W7A/AE-011, Heliograph Peak

Heliograph Peak is a special summit for me, because it's where I got my start with Summits On The Air.  See this post from July 16, 2016 for a blog about that first adventure that I had with my friend Quinton, NU7Y.

Two years later, I was fully immersed in the addiction of ham radio and summit hikes.  I had activated enough to reach "Mountain Goat" status, which requires attaining 1,000 points using the SOTA scoring system.  I wanted to return to Heliograph Peak, which is worth 10 points, to cross that 1,000 point mark and earn my MG, so on July 6, 2018, I headed towards the Pinaleno Mountains for some fun.

I first hiked to, and activated, W7A/AE-010 Webb Peak, which is just a bit further down the road from Heliograph and makes for a nice double-activation option.  It was a nice cool day and there were a few light rain showers but nothing to prevent a good activation.

There are at least two main routes up to the summit of Heliograph.  The longer option is actually the easier way, because it involves hiking up a dirt road for about 2.3 miles with a bit under 1,000 feet elevation gain.  The shorter option is to hike up a trail for about 2 miles, which is steeper with roughly 1,100 feet of gain.  I've posted tracks for both to the SOTA Mapping Projects Tracks page.  I think the trail option is more scenic but they both are pretty good and you can combine them since the starting point is nearly the same either way.

For my MG activation, I took the trail.  There was some fire damage evident from the 2017 Frye Fire, but overall it was in decent condition.

Towards the top, the trail does get steeper, and became somewhat vague - because it had only recently re-opened after the fire, there had not been a lot of use to keep it well-defined, but there wasn't much chance of getting lost.

There are commercial towers and a fire lookout on top, but the summit is fairly broad and has plenty of space to set up a SOTA station.  Here is a 360 summit view video (split into two due to size limits):

It was a wonderful day, and some of the same Chasers who showed up in my log from that first SOTA activation in 2016 gave me contacts again in 2018, which was fun.  And of course, first in my log was NU7Y!  I did cross the 1,000 points level, and a couple of months later received this nice glass trophy to commemorate earning SOTA Mountain Goat.

Heliograph is in the Coronado National Forest, and is managed by the Safford Ranger District.  I found them to be helpful when I called to confirm the status of the area - there are many fires in Arizona and they often result in closures, and sometimes information on the internet is not current.

Date First Activated by KR7RK:  16 July 2016
GPS Track Uploaded to SOTA Mapping Project Tracks Site:  Yes

Approx Hiking Distance:  4.1 - 4.5 mi

Approx Elevation Gain:  1,000'

Summit Elevation:  10,022'

Summit Grid Square:  DM52bp

Summit County:  Graham

ITU Zone:  6

CQ Zone:  3

W7A/AE-010, Webb Peak

The Pinaleno Mountains in Southern Arizona contain some high summits and provide an opportunity to find some cooler temperatures during the warmer months.  Mount Graham is the highest, but it is off limits to most due to the observatories and to protect the endangered Red Squirrel population.  Other summits are accessible, though, including Webb Peak.  I chose to activate Webb Peak in July, 2018, as my first of two summits on the day I reached the Summits On The Air "Mountain Goat" status.

It's a long drive from Tucson to the trailhead - roughly 3.5 hours.  As I neared the base of the mountain range, I noted some gathering clouds near the top but I was excited for the day and not too concerned.

As I neared the top, I noted some signs restricting access to certain areas.  There was a very major fire in 2017, the Frye Fire, and the Forest Service had only recently re-opened some areas; others remained closed.  Along the drive up, the damage was evident.

Initially, the trail appeared to be relatively untouched and it was a pleasant hike.

Further up, however, the fire had completely burned everything and the trail was basically a soft layer of ash.

At the top of Webb Peak, there is a fire tower.  There was also plenty of evidence of other structures but the fire burned all but the tower.  It was a windy day but I had a great activation.  Here is a 360 video of my operating position (split into two due to size limitations).

After this activation I headed down the trail and made a short drive over to activate Heliograph Peak, which I'll post about in a separate blog.

Date First Activated by KR7RK:  6 July 2018
GPS Track Uploaded to SOTA Mapping Project Tracks Site:  Yes

Approx Hiking Distance:  2.0mi

Approx Elevation Gain:  500'

Summit Elevation:  10,030'

Summit Grid Square:  DM52ar

Summit County:  Graham

ITU Zone:  6

CQ Zone:  3