Brushy Peak (W6/NC-338) SOTA Activation

On Thursday 20 February Peyton, Brookelyn, and I headed out for a hike and a SOTA. I chose Brushy Peak because it was an unactivated peak that was not to far from home and it did not look to hard for the kids. The parking lot is big and has plenty of room. We started off and decided to do a loop. It was nice day with a little breeze. There is a service road that leads all the way except the last 1/2 mile or so that you head up to the summit. Near the summit there is a fence that blocks the path and has a sign that says "Resource Protection Area KEEP OUT."  I quickly looked at my phone and noticed that I was not in the AZ yet. We followed the fence line up hill and were able to get into the activation zone. When I was up as far as I could go I was at 1667 ft. and the summit is at 1702 ft. I was just 35 vertical feet short of the actual summit, well within the 80 ft rule. (When I got to the bottom I found a number, 925-960-2400, that said that you can get access to the summit by reservation only. I called them and they seemed very willing to give access.) I hung the wire antenna off the tree and started to call CQ.  I did a quick activation as my daughter had that look like she wanted to get going, and then we headed back down towards the truck. This was a nice easy hike with plenty to see. In the summer I can see that it would be very hot out there.

Route: 

HWY 101 South, CA-237 E. Take I-880 N and I-680 N to CA-84 E/Vallecitos Rd in Sunol. 

Take the California 84 E exit from I-680 N, Follow I-680 N. to I-580 E. 

Drive 4.2 Miles and Exit on Vasco Road.

Follow signs to Brushy Peak Regional Preserve.

Cell Signal: 

Full digital signal. Was able to send and receive SOTA goat spots.

Radio working conditions: 

Great conditions no issues. Did not get any contacts on 20m?

Trail Condition: 

Great Trail. Service Road except for the last 1/4 mile. A couple short semi-steep climbs.

Weather: 

About 60 degrees and breezy.

Fees:
None

Website(s):

Brushy Peak Wesite

EveryTrail Route: 

http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=2679424

Setup: 

PFR3 with 1800 m/ah LiPo- http://www.qrpkits.com/pfr3.html

Lambda Antenna - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXo0XucRpt0&list=FLuy-J6QwwXmIdgM0-I2ue7w&index=1

AME Porta Paddle II - http://www.americanmorse.com/portapaddle.htm

Contacts:

Not a lot of contacts. I did try 20m for a bit with no chasers heard. Time to pack up and head to the truck. When you do SOTA with kids you can't spend a lot of time on the summit!

The rocks were a hit with the kids. There are a lot of rocks around the loop.

View looking West down into Livermore, CA.

Thanks to all the Chasers.