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Double Header Part 2: Bandwidth Mountain

KK7DS's picture
Summit: 
W7W/LC-112
Voice Cellular Coverage: 
No service at all
Data Cellular Coverage: 
No service at all
Cellular Provider: 
Verizon
APRS Coverage: 
Good digi echos

As we headed back from Lakeview Peak earlier in the day, Taylor and I took a detour to go by Bandwidth Mountain. This two-point summit is not significant enough to have an official name, but like many in the Washington SOTA database, it has been assigned a cute amateur-radio name to avoid a simple numbering system. Our outdated topo map software showed a road leading in the direction of the summit, but stopping a couple miles short. However, some satellite reconnaissance ahead of time showed that the road actually went much farther, to just below the base of the summit.

We followed this road, watching the GPS as we passed right by the base of the actual spot on top of a ridge. We stashed the Jeep in a wide spot and proceeded to scramble up the steep slope to the top. This several hundred feet of vertical ascent was covered in small vegetation, old tree stumps, and the critters that like to live in such places. After about ten minutes of climbing we reached the top and were treated to nice views of the valley below.

Setup was pretty easy at the top as there was ample clearing and the remains of logs and stumps which made for good guy anchors. Although we had no data coverage with the smartphone, APRS was alive and we were able to spot ourselves that way with ease. After making several contacts each, we packed up and proceeded carefully down the slope.

While this summit isn't easily accessible, nor well documented, it's definitely worth a scramble up the hill to grab the extra two points if you're in the area.