Tag / backpacking

Rex, KE6MT, sitting atop Mount Gibbs operating radio, with Mount Dana and other peaks in the background
by KE6MT

Another Backcountry Activation: Mount Gibbs, W6/SS-101

Getting some summits done while backpacking in the Eastern Sierra!

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Quick Info:

Activation Date: 19 August 2023Summit: W6/SS-101
Transport: Hiking, Class 2 steep off-trailDistance: 5.4 miles
Elev. Gain: 2450 feetTime: 4.5 hours
Rig(s): MTR-3B, VX-6RBands: 40m CW
Antenna(s): Tri-band EFHWAntenna Support: Mast in rocks
RF Noise: NoneCell Service: Marginal to None (T-Mobile)

This is the second summit I did on this backpacking trip. We did Mount Lewis the afternoon before, and got a much earlier start for this one, knowing there would again be a chance of bad weather later in the day. I had originally thought about doing this summit as a combo on my way into the area for our backpacking trip. I was going to ascend Mount Dana, then traverse over to Mount Gibbs, finally descending from there to our camp at Upper Sardine Lake. Though I only slightly doubted my ability to do so with a 40-pound backpack on, in the end I decided not to do it that way since I wanted to hike in with the rest of the 4-person group I was camping with.

Our camp at Upper Sardine Lake was quite pleasant and the hike in went smoothly from the Mono/Parker Pass trailhead in Yosemite NP. The other way to get to Upper Sardine Lake is via the Bloody Canyon trail, but that route is harder, and apparently had been blocked by avalanche debris over the winter.

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Picture of mountain landscape, looking toward Mount Lewis, with Parker Peak off in the distance to the right.
by KE6MT

Backcountry Activation: Mount Lewis, W6/SS-146

Getting some summits done while backpacking in the Eastern Sierra!

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Quick Info:

Activation Date: 18 August 2023Summit: W6/SS-146
Transport: Hiking (half off-trail)Distance: 6-7 miles
Elev. Gain: 1950 feetTime: 3.75 hours
Rig(s): MTR-3B, VX-6RBands: 40m CW
Antenna(s): Tri-band EFHWAntenna Support: Mast in rocks
RF Noise: NoneCell Service: Marginal to None (T-Mobile)

Whenever possible, I like to plan my backpacking trips around summits I’d like to activate. This summit and the other summit I did on this trip are best activated if you’re already in the area, since it cuts down the mileage and time needed to get to the top. Doing these summits as a day trip would be very difficult, at best. So it’s fun to backpack in and set up base camp nearby, enjoying the fresh, thin air!

On this backpacking trip, I camped near Upper Sardine Lake with some friends, having hiked in from the Mono/Parker Pass trailhead in Yosemite NP. The other way to get to Upper Sardine Lake is via the Bloody Canyon trail, but that route is harder, and apparently had been blocked by avalanche debris over the winter.

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by KE6MT

Backcountry Activating: Parker Peak, W6/SS-090

Camping in the backcountry and activating a peak that hasn’t been done before! Parker Peak.

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Quick Info:

Activation Date: 15 August 2021Summits: W6/SS-090
Transport: HikeDistance: 13 miles (from camp)
Elev. Gain: 3300 feetTime: 6 hours (from camp)
Rig(s): MTR-3B, VX-6rBands: 40, 20m CW. 2m FM
Antenna(s): Tri-band EFHWAntenna Support: Rocks
RF Noise: NoneCell Service: Marginal (T-Mobile)

There’s nothing like a good SOTA backpacking trip. Hot off the heels of a backpacking trip with my wife and two boys, I planned a trip into the Ansel Adams Wilderness, just east of Yosemite. This ended up being a solo trip, with 3 or 4 summits planned. But you know, it’s all well and nice to draw lines on a map – it’s an entirely different thing to actually do it! I ended up “just” doing this one summit – Parker Peak.

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by KE6MT

Two First-Time Activations: Harry Watkins and Gray Rock Dome

Two previously-unactivated summits in the beautiful Castle Crags Wilderness / Trinity Mountains. I got injured and carried on!

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Quick Info:

Activation Date: 18 July 2020Summits: W6/NW-069 and W6/NW-076
Transport: HikeDistance: 4–8 miles
Elev. Gain: 2000–3000 feetTime: 2.5–4 hours
Rig(s): MTR-3B, VX-6rBands: 40, 20m CW. 2m FM
Antenna(s): Tri-band EFHWAntenna Support: Rocks
RF Noise: NoneCell Service: Fair (T-Mobile)

On a backpacking trip with some close friends, I decided to get these two summits. They’re locally named “Harry Watkins” and “Gray Rock Dome,” so even though they have different SOTA names, that’s what I’m calling them here. Getting to the first peak was pretty uneventful, and most of the people on the trip with me actually joined me for that one. I got injured on the the way to the second one and decided to carry on for some crazy reason!

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by KE6MT

Eastern Sierra Fun: Mount Gould, W6/SS-066

Lots of fun summit-to-summit contacts made in the High Sierra.

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Quick Info:

Activation Date: 20 June 2020
Transport: HikeDistance: 1.5–11 miles
Elev. Gain: 1200–3400 feetTime: 1.5–5 hours
Rig(s): MTR-3BBands: 40, 30, 20m CW, 2m FM
Antenna(s): Tri-band EFHWAntenna Support: None
RF Noise: LowCell Service: Fair (T-Mobile)

It’s good to get out and get some fresh air once in a while. Even if the air is a little thin! Having been invited by Adam K6ARK on a trip to the Eastern Sierra was something I just couldn’t turn down. The plan was to hike up from the Onion Valley trailhead and camp at a lake, and do a few summits while we’re up there. We ended up just doing this one, but a fun one it was!

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by KE6MT

Camping on a Summit (again!): Mount Stevenson, W6/SS-399

A quick overnight trip to the Sierra foothills, with some exciting contacts made!

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Quick Info:

Activation Date: 16-17 May 2020
Transport: HikeDistance: 4.2 miles
Elev. Gain: 800 feetTime: 1.75 hours
Rig(s): FT-891, MTR-3BBands: 160–2m, CW, SSB, FM
Antenna(s): Random Wire, EFHWAntenna Support: Many Trees
RF Noise: LowCell Service: Good (T-Mobile)

In need of some fresh air, and trying to keep with my self-imposed goal of some kind of camping at least once per month this year (including once in the back yard due to COVID), I decided to do a quick overnight trip to this summit. I wasn’t able to find a whole lot of information on it, so I wasn’t sure I’d even be able to make it to the summit. As it turned out, there weren’t any issues.

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by KE6MT

Camping on a Summit: Willson Peak, W6/NC-182

I’m always trying to combine radio fun with my various outdoor activities—including backpacking and camping. But for quite a while, I’ve wanted to do a camping/backpacking trip with the primary purpose being radio fun—on a summit! With the SOTA “Flavours” Challenge 2020 going on, I also needed to get some contacts made on 160 and/or 80 meters—bands that work best at night. So, without much planning, I decided to do a quick overnight trip!

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Quick info:

Activation Date: 04-05 January 2020
Transport: HikeDistance: 9.2 miles
Elev. Gain: 2,250 feetTime: 3.5 hours
Rig(s): FT-891Bands: 160–20m, CW+SSB
Antenna(s): Random WireAntenna Support: Some oaks
RF Noise: LowCell Service: Marginal (T-Mobile)

I’m always trying to combine radio fun with my various outdoor activities—including backpacking and camping. But for quite a while, I’ve wanted to do a camping/backpacking trip with the primary purpose being radio fun—on a summit! With the SOTA “Flavours” Challenge 2020 going on, I also needed to get some contacts made on 160 and/or 80 meters—bands that work best at night. So, without much planning, I decided to do a quick overnight trip! Henry Coe State Park has lots of backcountry campsites, and also allows dispersed backpack camping in all but the western section of the park.

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