by Teri (KO4WFP)
Daisy and I awoke the morning of Thursday, July 18, prepared to aim our third SOTA activation of this journey. In the present day we’d head to Mount Jefferson State Pure Space (US-3846), a brief drive from New River State Park. Alongside the drive, I spied fairly just a few farms for Christmas bushes.
Mount Jefferson (W4C/EM-021) is 4,665 ft in elevation , rises greater than 1,600 ft above the valley flooring, and was a spot for escaped slaves to cover. The mountain is a heath bald that includes dense evergreen shrubs on it which is completely different from the grassy balds additionally discovered within the Appalachian mountains. (Black Balsam Knob I visited earlier within the journey is an instance of a grassy bald.)
A street winds as much as a car parking zone near the summit. After I arrived on this overcast day, there was just one different car parked. I grabbed my SOTA pack, outfitted Daisy along with her harness and leash, and we had been prepared for the duty forward of us.
The hike as much as the summit is a simple one. The path begins on the car parking zone and is simple to establish. To verify there was no repeat efficiency of not being positive the place the summit is positioned, I snapped a pic of a posted park map.
Alongside the hike, we encountered the climate station close to the summit and neat lichens.
It wasn’t lengthy earlier than we arrived on the summit. I might see the climate station again alongside the ridge in addition to the city within the valley under. I had checked the climate forecast earlier than I left our campsite earlier that morning and it seemed promising.
On the summit is a piece of rock with a flatish spot within the center, nearly as whether it is beckoning one to get snug. We settled ourselves on that flatish spot and I started pulling my gear out of the pack. I opted for the AX1 once more because it served me nicely on the earlier two SOTA activations and there wasn’t a lot room up right here.
I shortly found there was no cell service. I’d must make do, probably organising close to one other POTA station and hoping the RBN would spot me or somebody would come throughout me. I started on 40 meters however after spending 10 minutes on that band, moved to twenty meters. James WA1EDN discovered me and I requested him to “PSE SPOT ME”. It labored and within the subsequent quarter-hour, I labored 5 stations after which…
It began raining! (Noooooo!) I had seen fog-like clouds shifting in; nevertheless, I’ve seen this sort of climate earlier than whereas on the Blue Ridge Parkway and people clouds don’t at all times carry rain. I naively believed the climate forecast and didn’t pay them a lot consideration. Till it began raining.
I hurriedly coated my KX2 and key, placed on my raincoat, and threw what I might into my pack together with my notepad. Fortunately, I take with me a Ceremony within the Rain pocket book and pen as a backup. Neither had ever been used. I refused to surrender so simply and started calling CQ POTA once more. I labored one other station – John N7JTT in Washington state – after which…
My key began going bonkers on me! I didn’t give it some thought however the hot button is digital and never mechanical. I can recall solely two occasions I’ve activated within the rain. Each had been throughout my journey to Nova Scotia and each occasions I activated INSIDE the automotive. So I and my gear (besides the antenna) had been shielded from the rain. Digital keys and rain do NOT combine as I now found. I believed I had protected it from the rain however clearly not.
Properly, I might take care of that! I at all times take a small backup key with me which I now pulled out and started to make use of. Nonetheless, that key, too, is electrical and crapped out on me very quickly. Now I had no selection however to name QRT. Oh, the depth of despair at having to try this after I was so near a sound activation!
I consoled myself that at the least I received my third SOTA activation and, aside from the keys crapping out on me, this activation had been quite a lot of enjoyable. Additionally, the AX1 had confirmed itself a rockstar with two QSOs to the West Coast – John N7JTT in California and WB6POT in Washington state! Option to go AX1!
We dragged our soggy our bodies down the mountain to the car parking zone the place I seemed on the keys yet another time to see if they’d work for me. Nope. Actually, I felt very, VERY silly at not occupied with these keys being electrical. I by no means thought-about they wouldn’t work within the rain. Sigh. This was one other studying alternative and, after I received again residence, I’d make certain to have a mechanical key in my arsenal as a SECOND backup. You already know what the SEALs say: two is one and one is none. At this level, I had none!
I had deliberate on heading again to Georgia tomorrow. However with no working keys, there might be no extra activations. (I don’t carry a mic with me as I’m a CW-only op today.) There was no level in staying that additional day.
I headed again to New River State Park, packed every thing up, and drove the seven hours again to Savannah, Georgia. Although the keys may need dried out and labored the subsequent day, we had already been by way of two nights of thunderstorms and rather more promised to roll by way of the realm. Sufficient was sufficient.
All in all, I thought-about the journey successful. I lastly tackled SOTA and ended up with three legitimate activations. I added six legitimate POTA activations to my purpose of 60 new-to-me parks for 2024. I survived 5 days of tenting alone with Daisy 500 miles from residence. Sure, I made errors alongside the way in which; nevertheless, I seen these a studying alternatives, errors I’d not be prone to make once more.
For these of you who adopted these articles and hunted me throughout the journey, thanks for sharing this journey with me. This POTA Babe discovered loads and had quite a lot of enjoyable alongside the way in which, regardless of the setbacks. I’m already plotting a SOTA journey for spring or summer time 2025 and, most definitely, a summer time 2025 return to the North Carolina mountains. However nicely earlier than that, I’ve 23 extra parks to activate for my 2024 POTA activation purpose. The place will I present up subsequent? Keep tuned…
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