Many thanks to Paolo (K1PAP) for sharing this very honest and thoughtful field report from what was meant to be his first SOTA activation. I especially appreciate Paolo’s willingness to be so open about a non-ideal situation–one that could have become serious very quickly–and to share it publicly so others can learn from the experience. It takes real courage to put yourself out there like this, and his motivation is clearly rooted in helping fellow activators think, prepare, and plan more carefully for their own outings.
Please note that a version of the following post was originally published on Paolo’s blog and is shared here with his permission.
1st SOTA attempt – Str…
Many thanks to Paolo (K1PAP) for sharing this very honest and thoughtful field report from what was meant to be his first SOTA activation. I especially appreciate Paolo’s willingness to be so open about a non-ideal situation–one that could have become serious very quickly–and to share it publicly so others can learn from the experience. It takes real courage to put yourself out there like this, and his motivation is clearly rooted in helping fellow activators think, prepare, and plan more carefully for their own outings.
Please note that a version of the following post was originally published on Paolo’s blog and is shared here with his permission.
1st SOTA attempt – Strawberry Peak (W6/CT-018) via Colby Canyon
by Paolo (K1PAP)
First of all, Tom KB9ENS, thank you for being there and guiding me toward what we all hoped would be my first SOTA activation. Unfortunately, we had to abort. We were maybe half a mile from the top (see photo with the sun flare). I couldn’t go any further, knowing we still had to return. I do have Garmin insurance, but I didn’t want a helicopter ride today.
Tom, thank you! And, I am sorry! You could have been 6 points closer to the GOAT status, which is just a matter of time! Sorry!
Before I forget, also a huge thanks for advice, guidance, and private messages goes to Mike K6STR, Keith KE6TH, and many others on the SoCal SOTA group.io page for offering your help. Thank you!
Before we go further, a few personal things to know:
- Since the end of February 2025, I have lost 78 lbs! Some of that was muscle. The GLP-1’s works miracles, and I am not ashamed of saying I used the injections
- I grew up going on hikes with my parents back in Croatia (where I am from), but nothing compared to this
- I grew up playing competitive tennis….so more explosive actions
- Some 15 years ago, I vigorously trained for triathlons, and that was the first encounter for me with endurance and training the heart to be able to withstand exercise for extended periods of time. I did half triathlons in around 5 hours. I am not a quitter!
- When I stopped endurance training…my weight skyrocketed to 305lbs. I am 6’3”
Anyway, that’s enough of me opening up.
We started the “hike” around 7 am. Yes, “hike”…. My heart rate was ok, but it went fast towards 170. We made stops, and we were tracking. At least I thought I was.
After the Josephine Saddle, it was still all good. We soon came to a point where we needed to decide whether to go left or right. Well, we made a wrong call and turned left because going right just didn’t make sense, given the huge rock that would require more than hiking skills. Therefore, I call this a “hike”.
After turning left, it became very clear that we had left the trail… we stopped a few times to check our phones/Garmin and very soon got confirmation that indeed we were off. Not far but off. To get back to the trail, we had to go through a pretty steep climb. I wish I had taken the photo. My estimation was that it was 75-80% incline. In all honesty, this part took my breath away. So many thoughts went through my mind. I saw myself down the cliff, calling for help, or worse. I didn’t know if I would be able to make it.
Luckily, Tom was level-headed and showed me the way. I took a lot of breaks on that climb. My heart went up to 180. There were quite a few slips of feet, but we did it. I am 54 years old, and don’t think I have ever done something like this.
When we got back on the trail, things calmed down, but this took all my emotional and physical strength.
I tried to go further, which we did, but not much more. We stopped short by some 0.5 miles, with a hard climb to the top.
I knew I could not go further, so I encouraged Tom to proceed and told him I would wait for him in the sun. He refused, and after a short break, we were on our way back down.
On the way back, we looked at the cliff (not sure what else to call it) where we climbed back to the trail, and this time decided to go on the trail.
Two other guys were just climbing it, and they reconfirmed that we were on the right path. Well, this is the crazy steep rock that we had to go down on. We managed. Still a few slips of shoes, but we managed.
Before reaching Josephine Saddle, I slipped, and later on felt the consequences in my left knee. I will be icing it now! In any case, things got easier. I did start to cramp up in my calves towards the end as we were approaching the car.
We had great chats on the way, and even though we didn’t get to activate the summit, I was very happy with how the day went. Am I ready to climb a 6-point peak anytime soon? NO.
Overall, I was happy with my equipment, especially the shoes that provided a lot of support. The backpack, Osprey Stratos 24, did the job and was very comfortable to wear, even for so long, for the first time in my life.
The big lesson was around water bottles. I got two 48-oz bottles from REI, one for each side of the backpack. Before we left, I got two NUUN hydration and electrolytes in each. The part that was a huge learning experience was that I needed Tom’s help to get the bottles from the side pockets and to put them back. No more! I am getting a 3L bladder for the backpack.
Next lesson…. don’t do your first SOTA activation on a 6-point hard trail! Start slow. Build it up. So that is what I will do. I plan on doing a smaller peak next weekend, assuming my left knee will be OK. We shall see.
As I arrived home, I looked at the All Trails app for the trails leading up to Strawberry Peak. Well….there are three. One is classified as STRENUOUS, and two as HARD. But, one classified as hard, the Redbox Canyon, was reviewed by 7,577 people vs the one we took with 1,121 hikers. That should have been a red flag for me.
In all fairness… Tom did offer to go up the Kratka Peak…. But for some reason, I suggested Strawberry. Oh well….we are alive, and if the worst thing is that we didn’t get 6 points, then that’s OK.
On our return to Tom’s car, we reviewed our radio gear, and I soon found out that I had way too much in my bag. We had the same radio, the KX2. My antenna and coax were much bulkier, and my portable mast was heavier. Key…yes, that was also heavier! Again, a few more learning on how to pack the backpack that I will take into consideration next time.
Water and food passed the test. I had some energy gummies on the mountain and a protein bar, and more gummies on the car ride back home.
All in all, having written all this, I am happy! Met Tom, and got to learn more about him. Did some great calorie burning in the tranquil mountains away from the busy LA.
I would have been happier with an actual activation and being 994 points away from the GOAT, but that will have to wait for another time!
Tom, you are a star. THANK YOU, and again I am sorry!
On to hopefully next weekend when I will get some activation points!
Garmin log of the adventure: https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/21187311020
For those who have done this hike, you will notice where we went off-trail.
This is the Strawberry Peak. That’s how close we came:
Thank you for sharing this report, Paolo!
A few important things really stand out to me after reading Paolo’s account, and they’re all things worth highlighting — not as criticism, but as excellent examples of good judgment under pressure:
- Paolo recognized his physical limits early and made the correct decision to stop rather than push forward. That self-awareness likely prevented a much worse outcome.
- Tom stayed with him the entire time and refused to leave him alone, which is exactly what you want in the backcountry when conditions get challenging. I’ve always believed that, ideally, it’s best to perform SOTA activations–especially when a back-country hike is involved–with a friend if at all possible.
- They paused, reassessed, checked navigation tools, and made deliberate decisions rather than rushing.
- Paolo clearly identified that he was carrying too much weight, and he took the time afterward to analyze exactly where things could be simplified for future activations.
- He acknowledged that starting with a less strenuous summit would have been a better first SOTA experience–a lesson many of us only learn the hard way.
- He also pointed out the importance of reading not only SOTA activator notes, but trail reports from hikers (such as AllTrails), which often reveal difficulty, exposure, and risk in ways summit descriptions alone may not.
Most importantly, Paolo shared this experience so others don’t have to learn these lessons the same way. The mark of a good operator isn’t avoiding mistakes altogether, but recognizing them, learning from them, and sharing those lessons openly.
Paolo, thank you again for trusting the community with this report!
72, Thomas (K4SWL