Aves Specta

SOTA: Black Hills HP, March 23, 2026

Green sign with white print reading "Boogie Boulevard" attached to a birch tree next to a fern-lined trail through the woods.

Ever since starting Summits on the Air, I have been drawn to half-day activations. I often want to reach a trailhead, hike to the summit, make my contacts, and return home within just a few hours. In Maine, I had a handful of alternatives. With our move to western Washington, I hoped for similar luck.

Black Hills HP (W7W/SO-119)

Black Hills HP (high point) looked like it would be ideal. The summit is minutes from downtown Olympia and adjacent to a popular city park with numerous walking paths, bike trails, and logging roads. Despite its proximity to population centers it had been activated only 4 times, most recently in 2019.

A metal gate controls access to a logging road into the park and adjacent lands.

I found roadside parking along Black Lake Boulevard and followed established paths to a gated dirt road forming one access point to Marj Yung Park (formerly Kaiser Woods). For the most part, I used the SOTA Goat app to point the way to the summit. Near the gate, it indicated a 1.2-mile walk with 665 feet of elevation gain.

A sign posted on a trailside tree reads "Trail Exit. Do Not Enter."

I tried taking the most direct route, but that proved tricky. The area is popular with mountain bikers and quite a few trails are one way only. Trail intersections are numerous, though, so I was still able to progress steadily toward my destination. Another minor nuisance on my "direct" route was an intervening up-and-down hill that I easily could have skirted to save a little breath.

Ravens fly over a Douglas-fir tree that reaches above the surrounding forest. A slash pile is in the foreground. Deciduous trees are bare.

Soon I was fully back on wide dirt roads and could see a couple of Douglas-fir trees that looked to mark my end point. I believe there's an unmarked property boundary along the way that may limit bike (and maybe foot) traffic for the last portion of the walk.

A dirt road splits off from another dirt road and gains elevation.

Just below the summit, on its north side, I found a rough-hewn road forking left and uphill. The road didn't appear on my maps but I took it into the activation zone. I set up in a small saddle close to the road since the summit would have required bushwhacking.

A red folding stool, blue backpack, and radio gear set up on a carpet of dried, brown leaves. Small trees are in the background. A white cable rises to a barely perceptible wire antenna.

I started with a 40-meter end-fed halfwave, but it simply wouldn't tune. After that failure, I erected a 20-meter ground plane and started logging contacts. I was able to work 11 on 20 and another 3 on 2-meter FM for a successful activation.

Heading back out, I stuck to the main roads and made good progress. That's likely how I will approach the summit next time.

Black Hills HP is not a very pretty hike (at least in mid March) and I caught almost no views. There was a little bit of trash and I came across one makeshift dwelling, but overall the area seems respected and well maintained. As one of the lowest summits in SOTA's Southern Olympics region, Black Hills HP could be a nice starter summit. And it's the most promising half-day activation site near my new home.

Notes

  1. About the images: © Scott Richardson
  2. Back in the shack, I discovered a broken wire inside my balun housing. No wonder that wire wouldn't tune!
  3. A version of this trip report was posted to pnwSOTA.org.
  4. Last modified April 27, 2026. Image orientation corrected May 2.

Aves Specta · Est. 1999