I violated SOTA rules and voluntarily rescinded my activation.
Lessons learned, and that is a good thing.
See you on the next summit.
73
Tim
KA1YBS
4 Likes
I’m sorry, but entering Cal Fire property without permission probably means this is not a valid activation.
3.7 Rules for Activators
All Expeditions must use legitimate access routes and comply with any local rules regarding use of the land. In particular, Activators must ensure that they have any necessary permission to operate from their chosen Summit, or that access is customary.
wunder
2 Likes
That’s all well and good, but you would have to delete the 60 plus previous activations that are accounted for. God, I love it out here, honesty gets you lemons.
Just because there is barbed wire or a fence doesn’t mean the area is “out of bounds”.
1 Like
You can get permissions and I think the gate on the driveway may be inside the activation zone.
Check the notes on the summit page: SOTA Summits
These reports talk about getting permission.
https://summits.sota.org.uk/article/22359/view
wunder
Dear wunder,
You cannot get permission as of this day, the observatory and administration building have been closed due to either the season, or possibly the pandemic. I attempted to do exactly that from the police officer’s vehicle stationed near the Lick Observatory, but no official personnel could be located.
I then left a note on my vehicle, in a legal parking spot, explaining my intention and destination. I did what I thought was right, and was honest about the last 200 feet of my journey. I walked only on established pathways and left no trace. Heck, I even kicked some large rocks off the public roadway to ensure extra safety for cyclists and motorists. I hope at least the folks who chased me get credit, it’s only fair to them.
I enjoyed my day nonetheless. I hope the area re-opens to the public, it’s a fantastic spot so close to the cities below.
Regards,
Tim
Then your activation is not valid and it needs to be deleted.
1 Like
I think a better way to look at it is SOTA folks are remarkably self-policing. I don’t think Wunder was being mean or anything, just pointing out what the rules are.
The access rules are there because if everyone follows them, then SOTA is held in high regard and getting permission next time is easier for whoever is looking for it. Imagine if a ranger had found the note on the car and decided that permission wasn’t granted and wouldn’t be ever again.
I think we’ve all had a situation where we’ve hit a locked gate after a 5 hour drive and realised we can’t activate the summit, or realised after the fact that we weren’t in the activation zone. Most chasers accept the mistake with grace and delete their own chaser records, due to that same self-policing mentality.
Look at it as a learning experience and better luck next time.
2 Likes
The activation has been deleted by me. A rule were broken, and I accept the consequence. Apologies to the chasers on this one. A lesson was learned, and I’m now a better OP because of it.
Thanks to all for your support. See you up on the next hilltop!
73
Tim
KA1YBS
5 Likes
What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger. Or something like that. 
3 Likes
I obtained permission last year. It’s not easy and bureaucratic but they were very nice and accommodating. Even opened the gate for me and let me drive to the summit.
I plan on doing it again in spring.
1 Like
N6IZ did a write up of how to achieve the AZ but stay out of the no go zone:
2 Likes