I recently changed my callsign from AI6CU to AA3TZ since I now live in PA, and was working the CQ WPX contest to break in the new callsign. I went on this hike to take a break from the contest and work my first SOTA with the new callsign. It took longer to drive to the trailhead than I expected, since the final approach is very bumpy. Bear Cave is large maze cave formation somewhere west of this 2600 ft peak. It looks like it gets very tight in there (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFYwIoEOKV0).
Google will try to take you down a trail that goes northeast from Derry Ridge Rd in Ligonier, but the road does not appear to exist. Continue along Derry Ridge Road, then turn northeast on Austraw Rd towards the intersection of Austraw Rd, Derry Ridge Rd, and Firetower Rd. Here, continue down Firetower Rd, which is a good gravel road for about a half mile, then becomes a bumpier dirt road for the remaining mile (starting around 1700 feet elevation). I had to go slow, but my sedan (Subaru Impreza) made it fine. It would probably not have gone well on a wet day. There is a small dirt parking spot at a locked gate with room for one vehicle. A truck was parked there so I parked a bit down the road where there was another pulloff.
The first half of the 1.5-mile hike is a climb up 400 feet to a long, flat ridge. The rest of the hike follows a road that passes a large number of radio transmitters along this ridge. The road was flooded with 4 inches of water in places during this trip, but it was dry off the road. The observation tower at the peak was locked.
I set up by some rocks near the edge of the forest, but a couple of hikers suggested that I stay away from them as above 1600 ft elevation is where rattlesnakes live. “It would really suck to get bit by a rattlesnake out here,” one added. They were actually there to look for snakes and claimed that they had seen over 20, walking along the sun/shade line! Spooked, I moved into the sunny clearing and kept my eyes peeled. I heard intermittent noise on 40m, presumably from one of the nearby transmitters.
After the hike, I found the snake-fans by their truck, which was the one parked at the gate. They asked me some questions about CB radio, and I got them hyped up about the current peak in the solar cycle. I might come back in the winter, but I will probably just walk along Firetower road for a longer hike rather than drive on the rough road. Also, the snakes will be hibernating.
- Trailhead: 40.33267, -79.23716 : Approach from Firetower Rd
- Maps: [AA3TZ SOTA]
- Route: 3.0 mi round trip, following trail towards and along multiple radio transmitter sites.
Tom Zajdel 