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: 40.34963, -78.07378 : Parking area near intersection of Fink Road and John Bum Road
- Map: [AA3TZ SOTA]
- Route: 1.8 mile RT hike on Terrace Mountain Trail – Horse Knob Fire Trail
- POTA: US-5474, Rothrock State Forest
Tom Zajdel 