We stopped by Whiteface Mountain (SOTA W2/GA-003) on our last day in New York, on the way to Vermont. I was hoping this summit would have great views and would be a great place to activate the VHF+ bands for SOTA and POTA. I was not disappointed.

The mountain has an interesting past with a castle at a slightly lower elevation and a weather observation tower at the summit. An elevator is available to take you from the parking lot near the top to the summit. Unfortunately, the elevator was out of service on the day we visited.

With the elevator out of service, the hike up to the summit is approximately 370m starting at the steps south of the castle. I was able carry my gear without too much trouble along the rocky path. Just beyond the observation tower is a flat area that is good for operating. On the day I visited the summit was a bit busy. Not sure how well it would have gone if I had tried to set up a wire antenna for HF.

I set up a