New Year’s Eve Sand Dune SOTA & POTA

by Tim (W8TMI)

My wife and I head to Northern Michigan over the New Year’s holiday almost every year. It’s a nice way to wrap up the year and the busy holiday season. Most of our friends and family obligations are met, and we can spend time unwinding and exploring the wonderful things that Michigan has to offer.

This year was no exception. We found a nice place to stay in Frankfort, Michigan. Several breweries, eateries, coffee houses, hiking trails, miles of shoreline, and a local bookstore made this an ideal location for a few days with nothing pressing to accomplish.

Being a ham, I always take a peek around to see what POTA and SOTA entities may be nearby wherever we end up staying. I was in luck, there was a SOTA within a POTA just north of where we were staying. Along the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (US-0767) is Empire Bluffs sand dunes (W8M/LP-019). This was too much to resist.

As the plans firmed up around our timeline and bookings, my mind began to imagine the activation. I am well versed in POTA activations and have many tricks to overcome beaches, snow, lack of picnic tables, lack of trees, and many other things that can come my way. My mind began to question if I had the right gear to make this happen and I began to plan for a setup that could be deployed and operated in harsh conditions with little assistance from the environment around me.

I have learned from my previous experiences on the sand dunes of the Great Lakes that conditions can be challenging. I knew I would more than likely face snow on the ground, new snow in the air, wind, cold temps, sand, narrow dune peaks, local vegetation, and the challenge to hike all of my gear to the spot. Now it was time to take what I had and turn it into the SOTA/POTA setup that could get the job done.

The antenna would be the GabilGRA-7350 [QRPer.com affiliate link] with three 13’ radials deployed out as far as I could get them. Gabil recommends setting the antenna to the general resonance area marked on the coil and using a wide range tuner to finish the job. I have found this to be true, especially analyzing the antenna on the soil in my backyard where I can get a 1:1 SWR match versus the sandy beaches of Lake Michigan.

Gabil GRA-7350, spare whip, and three 13′ counterpoises attached via 2mm banana plugs

I chose the CFT1 as my radio. It covers the bands that I would more than likely operate and with the Tufteln face cover it weighs around 8 oz.

20 meters being the primary band because with the wind and cold, I knew speed would be paramount. For the tuner and battery, I chose the mAT-10 ATU and the Talentcell 3000 mA Li-Ion [QRPer.com affiliate link]. Finally, the N0SA M7 iambic paddle.

CFT1, mAT-10 tuner, Talentcell battery, N0SA M7, Rite in the Rain book and pencil

To bring this kit together in a way that I could operate standing up, I needed some kind of bag or pouch to wear that would allow access to the tune button on the tuner, the volume and VFO on the radio, ability to log, and key without having to hold on to the paddle. As a fly fisherman I thought about a sling pack or a chest pack, but neither would work with any of my backpacks I planned to haul the antenna.

My friend Erik (WS3D) recommended a waist pack. At first glance I wasn’t sure this could meet my needs. Off to the local shopping center I went to see if I could find some options that could accommodate my SOTA kit. After going into five different stores that had some forms of waist packs, my local athletics sporting goods store had one that I thought might work with some minor modifications.

It was small, which meant it could easily fit into the backpack I planned to use. Once I got home, I was able to stuff each component into one of the several pockets provided on the pack. The question remained: how do I key without holding the paddle?

Following the tip provided by N0SA who designed and made the M7, Velcro attached to the bottom of the key would allow adhesion to the pack. I was able to purchase some of the “loop” material from JoAnn and got to work with my sewing machine. A small 2”x3” portion on the right side of the pack would allow for right hand keying while I kept the logger in my left hand. Keeping my right hand free to operate the message functions, volume, and VFO of the radio if needed.

Outdoor Gear fanny pack with sewn on hook and loop patch

I had a kit and a plan, now to get to it.

My wife and I headed out for the Empire Bluffs trail on December 31st, 2024, the first hike of many on this trip. With a little bit of haste because in the previous few days several X class flares were sending a geomagnetic storm our way and it was expected to hit between 12:00-13:00 Eastern time.

The winter weather was increasing in its intensity, more snow coming down with more expected as the day progressed. The trail itself was moderate throughout. Rolling elevation typical of most sand dune trails around Lake Michigan. That is, until the summit of the Empire Bluffs. The loose sand beneath our feet gave way a little with every step, the wind along the lakeshore increased from the relative calm of the wooded trail. The views were breathtaking and inspired a sense of respect for the Great Lakes and the seriousness of these bodies of water.

Making it to the summit at 11:30, the ridge was even narrower than I expected. It would be a delicate dance to pass someone going the opposite direction along the top. A steep angle down from where we hiked up and a steep descent into cedars and pines on the other side. Through the snow and vegetation, I quickly began deploying my antenna knowing that time was of the essence. Between the impending solar storm and the cooling temps with lake shore winds, there was haste in my actions.

Setting up the station in the blowing snow

The GRA-7350 set up quickly and I had the station ready to go in a matter of a few minutes. According to my log, I had my first contact at 11:39. Working on the Portable Logger app (PoLo). I had the entity number for both the SOTA and POTA programmed in and as each contact came through it let me know how many contacts away I was from completion of both programs. The snow continued.

The CFT1 in the pack, GRA-7350 deployed on the narrow top

At 11:52 I hit a lull. I had a pileup, but it was gone. The bands died. The storm must have hit. I was at 9/10 for the park. I had the summit, but I was stuck at 9 contacts for the park. Cursed.

Five minutes later through fast moving QSB KZ1J came through. Working 15 WPM, I don’t move fast through a QSO. But I made it as quick as possible. I copied their call on the first go, and sent as succinctly as possible, “KZ1J TU UR 599 MI BK”. To my relief I heard him on the rise of QSB, “BK TU TIM UR 559 MA BK”. That was it. 10/10. I beat the geo storm, bettered the elements, and got my summit and park activated. “BK TU MA 72 . .”

I quickly packed up my radio equipment and tore down the antenna. Ready to get moving and get the blood flowing again to warm up. Once down off the heights, the wind felt more reasonable as lower dunes blocked the brunt of it for us. The trees eventually provided the best reprieve. The snow coming down was less harsh and more picturesque. It was time for one of the best parts of a hike, food!