Pass mountain, Virginia

Pass Mountain (W4V/SH-013) is a small summit with pretty dismal views. If this wasn’t a SOTA summit, I wouldn’t even bother hiking it.

Summit Information:

Summit Name: Pass Mountain, (W4V/SH-013)

Location: Front Royal, Va

Latitude/Longitude: 38.6828,-78.3144

Date: January 4th, 2021

Parking: Free

Points: 6 + 3 (Winter Bonus)

County: Warren County

Grid: FM08uq

Weather: Partly cloudy, 36 degrees

Permit: Yes, $20 Entrance fee

Full Trip Planning Guide

Difficulty

Views

Solitude

On a Scale of 1 to 5

In the past I have activated Pass Mountain only a few times. This would be the last activation of the day and I wanted to finish it up before dark.

After a short hike to the summit I had a hard time finding clear space to hang my end fed antenna. Once it was up, I got out my Theramrest Z-Lite SOL pad which I use for winter camping to increase my R-value but also to use for a platform to keep my gear out of the mud and snow. Since I have to strap it to the exterior of my pack it is extra work getting it on and off. However, in the winter it is worth the extra hassle.

After making contacts on HF and VHF, I threw everything in the pack. I am usually very neat and orderly when putting my radio gear away but the sun is setting and the temperatures drop, it’s time to get off the mountain.

While today was a successful day trip knocking out summits, I plan on coming back out to Shenandoah for another round of SOTA activations.