2. Ham Radio

Palisade Peak (Pt. 7559, W6/NS-204) SOTA Activation 7/29/2013

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The other side of the old surface lift endpoint.
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The other side of the old surface lift endpoint.

  • The SOTA Northern Sierra region logo. This logo is available on Northern Sierra T-shirts, sweatshirts, beer steins, mouse pads, etc. for SOTA participants who qualify for the Northern Sierra Award (offered by yours truly KU6J). The award rules are linked to from my page on QRZ.com.
  • Pt. 7559 is located within the Royal Gorge Cross Country Ski Area at Soda Springs, CA. On the ski area's trail map it is called "Palisade Peak" and that is also the name that locals use to refer to it. If you want to activate the summit during ski season, you'll need to buy a pass from the ski area.
  • If activating it during the summer, take I-80 to Soda Springs, make your way to the west end of Kilborn Drive (paved) and park along the street. The hiking trail begins at the end of the street.
  • I left my SOTA Steed (Yamaha Grizzly 700 4x4 ATV) at home and drove this much less rugged vehicle to the trailhead. The trail begins back behind where I am parked, to the right of the orange snow pole.
  • Good thing I didn't bring the ATV, they clearly aren't allowed on the trail.
  • Per my GPS the hike is 1.24 miles one-way with an elevation gain of about 620 vertical feet. The first half of the hike is (mostly) along a trail, while the second half is cross-country up through the forest so as to avoid trespassing on private property (the land west of the dashed blue line is private property). It took me 45 minutes to get to the top, via the steeper of the two tracks shown above (the one to the right/east, the one to the left/west is how I came down). Some aspects of this route are not obvious, see the next several photos for more information. A big hat tip to the OnTheSummit.net blog for the original route description that I followed today.
  • After leaving Kilborn Drive and winding through the forest for about 125 yards (430 trail feet per my GPS), the trail will emerge into this narrow meadow. Turn left and follow the meadow as it continues to meander a bit more to the left. This photo is looking in the direction that you want to go.
  • You'll encounter this rusting lower endpoint for an old surface lift. Head up the hill in the direction of this shot, toward one of its old lift poles in the distance. Note that the trail is indistinct in this section.
  • The other side of the old surface lift endpoint.
  • Just past the old lift pole, you'll encounter a road cut with a well used foot trail on it. Follow this trail as it climbs southward and then westward up onto the mountain.
  • Eventually you will reach this junction with another foot trail that turns off to the left. Although the downhill-facing ski trail sign says that it goes to Palisade Peak and Snow Mountain, DO NOT take this trail. Continue straight ahead along the road cut that you have been following.
  • A closer view of the trail that you DO NOT want to take.
  • Eventually you will see the Palisade Peak Warming Hut come into view on your right, and the road cut/trail you've been hiking up will crest before you actually reach this warming hut. You must now leave the road/trail and climb up through the forest to the summit. Continuing straight ahead past the hut and looping around the north side of the mountain to the summit is probably an easier route, but that route is through private property (see my topo map, DO NOT cross the blue dashed line).
  • Up on top.
  • My pack is sitting on the rock that appears to be the summit.
  • My GPS showing the coordinates of the summit rock.
  • I setup my 28' Jackite pole and 88' doublet antenna near a tree that would provide some shade. As always, I ran the wires roughly N-S for maximum signal to the E-W. Temperatures were perfect, but the wind was blowing hard with gusts.
  • I tied off one end of the doublet to my hiking pole, and tied off the other end to a tree.
  • I bungeed the pole to these remnants of a tree, and initially had only one of those rocks keeping the bottom of the mast from kicking out in the wind. A big gust ended up knocking the mast over midway through my activation, so I had to add more rocks as seen here.
  • My view while operating.
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