First Activation of W3/SV-073 1670

On a weekend trip to Huntington, PA with Luna, I got out for this first activation near Trough Creek State Park and Raystown Lake. While the peak is unnamed in the SOTA database, it is part of Terrace Mountain. It was late March and the temperature was a chilly 30F at the start of the day, but I welcomed that since my route would require 4 mi of bushwhacking round trip along the ridge. I parked at “Area 5,” not far from the famous Ice Mine, a small stairwell into a prospecting hole where cool air gets trapped underground and ice forms on humid days. It was cold enough today, so I refrained from climbing into the dark shaft at this time.

We crossed the bridge to Old Forge Road, and soon made it to the trailhead for Brumbaugh Trail.

Bridge from the parking area to cross the creek.

We climbed 750 feet of gain across just over mile on Brumbaugh Trail to get to the ridge of Terrace Mountain. The trail is marked with faded fed blazes. At this ridgeline, we were in the Trough Creek Wild Area of Rothrock State Forest, and about 2 miles of a bushwhack ridge walk was left to get into the AZ. It was a bit of a slog. There wasn’t much brush growing in early spring and the forest is fairly open, so it was pretty easy going, though Luna and I still kept getting her leash twisted around trees.

Heading off trail along the rocky ridge.

Along the way are some nice views of Raystown Lake.

It had started to warm up to about 40F once we made it to my operating point. Luna was quite tuckered, so she laid down after eating a snack and let me get going with the radio stuff. After working F4WBN and EA1AER on 15m, I switched to 40m and stayed there the rest of the activation, since it was still fairly early in the day. I really do enjoy working the locals!

I got three S2S: Ron NR3E on W4K/EC-001 Black Mountain, the high point of KY, Roy WN3F on W4V/SH-012 Old Rag, a famous hike in Shenandoah, and Eric VA2EO on VE2/ES-014 in QC. Luna, no doubt emboldened by her success following our track back from Backlog Mountain the day before, took the lead on our return hike. She lost our trail almost immediately (or perhaps decided to follow the scent of some woodland critter), but I am glad we had my GPS as backup.

Luna’s trying to sniff out our path for the return hike, but I think this track was a little long for her nose. That, or she started tracking a chipmunk instead.

There aren’t many SOTA first activation candidates like this left in PA. The entire approach and AZ are on public lands, and only real obstacle is to bushwhack a while. It was nice to get this one activated for W3 SOTA, and for Luna to notch her first FA as well!

Trailhead: 40.3308,-78.12498 : Parking Area 5 in Trough Creek State Park
Maps: [AA3TZ SOTA] [Trough Creek State Park Map]
Route: Brumbaugh Trail to Terrace Mountain ridge, then ridgeline bushwhack for 2 miles. Nearly 7.0 miles RT.
POTA: Rothrock State Forest (US-5474)

W3/SV-034 Horse Knob

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

W3/SV-021 Jacks Mtn 2315

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!
Map: [AA3TZ SOTA] [SST Map 5 – Jacks Narrows]
Route: 9.0 mile RT hike along the Standing Stone Trail; ~1800 feet of total elevation
POTA: Two options: US-8811, PA 112 State Game Land; US-5474, Rothrock State Forest