) since they're right across from each other, and I would do it in early June for the summer bonus season in Arizona. However, my parents came for a visit and my Dad likes to get out into nature, and this summit is a drive-up with the road leading to the antennas, so this was a good time to head up.

1st Activation of "Bulldog Pass" W7U/WS-112 (5284), Leap Day!

View while approaching the mountain

This is the second of a new "round" of finding never-before-activated summits. This one I've seen a few times, did some map recon, and decided it was time it was activated. It's just a one-pointer in Utah, but I was familiar with the area with a few other summits. First activations are always the most exciting.

1st Activation of Bull Mountain W7U/WS-095

Bull Mountain from the base

This is a never-before-activated summit that looks at me every time I go by it. It's a "real" mountain, not just a hill. No trail of any kind. It's a two-pointer, which is probably why I haven't taken the time to tackle it. But at this point, I'm looking to activate those elusive summits in my area that still need activating. The allure of a first activation is strong for me, so it's time to get this in the books.

West Mountain Peak W7U/SU-045, Tower Interference

(Previous activation photo)

This is a very fast activation, so much so I didn't even take photos like I normally do. I had other plans later, but I was itching to go out. There was still snow on the upper road and on the top when not in direct sunlight. The ATV ride was a big challenging at times, but still fun.

"Cartmill Point" W7U/WS-066 (6835)

View once part-way up

This peak can be seen from my back porch, although it takes about an hour to get to the base. It's a good hike, and I've done it a number of times now. When there's snow and ice it is a little more hairy since the first section is pretty steep. Luckily it also helps keep the rocks in place.

Trail report:
Access is gained from Old Hwy. 91 near Shivwits reservation, then by a road on BLM land which goes all the way to the top of West Mountain Peak and passes near a good place to start the hike. There is even a leveled-off area and a place to park by the fenceline. The road up near the end is definitely for 4-wheel drive, however. The first section is the steepest and care should be taken with the loose rock. There is no trail, but a number of game trails do help the ascent. Scared up some mule deer. Quite rocky. Beautiful view on top!

The experience:
Thus far I've been the only activator at this summit. It's a four-pointer with a six-pointer nearby with a road that goes to the top, so people passing by or on vacation tend to choose the other summit. That's ok, I kind of like that it's "mine", at least for now. Even with some snow and ice, the top is usually clear since the sun hits it and the rocks on top warm up. It is also winter bonus season for the 4+ summits in Utah.

There was some kind of military exercise going on and I had an F-35 fly over very low, too bad I didn't get video of it, but it was pretty cool.

On the air the action was ok, not great, but I did chase a couple of S2S contacts at the end so that was a good way to finish up.

Date:01/02/2020 | Summit:W7U/WS-066 (6835) | Call Used:AC0PR | Points: 4 | Bonus: 3 

Time	Callsign	Band	Mode	Notes
18:59	ND6P	7MHz	CW
18:59	KE6MT	7MHz	CW
19:00	NG6R	7MHz	CW
19:00	KD6KC	7MHz	CW
19:01	NW7E	7MHz	CW
19:02	NS7P	7MHz	CW
19:02	K7PD	7MHz	CW
19:03	K6YK	7MHz	CW
19:03	K5DEZ	7MHz	CW
19:04	N7MQ	7MHz	CW
19:04	N6PKT	7MHz	CW
19:11	K7PD	14MHz	CW
19:15	AC7P	14MHz	CW
19:16	AB4PP	14MHz	CW
19:16	NR0R	14MHz	CW	100mw
19:19	W4KRN	14MHz	CW
19:20	K4MF	14MHz	CW
19:21	K0LAF	14MHz	CW
19:29	WD6TED	7MHz	CW	s2s w6/sc-454
19:36	K7FOP	7MHz	CW	s2s w7o/cn-078

Map of contacts:

Radio-related Equipment:

  YouKits HB-1B transceiver (qrp cw at 4 watts)

  Linked dipole, homebrewed (4 bands)

  25' RG-174 coax

  Picopaddle

  TeNeKe paddle (backup)

  Gens ace LiPo 2,200 mAh battery

  Goture 24' fishing pole mast

  Arrl paper minilog

  Earbuds

  Kinivo mini external speaker

  Yaesu VX-8 HT transceiver 

Other gear (always carried no matter the summit):

  Leypin selfie stick tripod (for recording video)

  Outdoor Products 3-liter water hydration bladder

  First-aid kit

  Gloves

  SOTA flag

  Compass

  Trekking poles

  Clipboard

  Android MotoZ (US topo map app, spotting, UTC time, recording)

  Guying kit (rarely used on activations)

  Hoodie

  Rain jacket

  Beanie

  Extra socks

  Small bungees (for securing mast to bush, tree, etc.)

  Misc. items (for repair, food, matches, etc.)

Thanks for reading!

72,

Mike ACØPR