IÂ was packing in a quick sunrise SOTA activation near the Summit County high point (W8O/NE-007) in Richfield, OH, the morning after my friend James’ wedding in Cleveland. (Aside: James accompanied me on the first activation of Maguire Peaks back in 2016!) This one is an easy drive-on SOTA with plenty of places to set up in Richfield Woods Park which is totally within the activation zone.
The chasers were mostly asleep, but things picked up near the end with a mini-roundup on 40m from the Skyview Radio Society, the radio club near Pittsburgh that I belong to: K3MJW, Marty AG3I, W3GH, and Cooky WC3O in quick succession. They club was kindly taking a short break from the CQ RTTY contest to work me. I also worked some nice DX on the high bands: F4WBN, MI0SRR, and PA5KM on 15m; DL1DVE on 17m.
I was set up near one of the baseball fields. I usually have bad luck near the baseball diamond — bat to the face in baseball camp, hard grounder bounced to the eye playing in a softball league (two black eyes for the price of one…), etc. — so this was a nice change of pace. With this activation in the books, I have activated 4 out of 9 of the peaks in the W8O/NE SOTA region. The rest are on private property, with the exception of W8O/NE-009 Taylors Hill near Toronto, OH. That land was recently acquired by Hike Toronto, and should be open for hikers soon, if it isn’t already.
Trailhead:Â 41.24300, -81.66012 : Richfield Woods Park
This drive on was the last activation during my weekend trip to Trough Creek State Park in Huntingdon County. Harbor Mountain is a scenic launching spot for hang-gliders. The drive up was along gravel forest roads in Buchanan State Park. I parked just off the side of the short walkway to the overlook point. The cliffside falls away dramatically into a stunning view of a valley. The sky was misty, adding a bit of mystery to the surroundings.
Fall propagation was in full swing during this activation. I worked a bunch of DX on the high bands: F4WBN, G3VXJ, and VE6AGR (S2S on VE6/RA-014) on 17; IZ8FAV, EA7GV, and S52AU on 12m; F4WBN, EA1AER, OK2VWB, M0TTQ, SQ0JYK, and DJ5AV on 10m. I also managed to work Mark KD7DTS from the youtube SOTA+ channel on 17m.
Trailhead:Â 40.08926, -78.21619 : Parked in grass alongside Fisher Rd directly across from overlook
I went for this summit in the early morning after spending the night at Trough Creek SP. This is in Rothrock State Forest, so note that you’ll be driving along (well-maintained) gravel roads to get to the trailhead. I parked in a spot off of John Bum Road with space for about a half dozen vehicles. The trailhead is for Terrace Mountain Trail, and just a few feet into the hike, the fern-lined Horse Knob Fire Trail climbs top the peak. The hike in was just under a mile.
I set up along the trail since I did not expect to see anybody using this fire trail. I stayed for a bit because conditions were good, working 44 QSOs with the following DX:
10m: F4WBN
12m: PA5KM
15m: S57S, OK1ZE, PA3AKC
30m: VA2EO
I’m not sure why this one has only been activated 4 times before my trip (3 times in 2016 including Jody K3JZD’s first activation, and then after nearly 9 years off the air, Tim W3QP activated it March 2025), but it might just be because other higher point value peaks are nearby.
Trailhead:Â 40.34963, -78.07378 : Parking area near intersection of Fink Road and John Bum Road
This peak, within Raystown Lake Recreation Area, had not yet been activated, a rare W3 peak on public land without any SOTA activations. Raystown Lake is a large, meandering lake created by a dam used for hydroelectric power and flood control, managed by the US Army Corps of Engineers. Recently having finished the Thousand Steps Hike to Jacks Mountain 2315, my legs were feeling tired. Still, the promise of a potential FA kept me going.
I parked off Seven Points Road, at a trailhead with access to the Allegrippis Trail System. Hiking is allowed, but these trails are definitely built for mountain bikes, with banked turns and gradual inclines. I followed the Dark Hollow Trail and Shade Trail towards the activation zone, which descends down into a creek bed and climbs back up. The final approach required about 500 feet of bushwhacking, which is why I suspect this peak had not yet been activated. I walked off trail at approximately 40.38846, -78.09365. I was able to avoid most dense brush while gradually making my way to the activation zone.
I chose to stop within the AZ when the brush got more dense and started operating. The bands were starting to wake up from their summer hangover, and I was able to quickly get 14 QSOs. Most notable was a 30m S2S with another First Activation, VE3/DJ4MZ on VE3/SO-020! Shortly after working the trusty duo of W0MNA and W0ERI on 20m, my battery died. I had really worn it down lingering on the morning SOTA site.
With the required QSOs made, and my backup battery back at the campsite in Trough Creek State Park, I got going. The round trip hike took about 3.00 miles and had 600 feet of elevation change.
Trailhead: 40.39062, -78.08732 : Allegrippis Trail System – Raystown South Loop Trailhead
Route: 3.0 mile RT hike on singletrack MTB trails, then off-trail bushwhack for 500 feet into the activation zone; 600 feet of total elevation
POTA: None. Raystown Lake Recreation Area is managed by US Army Corps of Engineers, which is not recognized as a POTA site steward.
On the drive back, I took a detour to Juniata Brewing Company in Huntington for a celebratory brew and dinner. I had earned it after the day’s hiking: 2300 feet of elevation and 12 miles! That’s a lot for these legs…
Putting a cap on the day at Juniata Brewing Company.
After camping overnight at Trough Creek State Park, I set out Saturday morning for what would prove to be one of the most memorable SOTA activations I’ve done in Pennsylvania. This was a 9-mile RT strenuous hike from the Juniata River valley up to an Appalachian mountain peak through beautiful and varied scenery across 1800 feet of elevation gain. This is what hiking and SOTA should be (sometimes)!
I ascended Jacks Mountain via the famous Thousand Steps Trail, a segment of the Standing Stone Trail. The name is quite literal. The hike begins with over 1,000 hand-laid stone steps climbing steeply up the southern face of Jacks Mountain (there are actually more than 1000 steps, fyi). Built in the early 1900s as a construction route for a logging and silica mining railroad, these steps have become an infamous Pennsylvania hike. The SST is well-marked with orange blazes, though access from the Rt 22 parking spot is via a yellow-blazed and rocky spur trail.
The morning was perfect for the hike. The first hints of autumn color were showing in the leaves. Every 100 steps are marked, so you know exactly how much you have left. This stair climb is about a half mile long, but involves 800 feet of elevation gain. It… was tough!
Once past the initial stair climb, the trail rewarded me with a much gentler grade. There were also very few hikers that continued past the Dinky Shed, so there was a warm feeling of earned isolation. The path winds upward through pleasant switchbacks, passing the Dinky Shed where seasonal workers would sleep while working the railroad. A short ways up was the Ledge Quarry Vista with a spectacular view of the valley I had just climbed out of.
The following section of trail was a welcome change of pace, allowing me to catch my breath and enjoy the forest. The trail passes through thick stands of mountain laurel, which must be absolutely stunning when they bloom in late spring. These long switchbacks were a bit of a slog, but I eventually was rewarded with the Mill Creek Quarry vista. I had been hiking with a couple from Harrisburg, PA through this part. They were both surprised that I was going to keep climbing after this vista, but when I explained it was for amateur radio, they surprisingly knew exactly what I was talking about! Turns out, they’re friends with an TikTok “hamfluencer” who does POTA on the regular in northern PA. I wish I had written down this ham’s callsign! They said I should get a TikTok, but I told them I write a blog, and one said “I respect that old school method.” These folks were my age, by the way!
As I climbed into the activation zone, the character of the forest shifted noticeably one final time. The understory opened up into a broad, mature forest with a beautiful carpet of ferns covering the ground. The summit area sits right on the boundary between State Game Land 112 and Rothrock State Forest, and the peaceful, open woodland made for a delightful operating location. I stopped just short of Shorbs Knob, which looks like a great operating point inside Rockrock SF. I doubled back to SGL 112 to activate a new POTA reference.
I had a successful activation too, lingering to enjoy the breeze through this magnificent forest, while working 36 QSOs. I did have to cut it shorter than I would have liked, since I had a first activation on the docket for the afternoon hike. SGL 112 might be the most interesting game land for hiking in the entire state! This is an absolute classic hike and I am seriously considering making this my MG summit. That’s still a long way from now, but I can’t think of a more interesting (and literally breathtaking) site. 🙂
Trailhead: 40.391979, -77.914790 : Parked at Thousand Steps Trailhead off to side of State Route 22. There is a portable toilet at the parking area, which is nice!
Tom Zajdel 