The drive from Los Angeles to the Nevada boarder was packed with the usual hoards seeking sinful relief in Las Vegas and was highlighted by the usual fatal accidents and vehicle fires. The desert road from the Interstate to the trailhead ran through a dense Joshua Tree forest.
Jim, K9JWV had already arrived from his home in Utah and set up camp near the trailhead when John, KI6NN and I arrived Friday afternoon. Jim is a FB CW operator and was responsible for much front line promoting of this event with his QRP contesting buddies. Living in the wilderness of W7 with no SOTA association, we chose this remote, Mojave Desert summit as a midpoint and a place to finally meet in person.
After a great camp meal and a few hours by the campfire, we slept under crystal clear skies surrounded by coyotes and rattlesnakes. We awoke at dawn to sub-freezing temperatures and took a few minutes longer than ideal to warm up and gear up.
The hike was not difficult, about 800 ft. climb in 2 1/2 miles with little rock hopping. The ridgeline was dotted with broken granite slabs and we got to the top of the second highest to anchor our feedpoint. We found a knob at 45 degrees to anchor the other end of the antenna. This would put a lobe on EU.
KI6NN had a good run of contacts on 20m SSB including a G4 in the City of York. We celebrated. The QRM was horrible and finding a clear spot to operate was tough. I had a quick run a few minutes later. Jim was having technical difficulties with his QRP rig and finally agreed to take the key at the QRO station where he managed a S2S with VA3SIE. We celebrated.
Our station was heavy, and we took few luxuries to the summit. Cold and hunger began to take over. We broke down the station and descended after about 3 hours on the summit.
In reply to KI6J:
I wonder what the few luxuries were? Coyotes and rattlesnakes is enough to keep you on your toes.
Working a G4 in York is good contact, as with the other NA activators i missed you all … next time? Sean M0GIA
Hi Stuart, John and Jim,
Congratulations to Jim K9JWV for working summit to summit with VA3SIE and John KI6NN for having a good run of QSO including a G4 station in York.
I hope all 3 of you had a good activation and I hope you’ll do some more activations in W6 as it is a very SOTA association.
Jim if you are interested in SOTA you could set up a SOTA association in W9 to some SOTA activating there as well.
Jimmy M3EYP
In reply to M0GIA:
When Stuart guided me to the top of Cahuenga Peak we had Sushi and Asahi bear. Very fine it was too.
Congratulations to all the W6 activators on your success. Stuart, say hello to John for me. He was my 1st contact from the summit so he’s the 1st chaser in W6 association as well as one of the first activators.
Andy
MM0MFMF
Hi Andy,
When you and Stuart did activated W6/CT-037, did Stuart make any QSO’s from that summit? I’m just wondering because he hasn’t entered that activation on the database, but he has entered his other 2 activations he has done.
Jimmy M3EYP
In reply to KI6J:
Great activation Stu. Thanks to all who tried to call! We had very heavy QRM from local traffic! Making first G4 to W6 contact was very exciting for all. Pictures to come.
In reply to M3EYP:
No, all the activating was by me. Stuart could have gone first but he gave that privilege to me and I feel quite honoured to be the first person to activate an association. OK, I was lucky in that I was in the right place at the right time but it’s still nice to be 1st.
Andy
MM0FMF
Well, Sean, we decided that Bourbon and cigars were far more mission critical than a down jacket and food. The verdict is still unsure.
And Jimmy, no I did not activate “Mt. Hollywood”. It is in my backyard and I am saving the points for later…
Stu
In reply to KI6J: I tuned in after I saw the 20m spot. Plenty of QRM. There was a contest in JA off the other side of the antenna. I’ll keep my eye out for future activations. 73, Ken, KI6KFB
In reply to KI6J:
where he managed a S2S with VA3SIE. We celebrated.
Here’s how it looked from my end 
http://va3sie.blogsite.org/?p=75
I celebrated too!!
73!
Martin.
Pictures up now from W6/CD-013 Flickr: The Summits on the Air Photo Pool Pool. Will have a short video up soon as well.
Hi John,
I can’t find your activations photos on the flicker. I think you should submit a link on the reflector that takes you straight to your activation photos.
Jimmy M3EYP
In reply to M3EYP:
I think you should submit a link on the reflector that takes you straight to
your activation photos.
Or you could wait for Flickr to do its voodoo!
John, there’s something missing from your photos… water. Water on the ground, water in the sky, water soaked into your clothes and more water falling out of the sky
Andy
MM0FMF
In reply to M3EYP:
Sorry about that Jimmy. Don’t know why they didn’t come up in group area. Here is my personal. John Marshall | Flickr
In reply to KI6NN:
Seen two bottles on a backpack but is it water? Some serious batterys as well on that backpack must weigh a ton. Sean M0GIA
Hi John (+KI6NN/P Team)
That was some activation - just getting to “Base Camp” sounds like an experience without anything else!
I got a real buzz working a summit in CA on Saturday - it is November 2007 since I worked a W6 fixed station and to work you on a summit was fantastic. Good signals into Pickering (25 miles north east of York).
We are all in EU looking forward to the USA/VE activity day and itt’s only a matter of time before an S2S cobtact takes place on HF between an EU and a W6 summit John, for this we will rely on a few more sunspots to permit contacts with wire antennas at both ends of the circuit.
73 Phil G4OBK
In reply to KI6NN:
Hi John
Only SWL report 
I listened you yesterday, in QSO with Andrew K2LH. I heard you well for 54, little QRM (K2LH 59). Unfortunately I came late. Two minutes ago I was looking for a microphone, the station I had configured on CW (I run OK DX contest). Then I tried to call you, but nothing. Perhaps it comes out next.
My equipment: IC 746 + PA 1kW, 2 el. Quad 45 m up the ground
73!
Petr
In reply to MM0FMF:
There was plenty of water at VE2/OU-001!
I’ll have to add my photos/videos to the SOTA group.
I’ve updated my blog with links to W6/CD-013 pictures/videos.
I was wondering how you got QRO batteries up there… now I know, on your backs!!
Wow.
Excellent.
VA3SIE.
In reply to Phil:
Thank you Phil… hearing that “Golf 4” come through was very exciting!!! I almost knocked the radio off the rock, and Stu almost slipped, hihi ;). We look forward to many more S2S and S2C QSO’s with all the EU.
In reply to OK1FFU:
Thank you for your nice SWL report Petr. Hope to make contact with you next time. And with a fine station like that I’m sure will be sooner than later, hi.
cheers.
73,
John