SOTA outings by KØMOS and contributors

Category: WØC

SOTA (Summits on the Air) trip reports in W0 land with pictures and videos by K0MOS. Amateur radio mountain topping.

WØC/FR-Ø39 (Estes Cone) – 3348 m / 11006 ft

It’s NA SOTA Day! Since I just returned from an overseas trip the day before, I was looking for an activation which does not need a lot of planning. So I went out to activate Estes Cone (WØC/FR-Ø39) which is located at the border of Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) and Roosevelt National Forest, just a few short miles south from Estes Park. The trail-head is shared with the Longs Peak trail-head. Due to the popularity of Longs Peak (WØC/FR-11Ø – 14259 ft / 4346 m) in summer, the parking lot fills up (very) quickly in the morning. The weather forecast was calling for a sunny day. The freezing conditions at the TH combined with the altitude and winds were an indicator for a chilly activation.

Trailhead: 9537 ft / 2907 m
Summit: 11006 ft / 3348 m
Elev. gain: 2000 ft / 610 m
Roundtrip: 6.0 mi / 9.7 km

Compare this summit with my other activated summits

How to get there:
Take US34 from Loveland towards Estes Park through Big Thompson Canyon. In Estes Park, take Highway 7 (S St. Vrain Avenue) to the Lily Lake area. The nine mile drive is very scenic and represents the Estes Park area very well. Right at mile-marker 9, turn right (west) onto Longs Peak Road and follow the road up the hill until the parking lot/trail-head/Ranger station. Everything is marked very clearly and it is easy to find.

Parking/Trailhead

View Larger Map

Red Tape:
There are no fees, even-though the trail is on RMNP area. No dogs are allowed on the trail. Parking lot fills up quickly in summer early fall due to the popular Longs Peak hike.

The Ascent:

Estes Cone as seen from the road

From the trail-head, you follow the trail to Longs Peak. It’s well marked and the trail is in great shape. The moderate ascent leads you though mainly pine forest with very few openings. After approx. half a mile, it splits from the Longs Peak trail – keep right towards Estes Cone. The trail continues through conifers until you encounter a small creek. A wooden bridge is provided to keep your feet dry. On the opposite side of the creek is an old and abandoned gold mine (Eugenia Mine). Based on a sign on the remaining log cabin, it was not a very productive endeavor.
Shortly after the mine you will reach the Moore Park back-country campsite at about 9730 feet (2966 m). The trail gets steeper and most of the net elevation gain is in the last 1.0 miles. You will notice the change in pace after the last split of the trail. Now it is not just steep, but also rocky and harder to navigate, since a clear trail is no longer visible. Just follow the stone cairns – there are a lot of them. Still, sometimes they are hard to spot.
You can reach the very top of the cone by scrambling up a scree.

The Summit:
The 360-degree views from the top are stunning. Nearby Longs Peak and Mt. Meeker had a cloud cover and the wind was blowing hard from north-west, making it a chilling experience. I had to wear all of the clothes I had carried up. I took a few quick photographs/videos ‘balancing’ at the top, when a strong gust blew my baseball cap down into the trees – so much for leaving no trace. I decided to take advantage of the activation zone defined by the SOTA rules by climbing down ~25 feet, looking for a sheltered spot to setup my gear. I found a good spot on the lee side of the mountain. Perched like a bird, I sat under some big rocks which made the cold wind bearable.

I was perched under these rocks to get out of the wind – Buddipole as high as possible

The setup was made quickly, even-though it was quite steep and I had to make sure not to loose more equipment. I did not dare to get the solar panel out since the wind was still blowing at about 20-30 miles/h. I was joined by a chipmunk after a while – he was not shy at all and was running over my FT-817 and tried his teeth on the rubbery cord of the microphone. That’s when he crossed the line with me and I had to send him home to his tree. The wind died down a little after 12:00 o’clock making the experience a little warmer and nicer. Another hiker was quite interested in my activities. Overhearing my QSO with Ws1K in MA (~1800 mi / 2900 km), he was impressed to hear that this was possible with just 5 W.

View of Longs Peak and Mount Meeker

The Descent:
After spending more than two hours under my rock, I felt kind of stiff and packed up my gear and headed down the same way I came up. I had been successful in activating a new summit (first activation) and collect my points.

Some video impressions:
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6nFI1NCkRsc

If you would like to leave questions or comments, please do so through Youtube.

I activated this summit again on January 2nd, 2012. You can find the trip-report right here.

!! WARNING !! There are old mountaineers, and bold mountaineers… there are no old-bold mountaineers. Hiking and mountain climbing are potentially hazardous activities particularly in Colorado with its extreme elevations. I am not accepting responsibility for any death or injury resulting from activations based on my trip reports. Proper training, experience, and personal capability assessment is required – enjoy!

October 22, 2011
WØC/FR-Ø37 (Twin Sisters Pk. East) – 11404 ft / 3476 m

Twin Sisters Peak East (WØC/FR-Ø37) is located at the border of Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) and the Roosevelt National Forest, just a few short miles south from Estes Park. There is a new trail-head which is not marked on the relatively old USGS maps. The trail eventually joins the one on the map. The weather forecast was excellent (temps near record highs) – what a difference a week can make. During last week’s activation of Ypsilon Mountain (WØC/FR-ØØ9) in the same area we had single digits temperature (5-10 F or ~minus 20C) compared to upper 70s (20-25 C) today. What made the trip even more enjoyable was the company of my wife.

Trailhead: 9192 ft / 2386 m
Summit: 11404 ft / 3476 m
Elev. gain: 2939 ft / 896 m
Roundtrip: 7.0 mi / 11.3

Compare this summit with my other activated summits

How to get there:
Take US34 from Loveland towards Estes Park through Big Thompson Canyon. In Estes Park, take Highway 7 (S St. Vrain Avenue) to the Lily Lake area. The approx. seven mile drive is very scenic and represents the Estes Park area very well. Between mile-marker 6 and 7 (just across Lily Lake) take a left (east), bypass the visitor center and follow the dirt road up the mountain until the road ends. There is parking on the right side of the road only. Everything is marked very clearly and easy to find.

Parking/Trailhead

View Larger Map

Red Tape:
There are no fees, even-though the trail crosses RMNP area. No dogs are allowed on the trail.

The Ascent:

The Trail-head

The official trail-head is about 0.5 miles from the parking area on an old logging road with the usual trail-head signs and posters. From there, the well maintained trail leads in and out of NP land through a uniform (boring?) lodgepole forest with only scarce views of the surrounding mountains. The lodgepole pines are eventually replaced by fir and spruce trees and patches of Aspens. Thanks to last week’s cold weather pattern, the leaves were already turning golden, creating a very

Aspens in full fall colors

nice contrasts in the early morning sun. The higher we climbed, the better the view of nearby Longspeak (14259 ft / 4346 m), Mt. Meeker (13911 ft / 4240 m) and Estes Cone (11006 ft / 3355 m). After reaching the treeline at approx 11000 ft / 3350 m, the Twin Sisters Peaks are visible for the first time. The trail above the treeline leads over a barren, exposed scree-laden path to the saddle between the West and East peak. Either summit can be easily reached. The last 30 ft elevation to the east peak requires some scrambling.

The Summit:
Besides the unobstructed views, the summit also provides comfortable and wind-sheltered space to setup the equipment. There is ample space for several SOTA teams if necessary.

View of Longspeak and Mt. Meeker from the summit

We had the summit exclusively for ourselves for about an hour. Then, the hikers started to come in thick and heavy. The number of established contacts was disappointing on 20m as well as 40m and 2m. I just made five contacts on the three bands even though the conditions were not bad at all.

The Descent:
After about two hours on the warm and sunny summit we descended the same way we came up.

Some video impressions:

If you would like to leave questions or comments, please do so through Youtube.

!! WARNING !! There are old mountaineers, and bold mountaineers… there are no old-bold mountaineers. Hiking and mountain climbing are potentially hazardous activities particularly in Colorado with its extreme elevations. I am not accepting responsibility for any death or injury resulting from activations based on my trip reports. Proper training, experience, and personal capability assessment is required – enjoy!

September 25, 2011
WØC/FR-ØØ9 (Ypsilon Mountain) – 13514 ft / 4119 m
Ypsilon Mountain (WØC/FR-ØØ9) is located in Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) and is part of the Mummy Range. The Mummy Range is a sub-range of the Front-Range of the Rocky Mountains and consists of six 13’ers (and a slew of lower ones). Starting with Mount Chapin in the south-west, it arcs to the north-east and ends with Signal Mountain. Some of the more prominent peaks are also SOTA summits. Ypsilon Mtn. was first activated about a month ago by N7UN (Guy) – here is his activation report.

The trip was planned for Sunday and we got the first snow-fall of the season on the Wednesday before. Thus, the access road to the trail-head was closed by the Park-Service on Thursday but re-opened on Friday. The weather forecast was great for Sunday, and even better – my wife was going to join me on this trip as well – all signs pointed towards a great trip.

The original plan was to activate Fairchild Mountain (WØC/FR-Ø1Ø – 4115 m / 13502 ft) which is just a mile or two from Ypsilon Mountain. However, after reaching the steep ridge joining Ypsilon and Fairchild Mountain we reconsidered the plan for safety reasons. The amount of snow and ice on the ridge combined with the high winds (30-40 mi/h) made us abandon the plan and we climbed Ypsilon Mtn. instead.

The first few peaks in the south-west of the Mummy Range can be reached from the Chapin Pass trail-head.

Trailhead: 11041 ft / 3365 m
Summit: 13514 ft / 4119 m
Elev. gain: 3019 ft / 920 m
Roundtrip: 7.34 mi / 11.8 km

Compare this summit with my other activated summits

How to get there:
Take US34 from Loveland to Estes Park through Big Thompson Canyon. In Estes Park, stay on US34 and enter RMNP through Fall River Entrance Station. Just after Sheep Lakes, take a right onto Old Fall River Road – a one way dirt road going all the way up to the RMNP Alpine Visitor Center. The dirt road is in pretty good shape but be careful in some of the switchbacks if you do not have a high-clearance vehicle. Around mile-marker six, the trail-head is on the right side of the road and the car can be parked across the road. Space is limited to 10-12 cars max.

Parking/Trailhead

View Larger Map

Red Tape:
- RMNP charges an entrance fee of $20/car (valid for seven consecutive days). The usual passes are accepted as well. For details check their website.
- Old Fall River road is a one-way dirt road which is often closed due to adverse weather conditions. You can check the road conditions on this website.
- Few parking spots – you have to be early to claim your spot at the TH.
- It is high country… weather conditions can change really fast. Afternoon lightning storms are not uncommon in summer.
The Ascent:
The first section of the trail leads through large and mature pine trees. The trail is well established and clearly marked by NP signs. After reaching the treeline, a last sign indicates

To all summits

the direction to reach ALL SUMMITS and the fact that the trail is not maintained beyond the sign. Nevertheless, it is quite easy to follow the rock-slide area to the saddle between Chapin (3795 m/12454 ft) and Chiquita Mountain ( 3983 m/13069 ft). Here we experienced the first snow on the ground and extreme winds on the saddle. We followed the trail up to the fake summit of Ypsilon Mtn. Walking upright and in a straight line was rough at times – the icy, howling wind felt like a thousand needles in the face and the summit was engulfed in blowing snow and ice crystals. It felt, sounded and looked more like an ascent to Nanga Parbat – but the GPS confirmed that we are still in Colorado. We tried to stay on the contour line leading directly to the ridge between Ypsilon and Fairchilk Mountain to avoid unnecessary elev gain/loss. A trail was no longer available/visible. The rocky and barren surface was covered by wind-pressed snow and ice. On several occasions I sank into deep snow-drifts well above my knees. However, the route is easy to pick – there are no obstacles to navigate.

The Summit:
The summit offers incredible views in all directions. It also provides two stone wind-shelters which were filled with drifting snow and could unfortunately not be used at all – leaving us exposed to the howling winds.

Panoramic view from the summit

Under normal circumstances the summit provides ample space to set up the equipment – however, the low temperatures (~10 to 15 F [-12 to -15 C] ) and high winds (~30-40 mi/h) made my teeth chatter (literally), and taking off the gloves was not something I was looking forward to either. Setting up the equipment for 15-20 minutes under this conditions was just not an option. In order to still be able to activate the summit and claim my SOTA points I used my HT on 146.52 MHz to quickly get some QSO’s. I wrapped it up within 5 minutes on the summit, took a few snapshots, put my gloves back on (trying to get the blood flowing in my fingers again ) and we headed downhills with the wind now in our face.

The Descent:
It was a quick retreat against the wind, following basically the same route. We had not had an opportunity yet to eat lunch, and we were looking for sheltered space. There was nothing until we reached the treeline – it was still cold but getting out of the wind after more than 5 hours was a nice change.
To get back to Estes Park, we had to follow the Old Fall River Road up to the Alpine Visitors Center of the RMNP. From there we took Trail Ridge Road east – a quite scenic drive through the heart of the Rockies.

Some video impressions:
The weather conditions were not ideal to take a lot of photo/video shots. I only have a few clips when the wind was not too bad.
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-K1YZeKOido

If you would like to leave questions or comments, please do so through Youtube.

!! WARNING !! There are old mountaineers, and bold mountaineers… there are no old-bold mountaineers. Hiking and mountain climbing are potentially hazardous activities particularly in Colorado with its extreme elevations. I am not accepting responsibility for any death or injury resulting from activations based on my trip reports. Proper training, experience, and personal capability assessment is required – enjoy!
September 19, 2011
WØC/FR-127 (Signal Mountain) – 11262 ft / 3432 m

Signal Mountain (WØC/FR-127) can be reached from the Dunraven trailhead from the south, or from Pingree Park Road from the north. If you are lucky enough to have a shuttle driver, it makes a great 11+ mile hike from the north fork of the Big Thompson River all the way to the Poudre River. The peak is located at the north-east end of the Mummy Range in the Comanche Peak Wilderness which is part of the Roosevelt National Forest. The summits of Signal Mountain – as well as nearby West Signal – are pushing well above the treeline and thus provide unobstructed 360 degree views. The weather forecast was excellent (it cooled down quite a bit) and I was joined by my best trail-buddy, friend and wife – making this a great anniversary hike.

Trailhead: 7828 ft / 2386 m
Summit: 11262 ft / 3432 m
Elev. gain: 4064 ft / 1239 m
Roundtrip: 11.7 mi / 18.8 km

Compare this summit with my other activated summits

How to get there:
Take US34 from Loveland towards Estes Park through Big Thompson Canyon. When you pass through Drake, take a right on CR43 along the north-fork (scenic). Take a right on Dunnraven Glade Road (dirt road) which follows the north-east flank of Triangle Mountain. You can’t miss the parking lot since it is the end of the (public) road. A private road continues behind a locked gate all the way to Trails End Ranch.

Parking/Trailhead

View Larger Map

Red Tape:
Nothing comes to mind – rules of the Roosevelt National Forest apply.

The Ascent:
The official trail-head is about half a mile from the parking lot, following the fairly steep

Sign to trail-head

private road after a locked gate towards Trails End Ranch. Shortly before you enter the ranch, the trail-head is clearly marked on your right side with the usual map/posters etc. From here, the trail climbs up the steep hillside to Bulwark Ridge through open terrain. After reaching the ridge, you have some good views to several nearby SOTA peaks such as Triangle Mountain (WØC/FR-Ø82), Crosier Mountain (WØC/FR-Ø57), West Crosier (WØC/FR-Ø64) and even more looking towards Estes Park and the Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP). Shortly after, the trail intersects with the Indian and Miller Fork trails. Taking the north-west route – following Bulwark Ridge – will lead to Signal Mountain through mostly forested area over a very well established trail. The treeline will be reached after about 3.5 miles, offering great views towards north/north-east.

Just above the treeline

The Summit:

On the summit

The summit can be reached by crossing over the fragile tundra-like flora from the trail at the highest point before it leads back down on the other side towards Pingree Park. It is a large, barren, rocky and wind-swept summit with a small stone shelter at the very top where the summit-register is ‘hidden’. The summit is large enough for several SOTA teams if necessary… luckily nobody else was encountered during the whole trip. The views are unobstructed and stunning in all directions.

View from Signal Mtn.

Did I mention that it was windy?

The weather was just perfect, with a few white and puffy clouds which provided a nice contrast on the blue sky. The setup was easy since space was not an issue and all the rocks lying around helped me with guying the mast in this windy environment . It was my first time with the newly acquired shock-corded mast from Buddipole. I really like the reduced weight of it but it requires a different technique to set it up and to change bands. All the ‘training’ in my backyard helped and I was on the air in no time. It was my first week-end activation and getting QSOs was definitely easier than on all my prior outings, even-though the propagation conditions were not necessarily better than before – at least that is my theory and I am sticking to it.

The Descent:
If you arranged for a shuttle in Pingree Park, you might enjoy a different route, but for us it was the same route back to the car.

Some video impressions:

If you would like to leave questions or comments, please do so through Youtube.

I activated this summit again on May 5th, 2012. You can find the trip-report right here:

!! WARNING !! There are old mountaineers, and bold mountaineers… there are no old-bold mountaineers. Hiking and mountain climbing are potentially hazardous activities particularly in Colorado with its extreme elevations. I am not accepting responsibility for any death or injury resulting from activations based on my trip reports. Proper training, experience, and personal capability assessment is required – enjoy!

September 5, 2011
WØC/FR-Ø57 (Crosier Mountain) – 9232 ft / 2814 m
Crosier Mountain (WØC/FR-Ø57) is part of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains – close to Estes Park, a popular gateway to the Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP). According to my knowledge, there are three trails going up to the summit from three separate trail-heads along CR43.
1. Garden Gate trail-head: Is located closest to the village of Drake. It is just before mile-marker 13 and hardly visible from the road. You will find a gravel patch on the south side of the road with some sign of a wooden gate. It is a 5.1 mile trail to the summit of Crosier. The trail leads through some grassy meadows and continues via switch-backs though trees. There was a large wildfire (Bobcat Fire) in 2000 and the trail goes in and out through the burned area.
2. Rainbow trail-head: Located between mile-marker 10 and 9, a large gravel-pit on the left side of the road (coming from Drake) is the parking lot for the trail just across a wooden gate. It is marked as Crosier Rainbow Trail No. 981. The early trail ascends through aspens, pines and spruce trees. It will eventually lead to an 4-way intersection of all the trails coming from the valley and the trail coming from the summit. The overall length to the summit is about 4.0 miles.
3. Glen Haven trail-head (No. 931-2) : I have chosen this 4.1 mi trail (see description below) because it crosses Piper Meadows – a very scenic place – and it also provides a nice view on a previously activated SOTA summit – Triangle Mountain (WØC/FR-Ø82)
Trailhead: 7254 ft. / 2211 m
Summit: 9232 ft. / 2814 m
Elev. gain: 1928 ft / 588 m
Roundtrip: 8.0 mi / 12.9 km

Compare this summit with my other activated summits

How to get there:
Take US34 from Loveland towards Estes Park through Big Thompson Canyon. Take CR43 in Drake all the way to Glen Haven. It’s a scenic drive along the north fork of Big Thompson River. Going through Glen Haven (don’t blink) you will find a red barn on the left side of the road. The TH is just behind the stable and a gravel strip is located on the right side of the road – providing space for several cars.

Parkinglot/Trailhead

View Larger Map

Red Tape:
Several signs indicate that the locals do not like when you park the car in Glen Haven or in their driveway. Make sure to park on the gravel strip indicated above. The trail borders to private land, indicated through a barbed-wire fence.

The Ascent:

The Trail-head

The trail-head is just across the street of the parking lot where you will find the first brown trail sign . The first few yards (~150) lead you up a dirt road through an area with private homes. The amount and size of the signs pitched in their driveways are an indication of the numbers of unconsiderate hikers who seem to park wherever they see fit. It’s a rocky trail going uphills to an opening (~0.8 mi) with a nice view (specifically early in the morning) and two trails splitting off to the south and north-east. the main trail continues down through a small canyon before climbing up again to Piper Meadow.

Piper Meadow

Apparently Henry Piper operated a dairy farm up here from 1913 into the 1930s. You can clearly identify some foundation walls along the way. The trail follows the meadow on the north side until it sharply bends to the north-east, going uphills with several switch-back to a ridge (with a nice view to Piper Meadow and Triangle Mountain) and finally to the Rainbow Trail junction. The next one and a half mile is a dull hike through very dense Lodgepole pines on a well established trail. The trail takes you all the way around the summit and the final ascent is from the east. About half a mile before the summit you will encounter the Garden Gate Trail intersection.

The Summit:

Setup on the Summit

The trail ends at a steep cliff to the south with a spectacular view into RMNP and Estes Park. The summit is quite large, providing ample space to setup the antenna and even to set up an overnight camp in the woods if you wish to do so. Trees and rocks give plenty of opportunities to guy the mast and also allow a comfortable and shady place during operations.

View from Crosier Mountain

The Descent:
Since West Crosier (WØC/FR-Ø64) is only about one mile from the summit (as the crow flies), I planned to bush-whack my way down to the saddle between the two summits. Going downhills, the thick stand of Lodgepole pines made it very difficult to keep my bearing and to navigate in general. You never see the saddle or the summit and the trees are so close together that I had to pick my route carefully to fit between the trees. I did not realize a big thundercloud moving in, since it was very dark to begin with – sunlight had a difficult time to find its way all the way to the ground. I only realized the upcoming thunderstorm when the first thunder rolled through the valley. I decided to abort my quest to cross to the other summit and headed north-east instead, trying to find the trail down to the car. I finally stepped out of the trees when the first rain started to fall and the cadence of thunder increased. It was an unexpected and surprising morning thunderstorm (it was only 11:00 AM) which drove me down the mountain. The rain cooled me off on my way to the car and I joined a guy from the phone company who also waited for the thunderstorm to pass before climbing back on the poles to take some slack out of the phone line.

Some video impressions:
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nELv-FOZ10s

If you would like to leave questions or comments, please do so through Youtube.

!! WARNING !! There are old mountaineers, and bold mountaineers… there are no old-bold mountaineers. Hiking and mountain climbing are potentially hazardous activities particularly in Colorado with its extreme elevations. I am not accepting responsibility for any death or injury resulting from activations based on my trip reports. Proper training, experience, and personal capability assessment is required – enjoy!
August 24, 2011
WØC/PR-124 (Bull Mountain) – 9708 ft / 2959 m

Bull Mountain is part of the Park Range of the Rocky Mountains, just west of the continental divide. It is located within the State Forest State Park, a popular place for hunters, fishermen and ATV activities. The park is also a good starting point to climb SOTA WØC/PR-001, Clark Peak – 3940 M / 12951 ft.
I parked the car at the North Michigan Reservoir and hiked up the 4WD road into the forest (one of two options to get to the summit).

Trailhead: 8945 ft / 2726 m
Summit: 9708 ft / 2959 m
Elev. gain: 763 ft / 233 m
Roundtrip: 3.1 mi / 5.2 km

Compare this summit to my other activated summits

How to get there:
Driving on CO14 (driving west coming from Fort Collins or east from Walden) take CO41 (going east) for about half a mile until you hit the State Park entrance toll booth. Continue on CO41 (dirt road). It will split soon after – take the left arm of CO41 until the about the middle of the reservoir. There is a big parking lot with some larger group cabins on the lake shore.

Trailhead/Parking lot:

View Larger Map

Red Tape:
State Forest State Park requires an entry fee [$8]. It is NOT allowed to swim in the reservoir (bummer, no way to freshen up after the hike). Staff was unable to explain the reasons to me.

The Ascent:
As far as I know, there are two options . There is the 4WD road I took from the Reservoir and there is a hiking trail approaching Bull Mountain from the North. Since my allotted time for this one was limited, I did not want to continue for another 20-30 minutes on the dirt road to get to the hiking trail.
I encountered two ATVs during my hike through heavily forested area; the trail does not have any outlooks or other scenic features. The entire area is suffering from a bark beetle infestation with tons of dead trees – a very sad sight. When paying the entrance fee, you will get a crude map of the area. Despite the lack of details it was easy to determine which 4WD road to take on the three intersections. It’s a very gradual climb with no challenges.

The Summit:

Abandoned 4WD road to the summit

It is not easy to determine the highest point. There is no rock outcrop or any other prominent feature at the top – it is just heavily forested. There is however an old abandoned 4WD road going off to your right.
I was lucky and followed the general direction and arrived at the summit after about 100-200 yards (verified by GPS). A little frustrated about the non-scenic location I set up my equipment and started to call CQ…. it was hot, mosquitoes and flies were plentiful with nothing to do but buzzing me. Propagation was pretty bad too and I did not hear a soul on 20m SSB. Finally, after 50 minutes I got my fourth required QSO with WB9WHQ (thanks Dan). I packed up my gear and ran down the mountain to the car – happy to leave this summit.

Buddipole on the summit

Final Remarks:
If you are in for an outdoor experience I suggest you skip on this one. It was probably the dullest hike I ever took (except for hitchhiking on an Interstate). I am certainly glad I did not drive all the way out there just for this activation. If you are out for just the SOTA points, this one gives you easy points (if you can live with the mosquitos/flies/heat).

Video Summary:
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFU3BARCPH4

If you would like to leave questions or comments, please do so through Youtube.

!! WARNING !! There are old mountaineers, and bold mountaineers… there are no old-bold mountaineers. Hiking and mountain climbing are potentially hazardous activities particularly in Colorado with its extreme elevations. I am not accepting responsibility for any death or injury resulting from activations based on my trip reports. Proper training, experience, and personal capability assessment is required – enjoy!

August 8, 2011
WØC/PR-Ø12 (Mount Werner) – 10565 ft / 3220 m

Mount Werner is located in the Park Range of the Rocky Mountains in Routt County and is part of Routt National Forest. It is a popular winter destination, since it is getting some of the highest levels of snowfalls in all of Colorado. At the base of the Mountain is Steamboat Springs and the Mountain is operated by Steamboat Ski Resort Corporation (which has a long term lease from the National Forest I believe).

Thunderhead Station and Steamboat Springs at the base of Mt. Werner

In summer the main activity seems to be Mountain-biking. A ski resort in summer is never an attractive sight. Hiking trails are scarce due to the fact that the resort makes most of their money with Bikers (just an assumption). If you want to do some nice hiking in this area, try Rabbit Ears Pass instead, you will not be disappointed. During my hike to Mount Werner, I could never get the feeling to be in a remote location and was unable to connect to nature on this disturbed and heavily scared mountain.

Trailhead: 6900 ft / 2103 m (Gondola Base) or 9080 ft / 2768 m (Thunderhead)
Summit: 10565 ft / 3220 m
Elev. gain: 3665 ft / 1117 m (from base) or 1485 ft / 453 m (from Thunderhead)
Roundtrip: 10.4 mi / 16.7 km (from base) or 7.2 mi / 11.6 km (from Thunderhead)

Compare this summit to my other activated summits

I took the Gondola to Thunderhead (about $20 for a ticket if I remember correctly – you can use the ticket all day long) and hiked up to the summit on the hiking trails (really just a dirt road) indicated on the official resort map.

How to get there:
The Gondola base is impossible to miss if you are in Steamboat Springs. The base-station of the Gondola is the heart of the Resort.

Gondola Basestation

View Larger Map

Red Tape:
The whole mountain is managed/controlled by the Steamboat Ski Resort Corporation and the rules of the National Forest do not apply here. According to the official resort map and the info I received locally by talking to their staff, it is not allowed to hike up to the highest point. The trails above Four Points Hut are reserved for Mountain-bikes only!!! In order to comply with SOTA rules I went up on a day where they had a mountain race (runners) and they changed the trail assignments to accommodate the racers. Optionally you could rent a mountain-bike or go up there in winter (you can go up all the way with Gondola and Ski-lifts and have an easy traverse to the Mt. Werner summit).

The Ascent:
It is pretty straight forward. It is a maintenance dirt-road from the Gondola station all the way to the highest point. You will get some nice views of Steamboat Springs and the valley. I always had to keep an eye on all the MBs coming downhills – not all are in complete control of their equipment.

The Summit:
The summit is very extensive and hosts several huge antenna installations. The views in easterly direction are undisturbed and were definitely the best feature on this trip.

View from the top of Mt. Werner (10565 ft / 3220 m)

The Descent:
You are limited to the same route back, either to the Gondola station or you could hike all the way down.

Video Impressions:
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSLBl6AOp2s

If you would like to leave questions or comments, please do so through Youtube.

!! WARNING !! There are old mountaineers, and bold mountaineers… there are no old-bold mountaineers. Hiking and mountain climbing are potentially hazardous activities particularly in Colorado with its extreme elevations. I am not accepting responsibility for any death or injury resulting from activations based on my trip reports. Proper training, experience, and personal capability assessment is required – enjoy!

August 6, 2011
WØC/FR-Ø82 (Triangle Mtn.) – 8415 ft / 2565 m

Triangle Mountain (WØC/FR-Ø82) is part of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains and within a one hour drive from my home QTH.

Overview from the first ridge

The summit is located within the Roosevelt National Forest and ranked 147th tallest peak in Larimer County. There is no established trail that goes all the way to the top (so don’t look for one on a map), but it seems to be climbed regularly by visitors from nearby Estes Park (a popular gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park [RMNP]). A clearly visible trail goes about about half-way up the mountain, before it fades out. Be prepared to use your map and compass. I certainly needed my navigation equipment on my way down. There are some steep cliffs on the south-west side of the summit which you should definitely avoid. The summit provides some very scenic views into the nearby Mummy Range and some impressive 14ers in the heart of the Rockies.

Trailhead: 7020 ft. / 2140 m
Summit: 8415 ft. / 2565 m
Elev gain: 1987 ft. / 606 m
Roundtrip: 3.5 mi / 5.6 km

Compare this summit to my other activated summits

The trail-head is a very close to a picnic area at the north-fork of Big Thompson River. The drive up the canyon from Loveland is quite scenic.

How to get there:
Take US34 from Loveland towards Estes Park through Big Thompson Canyon. When you pass through Drake, take a right on CR43 along the north-fork. Park at the Lower North Fork picnic area on the left side of the road. There is space to park about five cars.

Parking/Trailhead

View Larger Map

Red Tape:

Not everybody makes it to the top

The east side of Triangle Mountain is private property. The trail follows the fence line closely at some points. Since you have to bushwhack part of the way, you will find out that most of the flora has some sort of poky, prickly and/or thorny part. Make sure to stay away from the steep cliffs on the south-west side.

The Ascent:
Look directly across the street from the picnic area where a faint trail leads up the steep hillside. The trail becomes more prominent until a grassy area where the trail becomes faint but marked with some stone cairns. Follow the ridge line and climb across the rock outcroppings. The south-west side is private property and your route might get very close to it.

The Summit:

Antenna on the summit

The summit is on a nice rock-outcropping and gives you unobstructed views in all directions. Most spectacular are the views into the nearby RMNP and Crosier Mountain (another SOTA summit). Is is a rather small area and a larger group cannot setup on the summit. More space is available a few feet below the actual summit (without the breathtaking views).

The Descent:
Basically you go back the same way, following the ridge. Unfortunately I made some unplanned detours, exploring the cliffs on the south-west side – not recommended. Map and compass brought me back to the ridge and finally to the trail-head.

Some video impressions:
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJn_HwEeyUs

If you would like to leave questions or comments, please do so through Youtube.

!! WARNING !! There are old mountaineers, and bold mountaineers… there are no old-bold mountaineers. Hiking and mountain climbing are potentially hazardous activities particularly in Colorado with its extreme elevations. I am not accepting responsibility for any death or injury resulting from activations based on my trip reports. Proper training, experience, and personal capability assessment is required – enjoy!

July 22, 2011
WØC/FR-Ø88 (Mt. McConnel) – 8020 ft / 2444 m
Mount McConnel (WØC/FR-Ø88), part of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, is located about 25 miles (40 km) north-west of Fort Collins, CO. The mountain is within the Roosevelt National Forest in the Cache La Poudre Canyon. The trail up to the summit consists of two overlapping loops.
1. William Kreutzer Nature Trail and (#936)
2. Mount McConnel Summit Trail (#992)
The Summit Trail splits off the Nature Trail at t it’s highest point and loops over the ridge and finally re-joins the Nature Trail making it an easy and enjoyable 4.23 miles (6.8 km) hike.

Trailhead: 6612 ft / 2015 m
Summit: 8020 ft / 2444 m
Elev. gain: 1408 ft / 429 m
Roundtrip: 4.23 mi / 6.8 km

Compare this summit with my other activated summits

How to get there:
Take US287 N from Fort Collins towards Wyoming. Go west at Ted’s Place on CO14.

KØMOS at the trail-head of Mount McConnel

About 24 miles into the Canyon turn left into the Mountain Park Campground where you will find about five parking spaces. There is an bulletin board right at the parking lot with information, regulations and a map. It seems that the board was relocated at some point in time. The label You Are Here on the map is certainly not were you are. Keep that in mind. You have to go uphills towards the campground where the trail-head is located, despite of what the sign says. Alternative parking can be found just after the bridge alongside the road (facing downhills – on the side of the river).

Parkinglot/Trailhead

View Larger Map

Red Tape:
The National Forest requires a day use fee of $5.00. Dogs are required to be leashed.

The Ascent:
The trail leaves the Mountain Park Day Use Area at the east end of the campground. I went up Kreutzer Nature Trail (#992). The trail climbs gradually up the south face through Ponderosa pines and Douglas firs. It is a well established trail with several interpretative signs along its way. After about 3/4 of a mile (1.2 km), the Summit Trail splits off and you will get to a quite spectacular overview of Poudre Canyon. Following the trail will bring you very close to some cliffs and several really nice overlooks. Shortly after entering the Cache la Poudre Wilderness (there is a sign), the trail forks again. You have to take the right fork to get to the near summit (approx. 0.2 mi/500m), the left fork continues the Summit Trail (going down to the river again).

The Summit:
The trail ends at the base of some large rock outcroppings where you will experience spectacular views into the Mummy Range of the Rocky Mountains.

View of the Mummy Range from atop Mt. McConnel

The available rocks and trees/tree-stumps provided ample and comfortable space for my equipment. Setting it up was a breeze and my signal got out well.

Setting up the antenna

After finishing my eighth QSO, I turned off the radio and enjoyed the gorgeous views, the warm sun and the solitude. After an hour or so, another hiker stumbled onto the summit… an RF engineer from Florida who was vacationing in Colorado. After a little chat, he went back down and I packed up my equipment, leaving this place as well.

The Descent:
At the fork, I turned south continuing on the Summit Trail which descends back into the Poudre Canyon through very a scenic landscape. The trail is not as well established as on the ascent, but keeping an eye on the stone cairns will help you find the way just fine. The descent is longer, steeper and rockier as well, providing several opportunities for panoramic views over the Poudre Canyon. It finally joins the Nature Trail again before going down a gulch and emerging east of the bridge leading to the campground.

Some video impressions:
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XY7SjK-mvrw

If you would like to leave questions or comments, please do so through Youtube.

Update: Read the trip report of my second activation of Mt. McConnel

!! WARNING !! There are old mountaineers, and bold mountaineers… there are no old-bold mountaineers. Hiking and mountain climbing are potentially hazardous activities particularly in Colorado with its extreme elevations. I am not accepting responsibility for any death or injury resulting from activations based on my trip reports. Proper training, experience, and personal capability assessment is required – enjoy!
July 11, 2011
WØC/FR-Ø95 (Greyrock Mtn.) – 7613 ft / 2320 m
W0C/FR-095 (Greyrock Mtn.) – 7613 ft / 2320 m
June 23rd, 2011

by KØMOS

Greyrock Mountain (WØC/FR-Ø95), part of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, is located in the Poudre Canyon about 20 miles north- west of Fort Collins (CO). As the name suggest, Greyrock is a large granite outcropping rising well above the scenic meadow at it’s base. In the 1930, the Civilian Conservation Corps established the Greyrock Summit Trail – one of two different options to the summit. In 1978, a second trail – Greyrock Meadows Trail was established and is IMHO the more scenic route to the top. Greyrock Mountain has actually two distinguished peaks and between the peaks are several small ponds. Quite amazing. You have to climb the peak to the west to find the highest point.

Trailhead: 5538 ft / 1688 m
Summit: 7613 ft / 2320 m
Elev. gain: 2075 ft / 632 m
Roundtrip: 8 mi / 13 km

Compare this summit to my other activated summits

On my second endeavor to activate a summit for SOTA I tried to improve my radio setup. Mainly the power-department needed some upgrades. I used an external powerpack and a foldable 10W solarpanel to increase my operation hours on the summit (check My Radio Equipment for details). I left my QTH early in the morning to beat the heat and to avoid other hikers since the summit is quite small, exposed and not well suited for lots of people – specifically not with an antenna and all the guy lines and counter-poise.

How to get there:
Take US287 N from Fort Collins towards Wyoming. Go west at Ted’s Place on CO14. About eight miles into the Canyon is a parking lot on the left side of the street. Shortly before that is a sign for the parking lot.

Trailhead/Parking lot:

View Larger Map

Red Tape:
This trail is one of Fort Collins most popular. Try to avoid on week-ends and go early in the day. There is a lot of Poison Ivy along the trail (in the beginning).

The Ascent:
There are two options to get to the top and it is possible to hike a loop. From the parking lot, cross the Poudre River over the bridge to the trailhead. Follow the well established trail to the west through dense underbrush (and Poison Ivy) until the Greyrock Trail splits into Greyrock Meadows Trail and Greyrock Summit Trail.
1. The Greyrock Summit Trail follows a small canyon towards the north and gains approx. 1000 ft (300 m) in just a mile. It joins the Greyrock Meadows Trail at the base of Greyrock Mountain – a mere 0.75 miles from the summit.
2. The Greyrock Meadows Trail – my favorite – follows the ridge to the west and reveals some scenic overviews along its way. It’s more moderate and more open than option #1. It reveals some majestic views of Greyrock Mountain and the Meadow below before the trail goes down to the Meadow, loosing about 390 ft (120 m) in elevation. Continue along the meadow before ascending up into the pine/fir and spruce forest (burned down in a recent wild fire) all the way to the junction with the Greyrock Summit Trail.
Greyrock Mtn. as seen from the Meadow

The Meadow is a very nice spot for an overnight camp. Make sure to brink your own water. There is hardly any and certainly nothing you wanna drink under normal circumstances.

The junction of the two trails is a good spot for a short break and to get re-hydrated for the remaining 0.75 miles to the top. They are steep and you have to keep an eye on the trail – it is not always obvious where to go and people get lost every year. The trail winds it’s way around the south-east flank of the summit. Cairns and signs are leading the way – not necessarily to the summit. Some minor scrambling is required during the final approach to the plateau between the two summits. Take some time to enjoy the views and the unique ponds with all their wildlife.

Between the two summits of Greyrock Mountain

The Summit:
It’s an easy stroll from here through pines and ponds to the west summit. Shortly before reaching the summit you will encounter another pond. The remaining 30 ft/10 m is a scramble again. The summit itself is small and can only accommodate a limited amount of people. Luckily I was all alone up there.

It took me about 20 minutes to setup my gear and tune the antenna. Several Chipmunks were eyeballing my backpack, waiting for the right moment to feast on my sandwich. The weather was sunny and nice and my signal got out. I made eight SSB QSOs on 20 m within an hour and successfully defended my lunch (simply by eating it).

The Descent:
At the junction, the shorter Summit Trail lead me down to the trailhead – completing a loop and I experienced heavy uphill traffic on the last mile or so.

Some video impressions:
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1KJqe0N9KY

If you would like to leave questions or comments, please do so through Youtube.

!! WARNING !! There are old mountaineers, and bold mountaineers… there are no old-bold mountaineers. Hiking and mountain climbing are potentially hazardous activities particularly in Colorado with its extreme elevations. I am not accepting responsibility for any death or injury resulting from activations based on my trip reports. Proper training, experience, and personal capability assessment is required – enjoy!
June 23, 2011