I started out the day with much enthusiasm. This was a yet to be activated summit which made it a tad more exciting. I knew it would be an easy trip to the top, having ridden my mountain bike to within a quarter of a mile from the summit last year. All the gear (well, almost all the gear) was packed up the night before with a total weight of about 13 pounds, including bike repair items just in case.
The drive is pretty short, only about 12 miles north of the town of Eagle, Idaho, right on HWY 55. It is a about 3 miles north of the new Avimor subdivision. There is a nice place to park just off the road at the bottom of Willow Creek. When I got out of the car, I noticed a sign on the fence leading to the trail that was new since last year. The sign read, "No Trespassing without written permission." Well, that was a bit of a bummer.
I knew the summit itself was accessible because it is part of the Avimor Trail System, so I backtracked down the road to the main hiking/biking trailhead in Avimor. The signs here were quite welcoming with other mountain bikers already heading out on the trails. I knew it would add a couple of miles to the ride starting at Avimor, but at least I should be able to get to the summit. Now, which trail to take to the summit?
This looks better.
Originally, my alternate plan was to take me over to the same trail I rode last year, but part way there, at a junction in the trail was a big sign, "Temporary Trail Closure." This was due to some new construction that was being done for the subdivision.
Well, that left me with yet another option, to go up a very steep (hike-a-bike) trail named Whiptail Ridge. Looking at the trailforks.com map this trail was taking me right where I needed to go, hooking into my original route about half a mile from the summit. I was able to ride the bike the majority of the way, but there were about half a dozen sections that were just too steep to pedal.
There are several gates to go through on the way up, but they are truly hiker/biker friendly with reminders to close them after passing. There was 1 other sign that gave information that you need to keep in mind before planning your trip. The area is closed between December 1st and March 31st due to wintering wildlife.
The summit is just a little bit further.
1 hour and 38 minutes and 5.6 miles later I reached the summit.
Setup was fairly quick, using my bike as a base for the mast.
I was running the KX2 at 10 watts. I had a Bioenno battery with me, but forgot the power adapter, so I was happy to have charged the internal KX2 the night before. I have since added the adapter to the pre-SOTA checklist.
My signal must have been pretty weak, as several called me on my initial CQ, but never came back to my response. I did end up with France in the logbook from 2 different stations which was a treat. I also had several S2S Qs including some multi-band with my SOTA mentor and good friend and Mountain Goat, Jim, K7MK. Total QSOs were 27, all on CW. I will work on getting a better antenna setup next time so that you all can hear me and maybe then I can try some SSB QSOs.
The descent from the top was much more enjoyable. It only took me 31 minutes to descend the 5.6 miles back to the Avimor trailhead.
Thanks to all the chasers with your good ears!
My Route (trail names):
- Avimor Trailhead
- Spring Valley Creek
- Shooting Range
- Whiptail Ridge
- Dirt Magurt
- Willow Creek Trail
- Summit
Summary:
Remember that the summit is closed from December 1st to March 31st, so plan accordingly. Also, remember to start at the Avimor trailhead to avoid the No Trespassing area.
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