SOTA outings by KØMOS and contributors

Tag: Hayman Fire

  • WØC/FR-165 (Signal Butte) – 2877 m / 9459 ft

    W0C/FR-165 (Signal Butte) 2877M /9459 FT
    Feb 28, 2014
    by KX0R

    Signal Butte is a fine SOTA peak located in the southern part of the huge Hayman Burn area. I first saw it from the top of Thunder Butte, about 7 miles to the north. It looks like a little volcano. The 9459-foot summit is only about 570 feet above the saddle to the southeast – but the conical mountain is over 1000 feet above Trail Creek to the northwest. It stands high above endless tens of thousands of acres of burned forest, and it calls out to be climbed and activated!

    Reaching the trailhead on February 28, 2014 was harder than climbing the mountain. I drove down from up north via Highway 285, Highway 126 to Deckers, and via a network of forest roads SW of Westcreek. I drove down past Sheep Nose and Thunder Butte on road 68 – no problem there. I took route 33 in, and soon I found myself on route 367 in the middle of the burned area. Road 367 has hump-bumps and gradually degenerates as it goes south to Trail Creek. Rutted snow-piles across the road suggest that maintenance is minimal in winter. Signal Butte is visible to the south – it looks really cool with snow on its north side – it beckons for you to come closer. A sign warns “no trespassing” – but driving the OHV road through the posted land is apparently OK. At Trail Creek there’s a huge wood fence and a 4-way intersection. If you have a 4WD vehicle this place is paradise! However, I was driving my 1970 VW bug – actually just fine until I got to Trail Creek.

    My original plan was to take forest road 364 up the hill north of Signal Butte, then meet road 362, and take that south to the Butte. Road 362 accesses the trailhead east of the Butte and is suggested by others who have described this mountain online. When I saw the start of 364, it looked very jeep-trail, and knowing that it goes up 500 vertical feet in a gully on the northwest side of the hill, I decided to change my plan and take Road 3 that runs SW down Trail Creek. As soon as I started down Trail Creek, I encountered slimy, cheesy mud and huge puddles that looked to be a couple of feet deep. A sign proclaimed “End OHV Area” – that seemed like good news, except the road got worse than what I’d already driven! I was able to drive at least half a mile before I came into a very wet, soft, cheesy section that seemed to be getting wetter and softer the further I went. I could see deep ruts and puddles ahead, and I decided that I’d better turn around before I got stuck trying to turn around!

    If I’d ever done these roads before, the story here might be different. On a cold morning, with everything frozen, there would be no problem with cheesy mud. On the other hand, when you don’t know what lies ahead, where few people go in a burned-out forest on a weekday in February, you better play it safe if you want to activate and get home OK. So I turned around and drove back to the 4-way intersection with a plan to park and walk up the roads to Signal Butte.

    Just for kicks I tried driving road 364 up the gully – I cleared the hump-bumps OK – don’t try this road with an ordinary road car – but there was more of that cheesy mud from the melting snow all along the road. When I came to a particularly steep, slick spot, I decided to turn around and park. I looked at the map, got my pack and pole, and headed up the muddy road, wondering how long it would take to walk to Signal Butte.

    Of course it turned out that the road got steeper but less muddy just past where I had parked. However, up on the ridge there were rutted snowdrifts with shiny ice, so walking was the right plan. Your results may vary – if you have a 4WD vehicle, this area of roads and trails may be a fun place to mess with, as long as the snow isn’t really deep.

    I walked the 2-1/2 miles to the Signal Butte trailhead in one hour. I could see a trail leading around the snowy north side of the mountain, but the wind was blowing steadily from that direction; I realized that if I went directly up the cone from the trailhead, I could avoid most of the snow, and the peak would block the wind.

    The direct route was easy at first, just a steep slope with rocks and downed burned trees. Most of the soil is gone, exposing more rocks, but visibility up the hill was great. In a short time I was up near the top, where snow drifts covered the rocks and logs, so I had to pick through that part carefully. I followed the snow tracks of a recent climber, likely a fellow activator.

    The summit was sunny and spectacular, but the wind was the boss. I was a little late for my activation, so I chose a place to operate just off the top, on the east side, in a pleasant sunny spot among rocks – almost free of wind. I tied my pole to a dead tree and strung the 66 foot wire north along the windy summit ridge, climbing over rocks and in and out of the snowdrifts. In a few minutes I had the big end-fed wire up and ready to go.  Even though the north end was only 6 feet up, the wire was well above the summit ridge, and I knew I was going to be OK. The temperature was well above freezing, I had sunshine, the weather was stable, and what had seemed like a dubious adventure was looking pretty good all of a sudden. It’s amazing how things change when the antenna is up!

    I matched up the wire on 15M, and N4EX called me before I signed my call, as soon as I sent “QRL?” He spotted me, and then there was a pile. Propagation was great with the solar flux at 170. After about 10 minutes of Q’s, I heard DX, and EA2IF called and worked me. After I worked 21 stations, things came to a stop, so I tuned up on 20M, and there was an instant pile – signals were great – EA2IF worked me again – and then I heard Steve, WG0AT, not far away, out east across the Rampart Range. Near the end of the run EA2LU worked me. I finally went down to 40M but contacted only K5ACO in Arkansas – suggesting that band conditions and the antenna were OK – just no chasers. I was tempted to try other bands, but it was 2:30 and I had a long way to go home, and a cold front was expected to arrive before I would get there. I packed up, hiked down the cone, then back to the car – I enjoyed Road 367 knowing I was going home!

    Although I haven’t driven it, I suspect that Road 362 from the south is the preferred access route. I don’t know if it’s OK for ordinary cars or not – it’s likely a high-clearance road, but since it’s on the south side of the ridge, it may be better than the northern route I used. The southern end of 362 is accessible from Divide. If you can drive 362 to the trailhead, the only thing you have to do is climb the 560 vertical feet up the cone, set up, and activate. Since there are some dead trees near the summit, activating without a pole is possible – but a pole makes it easier. In warm weather the trail on the north side may make the ascent easier.

    The origin of this odd mountain is fascinating. It’s not a volcano – but it’s the remains of a Tertiary intrusion of light-colored igneous rocks that pushed up through the much older Precambrian rocks about 40 million years ago. I found a fine summary of the geology of Signal Butte.

    The 360-degree view from the summit is worth the trip. Thunder Butte stands prominently about 7 miles to the north, and Pikes Peak dominates the picture, roughly 16 miles to the southeast. Some high peaks of the Sawatch are visible about 60-70 miles across South Park to the southwest. Burned-out forest fills the scene to the north and west, almost as far as you can see. The horror of the Hayman fire is beyond our ability to understand – it is what it is. Signs of recovery are everywhere, but I’m glad I never saw that area before it burned.

    George Carey Fuller
    KX0R

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    ATTENTION !! 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!

  • WØC/FR-Ø48 (Thunder Butte) – 2992 M / 9836 FT

    W0C/FR-048 (Thunder Butte) – 2992 M / 9836 FT
    Jan 03, 2014
    by KX0R

    Thunder Butte is a prominent mountain located in the Pike National Forest southwest of Deckers. It’s an interesting off-trail climb with convenient access and immense vistas – it’s also a great SOTA peak!

    Get up early, drive west of Denver on Highway 285, and turn left (south) on Highway 126 at Pine Junction. Drive down through Pine, stay on 126 through Buffalo Creek, and continue south on the good paved road all the way to Deckers. Continue south from Deckers on paved Highway 67 for 9 miles to Westcreek. Turn right at Westcreek on unpaved Abbey Road, drop to Road 73 and turn south, go about ½ mile to the Volunteer Fire Station, and turn right – west – on Highway 68 (W Stump Road). Drive west 2 miles on this good dirt road, past a large rock formation called the Sheep Nose, and turn sharply right on marked 9-J Road.

    (You can also drive up from Colorado Springs via Route 24 to Woodland Park, and then take Road 67 north to Westcreek.)

    9-J is a maintained forest road. It was not gated on Jan 3, 2014 when I was there, and the snow had been recently plowed. I met a propane truck coming out when I was driving in, so some one lives up the road. There was no problem driving up about 1.3 miles to the marked parking area at the top of a ridge, west of Sheep Nose, where the road turns sharply west. Park here in the designated spot. A sign warns that this is a burn area, with possible hazards like falling trees, flash floods, and destroyed trails. This is a real fun place!

    There is no trail-head sign or trail at the parking area. You can see Thunder Butte about 1.5 miles to the north. The route up to the summit is not difficult, and route-finding is easy if you’re prepared; however, it’s essential to study the topo map of this area before starting in. Take a compass, topo map, and perhaps a GPS unit. Note that it would be easier to go wrong on the return than on the ascent – be sure to look back every so often and to learn what the return route looks like.

    Hike approximately north on the broad ridge-top from the parking area. This ridge heads roughly toward the summit, which is on the left side of the elevated part of the mountain you see. Stay on the ridge as it veers slightly east and west of north, while mostly climbing gradually. Follow this ridge for about 1-1/2 miles through a nice forested area that was spared by the Hayman Fire (that fire burned most of this region, over 135,000 acres, more than ten years ago). There may be a few cairns along the ridge, and there are sections where a faint trail is visible. The route I followed climbs up a faint trail section near the top of the ridge near various rocky outcrops, and then when the outcrops become obstacles, the route drops northeast a short distance and crosses a shallow gulch. This place is just before the whole landscape begins to get steeper to the north.

    After crossing the small gulch, climb generally northeast, on an increasing grade, through the burned forest. The route heads up to the obvious saddle between the summit ridge and the sub-peak to the south. Stay north and above the valley that leads to the saddle – the valley is choked with bushes and trees. The route above ascends northeast through open, burned forest – there are bits of trail if you look – try to follow the natural route up to the saddle. Don’t try to climb up to the summit directly – just head over to the north part of the saddle, get on the summit ridge, and then climb on up to the top. Follow the narrow ridge, staying mostly on the top or west side, where there are bits of trail. Be sure to look down to the east, at the huge craggy ridge system below!

    After about 300 vertical feet of climbing rocks and bare soil among dead trees on the summit ridge, you’ll reach a sub-peak; from here you can see the summit not far above – the final ascent is no problem. There’s no exposure on the class 2 summit ridge route, until you reach the top.

    The summit is a small exposed rocky area, with an incredible view of Pikes Peak and the huge Hayman Burn to the south and west. There was a “register” in a plastic bottle down in the rocks when I was there. People do climb this remote peak – I saw fresh footprints in the snow when I was there, and another man reached the summit not long after I did. I noticed that Gerry and Jennifer Roach signed the register in 2009 – but there are not many names in the notepad.

    The day I climbed Thunder Butte was abnormally warm for Jan 3. It was sunny, and it followed a warm dry spell with little snow. The temperature on top at 9836 feet was about 40 degrees. The south side of the mountain was mostly free of snow, but there were 4-6 inches of snow in the shade. On the narrow summit ridge it was windy, especially on the west edge. I was able to set up my activation on the ridge – this required stringing my 66 foot wire north along the ridge, across snowy rocks, and through bushes and small trees. I tied the 20 foot fiberglass pole to a small tree – then I found a dead aspen trunk and used it as a mast to raise the far end of my wire 10 feet above the ridge-top.

    The whole time I couldn’t believe I was actually doing this on January 3. I never needed gloves the whole time I was on top, even though the wind was hissing across the summit cliffs! I set up my ATS-3B, resonated my homebrew high-Z tuner on 15M, matched up the main tuner, and called CQ on 21.062 – I was earlier than my alert time. After two or three calls, N1EU called with a big 599 signal from NY, and I knew it was going to happen! K6EL in CA was next, and then there was a big pile. After 15 Q’s on 15M, I retuned to 20M and worked 25 additional stations. Conditions were great on both bands! Since the 66 foot wire is 3/2 wave on 15M and a full wave on 20M, my high-Z tuner matched it quickly on both bands, with no counterpoise. Somehow the antenna stayed up, even though the pole and wire were both moving around with the wind gusts.

    A few comments about propagation from Thunder Butte are in order. This mountain is in a remote part of the South Platte Canyon region, but at 9836 feet, I could see over the Rampart Range and into a small part of the South Denver area. I had solid 21 MHz direct signals from N0TA, up north in Louisville, and K0FNR, in Arvada. For HF, Thunder Butte is an almost perfect site, with huge prominence in all directions and no larger peaks for many miles. VHF/UHF propagation is probably limited by the Rampart Range to the east, as well as in other directions, though local coverage is likely excellent. The site is quiet, and there is little development in the area.

    I recommend descending by the same route used for the ascent. Avoid going down into any valleys, except for the small gulch you crossed previously before starting to climb up toward the saddle. Hike out on the long ridge you came in on. Head toward the west (right) side of the Sheep Nose rock on the way out. Use a compass or GPS to make sure you backtrack accurately.

    This could be an unpleasant hike in summer, with little shade, no water, and hot, bare ground. The peak is called Thunder Butte for good reason. Don’t test your luck on this summit if dark clouds approach!

    One trip report I found warned about thorny bushes, but I didn’t have any problem with them. Most of the burned forest is open and easy to deal with. This should be a nice hike on a dry spring or fall day. Even though there’s no marked route, this ascent is relatively easy, with only 2.5 miles each way, and 1400 vertical feet of gain. The ridge route is easy and pleasant, better than many trails!

    Thunder Butte is close enough to the Denver-Colorado Springs area that it should see more SOTA activations. The vast, unique view is both awesome and heartbreaking. With its south-facing route and good road access, this mountain is a SOTA Classic!

    George Carey Fuller
    KX0R

    ATTENTION !! 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!