Bohemia Mountain and Fairview peak are adjacent to each other and make a good activation pair. They are nearly 6000' ASL and are among the highest W7/WV summits. The views from the top of either one are wonderful. Bohemia is the higher of the two and is a moderately easy hike, while Fairview is a drive up with a fire lookout on top. My wife, Christina, accompanied me on these two activations on Wednsday, July 11, 2011.
The two peaks rise up from Bohemia Saddle in the historic Bohemia mining district. The best route to the saddle is FS 2212, a gravel road that is reached from Bryce Creek Rd. Take Row River Rd east from I-5 Exit 174 for 19 miles to Brice Creek Rd. Keep right and continue on Brice Ck for 12 miles to Noonday Rd (FS 2212). Take the hard right onto 2212 and go about 8 or 9 miles to Champion Saddle. From Champion, go about 2 more miles to Bohemia Saddle. There is plenty of parking area here.
Walk to the left a few hundred yards and look for the sign to the right for the Bohemia Mountain Trail. The trail is about 3/4 miles long and rocky. The elevation rise is about 600'. There were numerous wildflowers and as well as mosquitoes on the hike up. The top has several exposed rocky points with trees around them. I used a tree to hold up the east sloping wire antenna. Operating away for the shade seemed to keep the bug problem down, but the KX3 overheated after about 35 minutes in the sun. That ended the activation!
I started on 40M CW with the antenna configured as an inefficient 1/4 wave sloper with a single 1/4 counterpoise evelvated a foot or two above the rocks. Ten to 15 mins of CQing yielded no 40M QSOs on this Wednesday afternoon. I switched to 20M CW using the antenna as an east sloping EFHW antenna. That yielded 10 QSOs before the radio got too hot.
The views from on Bohemia are great, whether looking across at Fairview Pk, down into the deep ravines or at several snow capped Cascade summits. We hiked back down and got in the car for the drive to the top of Fairview Peak.
Alternative Access Road for Fairview/Bohemia Mtns
I've accessed the Bohemia saddle using the Sharps Creek FS2460 road which is just past Culp Creek. This road is on the west side and is generally free of snow earlier in the season. On 31 May 2013 the road was well graded and easily passable for a 2wd vehicle.
Be sure to check with the Ranger office just east of Cottage Grove on Row River Rd, the main road going east, for road maintenance closures. This is a rental firetower so be mindful that "renters" may be present.