I’m a bit overdue writing up this trip, but it’s probably still better late than never! In late-December I took a trip to Bedford, PA for SOTA. The idea was to pass Bedford on I-76, then take I-70 south and do most of the summits along the way, stopping in Bedford, then working my way back home to Pittsburgh the following day.
The first stop was Bark Benchmark, a drive-up in SGL 65. At first, Google maps navigated me south along Boorman Rd, but this road is in poor condition, and there was a PA Game Commission sign that said the road was closed (no gate) with 1.5 mi more to go, so I turned around.
The way to approach is from the south, along Bark Rd. There is an exit to access the road from I-70 S, and you’ll pass a shut-down Days Inn hotel and a large parking lot. There was a thick fog looming over everything. Bark Rd is well-maintained through SGL 65, so I had no trouble getting up to the activation zone.
There was plenty of space to set up with a parking area right by the summit point. This was my first encounter with freezing fog. A few mm of ice crystals had formed around my antenna wire when I was finished due to the fog!
Since this was the first of 3 summits for the day, I just operated for about 30 minutes, but managed to get a couple of S2S on 40m: KC1MXB on W1/HA-021, inching ever closer to his mountain goat on 100% uniques! KR4CEL on W8V/PH-098, Snyder Knob in WV
I also logged some FB DX on 15m CW: F4WBN, M1GEO, IK4IDF, SM5LNE, HB9BQB, IU1KGS.
The next stop was W3/SV-066 Town Hill, which had only been activated one time by Dave K2CZH in Feb 2025, one of the more prolific W3 activators.
Trailhead: 39.90505, -78.21074 : SGL 65 parking area just south of the high point
On a recent trip to London before the holidays, I set aside the sunniest forecast day to get away for a SOTA activation. I chose to go to Wendover Woods, as N8PEM reported it as a combined SOTA/POTA that can be reached from London by mass transit and walking. I booked a ticket with Chiltern Railways that operates the train line to Wendover (en route to Aylesbury). I got on at Marylebone, which is a short walk from the Baker Street Underground station, not far from where the literary detective Sherlock Holmes had his residence.
Trains on this line depart every 30 minutes and the ride was about 50 minutes to Wendover. I had booked my ticket in advance, but I could have gotten away with buying the ticket at the station. I was leaving the city just before 09:00 on a Friday morning, so I surely had missed any commuting rush. Only a handful of other riders were in my train car. The village just before Wendover, Great Missenden, was once the home of the writer Roald Dahl, and this looked like it would have been an interesting stop.
I walked through the town of Wendover along Tring Road, then headed east through a residential area to find Babington Road. Several access trails from this road lead into Wendover Woods. There is a large network of trails here for hiking and biking so there were many ways to go. It was about 2.25 miles altogether from the train station to a pair of vista points off of the one-way road.
Wendover Woods has a fairly large activation zone, so there are many potential operating points. The nature trails attract many hikers, dog walkers, and families, so I wanted a place I could deploy my 40m wire antenna without being in the way. I had scoped out an operating point at a pair of overlooks just inside the activation zone (around 51.77830, -0.71303). An Ordnance Survey topo map confirmed that this would be the case. The smaller of the vista points has a bench while the other, wider one once had two benches (according to Google Street data) but that no longer seems to be the case. I chose this wider plot and just put down my winter jacket as a blanket as I was rather hot from the hike. It wasn’t too cold today, maybe 8 °C. I set up my mast and settled in for what would be my most prolific QRP SOTA activation to date, with 77 QSOs altogether!
The last time I had operated in Europe was on my trip to the Netherlands last year working Signaal Imbosch, and it had been my first time doing a SOTA activation in about two years. I was rusty, and struggled sending my multi-stroke callsign (PA/AI6CU/P) so many times. I had over 60 activations between that experience and this one, and that made a big difference. I still wasn’t prepared for just how much more active SOTA chasers are in Europe than in the US. There were just as many people calling over each other as I am used to hearing doing POTA on the east coats. It was a good problem to have, and I worked people as efficiently as I could. I got 9 S2S contacts all over Europe. It seems to be the norm over there to send “/P” instead of “S2S” to get the caller’s attention on CW. I even got to work a couple US stations: W4DKS and KG8CO on 20m. It was good fun working 21 DXCC entities during a single activation!
I am so glad that I brought my mic as well! It was wonderful hearing people call in from all over England, speaking with various new (to me) regional accents wishing me well on my travels. A number of folks apologized for the cold weather, but London was a balmy 10 °C every day relative to Pittsburgh, which was -10 °C the day I flew out! I think I’m going to do more SSB on activations where I can, as there is something delightfully human about phone QSOs.
On the way back, I continued north to see the Trig Point in the farmer’s field mentioned by so many other trip reports. Just a bit north of the field is a plaque commemorating the Aston Hill Climb, a motor race that ran from 1904 to 1925. A certain Lionel Martin had such a successful run there one year that he named his fledgling car company “Aston-Martin.” Returning to Wendover Woods, I stopped to see the Go Ape ropes course and wooden Gruffalo sculpture. A couple of park employees were gluing purple prickles into holes in the back of the statue, which I assume get ripped out constantly.
I hiked back along the Fitness Trail and ended up on a quiet street called Beechwood Lane, which brought me back to the town center. There’s a neat bookstore and a place to get some cheese. I picked up a hunk of Christmas Wensleydale and got back on the train home. This outgoing train (4pm) was absolutely packed! Lots of people were coming into London for holiday festivities. I was surprised to see a family sharing a few bottles of wine during the ride in, but I guess you’ve got to get in the spirit!
My route. The blue AZ is approximate as Caltopo’s data are not as accurate in UK. The blue radio tower was my operating location, of course!
Trailhead: 51.76191, -0.74728 : Wendover Railway Station
Route: I took a 5.5 mile RT hike through town of Wendover and park, seeing a couple of interesting sites. Direct route to operating site about 2.25 mi; about 130m elevation gain.
There’s a gravel pullover spot west of this intersection where I parked at and set up behind my car. Somebody disposed of a sofa chair here that is visible on Google Maps (last updated April 2025), and it’s still sitting there as of November 2025. I set my wire up in the trees and brush alongside the road and worked this one fairly quickly, only lingering for about a half hour. Notable contacts were two S2S on 20m: Nick WN2G on W9/WI-015 Happy Hill and George KX0R on his frequent haunt W0C/FR-085.
Trailhead: 40.93516, -78.33191: Parked in pullover west of the intersection between Hartman Road and Drane Highway
This was the last remaining of the DuBois Quintet (yep, I’m trying to make that a thing) I had yet to activate. For various reasons, I haven’t written up any of these post-hike trip reports. I suppose I’ll document my return to these peaks in 2026! Consider it a New Year’s Resolution.
On the way to State Game Land 87, I passed through Punxsutawney, PA, home of the famous season prognosticator-rodent Punxsutawney Phil. I couldn’t resist pulling over at Gobbler’s Knob, where there was a small visitor’s center. I was able to climb up onto the stage where the groundhog is presented to the public on a stone pedestal to hear his prediction on February 2. There’s even a SOTA badge awarded for activating/chasing a summit on Groundhog Day. Fun stuff! I didn’t have a chance to check out Phil in his glass enclosure in the town’s public library, but you’ve always got to leave something to see on the next visit!
The short hike I took into SGL 87 from the parking area was surprisingly scenic, and the views were nice. The AZ is large and encompasses many trails and roads (including where I parked), so there are plenty of options. My hike actually took me out of the AZ, then back into it again, just for fun.
This was my first SOTA activation in three weeks, so I just vibed out, working 56 QSOs while enjoying the fall propagation. I was lucky to grab a transatlantic 10m SSB S2S with EA8/DG0JMB/P on EA8/GC-001 in the Canary Islands! Fall propagation indeed! Going to keep bringing my mic to these activations from now on…
Trailhead: 40.95385, -78.76486 : SGL 87 parking area off of McGees Mills Road
I 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: 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: 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: 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!
I couldn’t resist bagging a SOTA peak in Nevada on our Vegas trip, and decided to roll the dice on this desert hike. This summit is referred to as Red Rock Canyon Peak 4109 on Peakbagger. Being in Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, this counts as a dual POTA/SOTA joint activation. I parked on a concrete pad under a utility pole off the side of Arroyo Road, just outside of the tiny town of Blue Diamond.
Since this was the end of August, this peak came with a +3 summer seasonal bonus. I arrived early enough that the western-facing side of the peak was shaded most of the hike up, but I imagine it could get very hot in the afternoon.
I followed a trail into a drainage bed that eventually linked up with a use-trail all the way to the top. This is more or less the same as the route that KJ7NDY has shared on sotadata. There were plenty of cacti and other desert plants to admire along the way, and good views of the Vegas strip from the top.
I set up the AX1 loaded vertical near the cairn at the summit and got to work. 17 QSOs overall, including a 2m contact with NF7B from just listening to 146.52, driving through to UT.
Trailhead: 36.04754, -115.39903 : Parked on concrete pad off Arroyo Road on the way to the tiny town of Blue Diamond, NV
Tom Zajdel 