Bertha Peak W6/CT-054

March 6th 2015, my son's 21st birthday and I went hiking with my dog Tahyo. Guess we all have to blow off steam in various ways and for me; when you feel old and wonder where time went a good hike helps put things in perspective. In case you were wondering, yes, he got a phone call from me while I was on the trail so the message to you is there is GREAT cell reception all along this trail from the parking lot to the summit (thanks Verizon).

The video is a first evolution and in the future will be planned out better. My future plans, after goofing around with this hike and video, are to show you the hike from the parking spot to the summit as best I can. I also will make efforts to add a topo map of my route to include a list of QSO's made while on the summit. I can already see this is a tall order and will most likely slow my summit activations a bit. (I endedup adding the topo map and log retroactively.)

For this summit activation I parked in the Cougar Crest Trailhead parking lot 1/2 a mile west of the Big Bear Discovery Center on Highway 18. For those outside the immediate area, this is in So Cal. Anyway, the parking lot has a clean restroom you can use and a few picnic benches if you choose to hang out here for a while. While using any facility in the San Bernardino NF you will need your Forest Adventure Pass. There is some controversy over this pass so take some time to understand the Adventure Pass requirements.

Once you start up the trail you will quickly notice a paved section at the map kiosk. Follow that paved road up to a junction where the trail is straight on the dirt path and NOT over the wooden bridge. From there the path is very easy to follow and navigate. You will get glimpses of the radio tower on Bertha Peak from time to time and there is intermittent shade in the canyons on the way up. Despite the shade mentioned, I'd still reccommend sunblock and a good hat because at that elevation you can burn quickly.

As already mentioned, my cell phone worked flawlessly along the entire trail. At the 2 mile mark you will intersect with the PCT. Go right on the PCT and you will be skirting the south side of the ridge with great views of Big Bear Lake. The PCT will intersect with a gravel road used to access the radio tower equipment, go right and continue up. This was the most physically demanding portion of the entire hike as the hill climb is somewhat steep. It's not hard, but it was the hardest part of the whole hike.

Once at the summit, I past the first building that has the propane tanks and went under the telephone poles to a small dirt patch under a tree. I set up there and had fun. My dog Tahyo kept her eyes and ears open for me and right when I wrapped up for the day two guys and another dog showed up. Thanks to Tahyo for the early warning, but I was done anyway.

On the hike out I encountered about 8-10 other people meandering their way up this busy trail. The snow was melting fast and there were some very muddy spots to "squish" through. These areas were rather slippery so use caution.

Hope you enjoy the video and it can only get better from here. I'll storyboard them in advance next time and hope to catch more audio of various stations so you can hear you own signals.

73 - KG6HQD - Jerry