Mt. Emma

Well being that I am getting close to 100 SOTA points I needed to get out this morning and activate something, Anything! So I opted for the somewhat close Mt. Emma.  At 5272 ft. this is a fun one. Complete with 3 false summits… I only knew this because I talked to a couple of hikers who hike this mountain every weekend practically. They were quick, while I was turtling along.

The start point is on Mt. Emma Road, which is pretty close to Palmdale.

Start here

There is a sign which let’s you know you’re at the right place.

Mt. Emma Trail

One thing I will say about this trail is it starts off somewhat moderate and stays that way. I don’t know if it’s just that I am out of shape or have too much weight in my pack but this was a rough one for me.

On the way up

Did I mention the false summits. Such a tease you are Emma.

I did finally make it to the top after some cheering on from the two fellas I met earlier. I was impressed with their speed. At the top I was rather pleased with the accommodations. There were two metal stakes to tie the jackite to and plenty of boulders to use as tables. There’s also a summit log which I signed.

Benchmark

Summit Log/Summit

Overall the weather was perfect. About 70 degrees. Although being in the sun made for a warm activation. Setup was fairly quick and painless as are all when there is a pole to lash to. I even had a boulder to use as a table.

Operating Position

Jackite

Hey “OM”

Overall the activation was a bit of a disappointment. I didn’t work 2m due to I forgot my jpole. And 40 meters was too busy to get a slot in. Every time I would call “Is this frequency in use?” I was greeted with “it’s in use old man”. But I did manage to get 6 contacts on 20 meters. I though it was going to be a good one due to the initial pileup but it died a quick death. Still all in all a blast and 4 more points in the books. Oh did I mention I got the hiccups up there? Yeah I was pretty useless at that point.

Thank you to the chasers that contacted me.

What a view! (Palmdale, CA)