On Wednesday, August 7, 2024, I planned to drive to Hickory, NC to spend part of the morning helping my father with a few tasks. I planned to stay for only three hours, leaving the afternoon open for a SOTA (Summits On The Air) activation of Bakers Mountain.
Bakers Mountain is one of the most accessible one-point SOTA summits in the area. Still, it requires about 2 hours of hiking, and I always allow an hour for activating as well. Herein lies the challenge of SOTA for me this year: finding those windows of time that are open enough to fit in an activation and hike is difficult.
I ended up spending all morning in Hickory helping my father—time well spent. However, by the time I left, my SOTA window had closed. I still had some time for an activation, but only a maximum of two hours.
Although disappointed about missing the SOTA opportunity, I decided to make the most of the remaining time and visit Table Rock Fish Hatchery (US-8012) en route home. I hadn’t been to that particular site in many months, so it would be a nice revisit. I knew I could fit in the detour and activation and still be home on time. A good consolation prize!
Table Rock Fish Hatchery (US-8012)
Upon arrival, I immediately noticed that a new bridge had been built over the creek. It’s funny how you get so used to some POTA sites that you feel a real connection to them and notice even small changes.
I had brought along my Elecraft KH1 with the idea of doing the SOTA activation (it’s with me all the time anyway), but earlier, I noticed that I still had the Penntek TR-45L Skinny in the back of my car, so I opted to use it for this POTA activation.
I quickly deployed my PackTenna 20M EFHW, connected it to the TR-45L, and hopped on the air, hoping 20 meters would serve me well.
Since the “Skinny” version of the TR-45L has no built-in ATU (Antenna Tuning Unit), and since I hadn’t brought along the Elecraft T1, I had no way of operating outside of the 20M band (the TR-45L’s coverage is 80, 40, 30, 20, and 17 meters).
I’d hoped I’d packed a 40M EFHW so that I would have two usable bands and that I could work my buddy Mike (K8RAT), but 20 meters it was! I hoped the band had a little life in it!
Gear:
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The new FTX-1F is a portable transceiver utilizing SDR technology and provides 6W of power output with the 5670mAh Lithium-ion battery pack (Which enables 9-hours stand-alone operating time on the HF bands, SSB mode, and 8-hours operating time on the V/UHF bands, FM mode based on a 6-6-48 duty cycle). Up to 10W of power output is available when using an external DC power supply.
FTX-1F – True All-Rounder
HF/50/144/430MHz All Mode Field Transceiver
Providing stand-alone 9-hours of operation
This information and the sample shown at HAM FAIR 2024 are only the preliminary introduction.
Detailed information will be announced at a later date.
A number of the fundamental and remarkable features of the new FTX-1F are:
Operation in SSB, CW, AM, FM and C4FM digital modes
SDR Technology and 3DSS (3-Dimensional Spectrum Stream) on a 4.3-inch high-resolution full-color touch display
panel
Two independent receiver circuits provide true simultaneous dual-band operation, whether in the same band or in
different bands. For example: SSB communication on HF bands simultaneously with C4FM digital communication
on V/UHF bands (*HF+V, HF+U, V+V, U+U, V+U, U+V)
Two Loud speakers ensure clear and powerful audio output
An optional Automatic Antenna Tuner can be attached to the rear of the transceiver with the 5670mAh high-capacity
Li-ion battery pack. The optional Cooling-fan, which is necessary for comfortable FT8 operation, can also be
combined with the antenna tuner. (All-in-one rear panel design)
PMG (Primary Memory Group) function can register and monitor up to 5 frequently used frequencies
MAG (Memory Auto Grouping) function enables Memory Channels to be categorized in each band that can be
quickly recalled by band groups (HF/VHF/UHF/AIR/OTHERS)
USB ports support CAT operation, audio input/output and TX control
The new FTX-1F will be available early 2025. Please be ready for this forthcoming exciting new radio!
When I asked, in the past, what readers would like to see in an FT-818 replacement, many wanted a spectrum display and SDR technology–it seems like Yaesu was listening.
There’s no built-in ATU, but it appears they will have an “[a]n optional Automatic Antenna Tuner can be attached to the rear of the transceiver with the 5670mAh high-capacity
Li-ion battery pack.”
What’s most surprising is that the FTX-1F has two independent receiver circuits. This is quite an innovation in the world of field-portable HF radios.
I will post more details when they become available. Very curious about the output power, size/weight, and and receiver specs. It would be brilliant if they managed to get FTDX10 receiver performance in this portable form-factor.
Many thanks to Micah (N4MJL) who shares the following guest post:
Activating W7U/SL-022 on a Layover
by Micah (N4MJL)
As an airline pilot, I’m always on the lookout for POTA/SOTA sites that are near me when I have long layovers in different cities across the country. Salt Lake City, Utah is no exception. I always carry a modest assortment of ham radio gear with me when I travel.
I jumped at the chance to knock out a SOTA and POTA activation when a 23 hour layover showed up on my schedule for Salt Lake City. A month earlier, I was in Salt Lake City on a shorter overnight, and I had scouted out a SOTA activation for W7U/SL-022 which is located just to the east of Salt Lake City inside the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest, which happens to be POTA US-4398.
I plotted my route on Gaia GPS–a free app that I highly recommend.
My route to the summit started at the Natural History Museum of Utah and would be a 5.6 mile one way ruck up to the summit with 2,800+ ft Ascent. I would leave the museum heading towards the Living Room trail head, but then branch off towards Mount Wire.
Mount Wire has an elevation of 7,110ft MSL and provides incredible views of Salt Lake City. Once you make it to the fire tower located at Mount Wire your ascent is almost over. However you still have another 3.1 miles traversing the ridge line before reaching the real summit located at 7,500ft MSL. The activation zone is very easy to determine since it is at the very end of the ridge line.
Sunday morning (11 August 2024) I got up at 0700 and packed up my REI Flash 22 day pack. I was taking with me a full 2 liter hydration pack along with 2 more 1 liter water bottles (4L water total), along with assorted snacks and electrolyte additives.
I scheduled an action for both SOTA and POTA on their websites. I knew from my previous trip here that I would have cell reception to at least Mount Wire, but I wasn’t taking any chances that I may not have cell reception on the summit. I would be depending on the reverse beacon network to get me spotted.
I also made sure I sent my wife and my captain my planned route, and when I should be back in contact with them. After all, this was going to be a solo 12 mile ish round trip with some modest elevation gain. I am an experienced backpacker, and I am not going to take unnecessary risks without a backup plan.
It was a beautiful day to go hiking. It was forecast to be 93F in Salt Lake City that afternoon. I live in Virginia where the humidity is absolutely gross when it’s 93F, but out here, there is essentially no humidity which makes it very pleasant.
Not to mention up in the mountains it’s typically about 15 degrees cooler. Rucking up the gully, there is some shade on the way up the Living Room trail, but once you get out of the gully heading up to Mount Wire you will be in direct sun for the majority of the ruck.
Mount Wire has amazing 360 view of the area at 7,110ft MSL. The fire watch tower is a favorite location for some “extra curricular activities” from the local college kids. It affords amazing views of the city. The tower also represents the end of the strenuous elevation gain for this hike. The picture above shows the ridge that I will now follow for the next 3.1 miles to the real summit of 7,500ft MSL. Continue reading Maximizing a Layover: From the cockpit to the summit of W7U/SL-022→
Many thank to Bob (K4RLC) who shares the following guest post:
Marconi Revived – Activating the Marconi sites in Glace Bay, Nova Scotia
by Bob K4RLC VE1/K4RLC
Alanna K4AAC and I just returned from a wonderful trip to Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia, Canada. It was a bucket list trip. One goal was to visit and activate the two Marconi sites in Glace Bay. Then, we would drive the Cabot Trail around the Island, hiking and activating various provincial parks and lighthouses. Cape Breton Island is incredibly beautiful, with mountains coming right to the sea. The seafood is great (freshly caught lobster) and the people are relaxed and friendly.
The Marconi National Historic Site at Table Head Glace Bay is on the site of Marconi’s transmitting station from 1902 where the first successful trans Atlantic contact was made with the Poldhu Cornwall England station. Now, there is a small, but very Informative Parks Canada Museum, which also happens to have an active amateur radio station on site. I had arranged by e-mail with members of the local Sydney (NS) Amateur Radio Society to meet the control operators there.
Marconi National Historic Site (Parks Canada) with Beam and Dipole visible & Alanna VE1/K4AAC
The station is only open two months of the year–July & August–and the control Ops are there only for a short time each day. We met Jim and Michael VE1CYO, a former CW operator in the British Royal Navy. Not only did Mike know the history of the Marconi site, he was very gracious in letting me operate the station. They have a Kenwood TS-590, a Mosley 3 element beam, as well as a 40 through 10 dipole.
Mike VE1CYO (right) Control Op for station; Bob VE1/K4RLC leftAlanna K4AAC (right) & Bob K4RLC at operating position for VE1VAS
It was one of those days with very bad solar conditions. Mike was doubtful I would make any contacts. However, I had pre spotted on the POTA site, as the station is also a POTA site: CA-4842. The Kenwood and beam worked well on 20 meters CW.
The first contact was Gary, AE4GS, a friend in Tennessee. Then, Rich N4EX back in Raleigh. As Mike did not know, I explained to him about the POTA system, and how there were many hams who would want to work the Marconi station VE1VAS, named after the commercial Marconi call sign of VAS (standing for “Voice of the Atlantic Seaboard”).
After working all the stations we could hear, and talking with Mike about his Royal Navy history, he left for the afternoon. As my KX2 was in the shop, Rhett KB4HG had graciously lent me his for our trip. I went out to the original Marconi antenna field by the ocean and set up the KX2.
It was a lovely afternoon, clear skies, nice breeze and being on a cliff overlooking the ocean. Conditions were not great for QRP, but there were several families visiting with young children who were very curious about ham radio, Morse code, and Marconi. Alanna and I were happy to talk with the families and children. After showing the KX2 to a very inquisitive 6 year old boy from Montreal, he told his Mom: “ I want one!”
Operating the KX2 with MP1& Whiterook Key in the original antenna field in Glace Bay1902 Photo of antenna field
After driving the island via the Cabot Trail loop for several days, we spent the last morning at the Alexander Graham Bell Museum in Baddeck, also a POTA site (Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site). Bell was an incredible inventor, not just of the telephone, but of scientific and medical experiments. He developed a device to send voice over a beam of light. And he predicted cell phones!
For the last afternoon, we returned to Glace Bay and wanted to find the old Marconi House. We followed Mike’s directions to a place appropriately called Marconi Tower Road.
And a gravel driveway where several power lines made an abrupt turn up a long driveway.
This was indeed the original Marconi House from 1905, which is also a Canadian National Historic Site but is privately owned. A old sign that said “Guard dog – Do Not Enter” was still there and we had been told the current owner did not like visitors.
But it also was a POTA site (CA-5830) that had NEVER been activated. So, I was standing at the end of the driveway with the Elecraft KH1 when a car came down from the house. I was very apprehensive. But when it stopped, the driver rolled down the window, looked at me curiously and said “hello”.
I said “hello” back and explained that I was a ham radio operator and hoped he didn’t mind if I stood on his driveway and operated. He smiled and said he could tell I was a ham. Then he said he had to run an errand but he would be back in 5 minutes and I could follow him back to the house!
This was Barry, grandson of Russell who bought the house from Marconi in 1946. This turned into a wonderful visit with Barry. He initially took us on the outside of the house but said we couldn’t come in. We said that was fine.
K4AAC & K4RLC in front yard of Marconi House with KH1
Then he took us for a long hike back in the woods to the original Marconi transmitter building. Unfortunately, it had been mostly consumed in a terrible fire, so hot that all the insulators, ceramics and transformers had burst. Barry was extremely helpful, digging through the rubble to find original insulator pieces for me.
Barry & Bob at VAS Transmitter siteBarry dug thru debris to find meters & insulators
Barry and I hit it off really well. As we walked back to the house, he invited us inside. Alanna stayed in the kitchen and talked with his very nice wife, Brenda, a First grade school teacher. Barry took me down in the basement and showed me Marconi’s workshop.
There were a lot of old Volt & Amp meters from the early 1900’s. Barry had dug through the debris of the VAS Transmitter station fire to find me old insulators, shattered by the fire. In the basement, he went to a dark section in the back, under the stairs and found a unbroken ceramic insulator that he gave to me! We went in the various rooms where Marconi had stayed. It was a dream come true.
Insulators from Marconi Transmitting station VAS
I only made a few CW contacts with the handheld KH1 in the front yard, as Barry and I spent a few hours talking about Marconi and Barry’s family, including his grandparents, who were buried in the back, near one of the massive antenna mounts.
Just wonder what Marconi would have thought about the KH1 with a 4 foot whip antenna, given that he had four 200 foot antenna towers with an Inverted pyramid configuration of wires, 2200 feet in diameter, spread across 80 acres of land. Wow! I wished that antenna was there to load up with the KH1.
I was running about 3 watts on 20 CW while Marconi’s station had coal-fired boilers driving steam engines pushing generators in series producing 15,000 volts that powered the Spark transmitters on 8000 Meters. There were train tracks into the station to deliver the coal to this station at Marconi Towers. It maintained in service until 1945 giving long range communications to ships in the North Atlantic and marine weather information using the call sign VAS.
Model of 1902 Antenna field at Glace Bay in Marconi NHS at Glace Bay
It was a bucket list dream come true. I felt honored to both meet Mike, the former Royal Navy CW Op, and Barry and his family who graciously let Alanna and me come into their private house (and hear their teenage daughter Vivian play the classical piano in one of Marconi’s former sitting rooms). I hope the photos do justice.
73 de K4RLC Bob & VE1/K4RLC
Thanks to Mike VE1CYO for many of the details on VAS;
Black & White photos courtesy of the Cape Breton Wireless Heritage Society www.cbwireless.ednet.ns.ca/cbwirelessp3.html for photos of the original Glace Bay sites and detailed information about the Marconi sites in Nova Scotia
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On Saturday, August 3, 2024, my wife and daughters drove to Edneyville, North Carolina, for an annual family get-together/reunion. It’s always a lot of fun catching up with my wife’s extended family. And, I must say, the food is always spectacular. I’m talking every amazing Southern dish you can dream of!
After the gathering, my wife and I dropped off our daughters with some of their friends for the afternoon. We’d planned to head back home and catch up on a few things, but I (fortunately) glanced at Google Maps and saw that I-40 was closed west-bound which meant that instead of a 30-minute drive home, we were staring at 70+ minutes. It was a busy weekend, with a lot of tourists in town, and traffic was at a standstill.
Lemons to Lemonade
I proposed to my wife that we go in the opposite direction of everyone else–up the very winding 151 to Mount Pisgah. She looked at me and knew I had activating on the brain. She happily agreed.
I knew hiking to the summit of Mount Pisgah for a SOTA (Summits on the Air) activation was unrealistic because we didn’t bring hiking gear and, frankly, the weather was a little too dodgy with pop-up thunderstorms forming.
Instead, I had the Mount Pisgah Picnic Area in mind. It’s a brilliant spot with numerous options for setting up a POTA station. It took us all of 35 minutes to drive there.
Hazel was happy to jump out of the car.
I’m sure she was on bear alert because the last time we were here, she spotted a black bear. She never forgets a bear but she always forgets how small she is compared to them.
There are numerous spots to set up a station at this particular parkway picnic site. We found a table off to the side where I had easy access to trees (i.e., wire antenna supports) if needed.
Based on all of the recent reports I’d been receiving from other POTA and SOTA activators, I knew such a modest antenna might make things challenging (foreshadowing alert), but by not deploying a wire antenna, I could pack up super quickly should we get caught in a downpour or thunderstorm.
I set up the KH1, prepared my logs, and got ready to hop on the air!
Gear:
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On Friday afternoon (August 16, 2024), after dropping off one daughter at her volunteer job and the other at Shakespeare class, my wife and I had about 90 minutes of free time before the next scheduled activity.
We opted to visit the Sycamore Flats Picnic Area in Pisgah National Forest (US-4510) so that I could fit in a POTA activation while my wife caught up on a project she’d been working on.
The picnic area was bustling with activity–the busiest I’d seen it in a while. No doubt, everyone was out enjoying the beautiful weather and the last hurrah before many local kids head back to school. Nevertheless, we found a nice picnic table to set up and play radio.
I did not have all of my camera gear with me, so opted not to film this activation with my phone.
Since there’d be no video, it meant that I could operate with earphones and a minimal amount of extra gear. It’s nice to do this every so often!
On the way out the door, earlier that day, I grabbed my Mountain Topper MTR-3B field kit. The goal was to put it on the air since it had been a few months since I last used it. I like rotating out radios regularly so I don’t forget nuances of operating them while in the field.
The previous day, I also charged the two Li-Ion rechargeable batteries[affiliate link] that are stored in the MTR-3B Pelican case. At least I thought I charged them!
When I checked the batteries, they were both completely dead. Turns out, the USB charging station I’d connected them to the previous day was not plugged into an AC outlet. Doh!
This presented a little problem because the only other battery I had in my GR1 rucksack was a 3Ah LiFePo4 battery which likely pushed about 13.2VDC. The MTR-3B doesn’t care for voltages much higher than 12VDC–at least, if you are higher than 12V, you need to make darn sure you’ve got a great SWR match.
I was a bit bummed because I hadn’t packed a backup radio in the GR1 and I wasn’t driving the Subaru which has a Venus SW3B headrest field kit.
Hang on…
Then it hit me…I’ve got my EDC (Everyday Carry) radio with me: the Elecraft KH1! Woo hoo!
I went back to the car and grabbed my Trakke EDC bag.
Our chosen destination, as a halfway point for both of us, was (again) Canavese in Piedmont, where we had identified Lake Candia (IT-0737), a Natura 2000 reserve we had been eyeing for some time but had never activated.
We reached the reserve (exit on the A5 for both of us at San Giorgio Canavese, then towards Caluso, and finally the Provincial Road 84, which runs right along the lake’s edge). We soon realized that on Sundays, the area is quite popular with locals seeking a cool spot (the lake is also suitable for swimming). A restaurant and a beach are the first things you encounter, but we had something less crowded in mind.
We stopped by a patch of vegetation, with tall trees that offered much-needed shade on a 30°C Sunday (though with some insects as a price to pay, but we brought repellent spray). For the antenna, we used the tried and tested quarter-wave Chinese whip, which had proven crucial in our recent German activations.
We started the activation on 20 meters, and it was clear from the beginning that propagation was only partially favorable (a minor solar flare in progress, but we’ve lost count at this point).
Many signals started strong but faded quickly, almost disappearing after the second pass. Almost all contacts were POTA enthusiasts, recognizable by their calls, a testament to the program’s growing popularity.
We managed two “park to park” contacts: one in Germany and the other in the UK. Other stations appeared on the cluster, but we couldn’t hear them. After about half an hour, we reached the milestone of 10 QSOs, making the activation valid. The rate indicated a challenging Sunday, as it seemed right from the start: few stations responded, but curiously, those that did came in with solid signals.
We attributed this to well-set-up home stations and decided to switch bands. 10 and 12 meters were closed, but we heard some QSOs on 15 meters and started calling. The response that made the activation worthwhile came from Marvin Ward “Lee” KI5MM (who, we later discovered, was transmitting from a place in Texas called Italy—perhaps it was fate). He gave us a 3/3 report, but we couldn’t have been happier: we were using a KX-3 at 10 watts with a ground-planted vertical antenna.
Another colleague from Sweden also came in on 15 meters, but nothing else in the next ten minutes. We wrapped up with fourteen contacts and headed back to the initial restaurant for a refreshing beer by the lake.
If every activation has a lesson, this one was that while propagation may be poor, taking care of your antenna setup (the quarter-wave being the most natural form) guarantees results. There’s already a lot of talk about this antenna, but I’m sure the more people try it, the more it will be discussed.
Thanks to everyone who connected with us, and until next time!
My buddy Jonathan (KM4CFT) made a big announcement this morning.
He’s been working tirelessly since the start of the year, designing and testing a brand-new field-portable CW transceiver he’s dubbed the CFT1.
As of this morning, you can purchase the transceiver kit on HamGadgets.com.
A little backstory
Jonathan first mentioned his plans to design a CW transceiver back when we were doing a joint POTA activation at the end of December 2023. At the time, it was just an idea. When he said he planned to have it ready for sale in 2024, I was skeptical. I mean, he had a day job and had never designed a radio before. How could he pull that off in such a short timeframe?
Fast forward to Four Days in May/Hamvention in May 2024, and wouldn’t you know it, Jonathan had a working prototype on display! I was blown away. Within a couple of weeks, he was contacting us beta testers, eager to get revision one units into our hands.
I got my CFT1 in June and immediately put it through its paces in the shack. Even in beta, this little radio was rock solid – I was seriously impressed!
I thoroughly tested the CFT1 in the shack, both on a dummy load and with my QTH antenna. If you’re into SOTA or POTA and I worked you in June, chances are it was with the CFT1.
Vlado (N3CZ) making field day contacts.
I even took the CFT1 out for a spin on Field Day. Vlado (N3CZ) and I were both impressed with how well it performed in that crazy RF environment. Remember, this isn’t a contest radio, but it didn’t seem to overload at all. Impressive!
When I heard Jonathan was launching the CFT1 today, I figured I’d do a quick POTA activation to showcase this awesome little radio.
The Blue Ridge Parkway (US-3378)
Yesterday morning, I was heading to Mission Hospital in Asheville to visit a family member who had just been admitted. I realized I had enough time for a quick activation at the Folk Art Center on the way.
I arrived at the parking lot around 8:30 AM. It was pretty empty except for the grounds crew. I set up at my usual picnic table.
I paired the CFT1 with my KM4CFT End-Fed Half-Wave, trimmed for 30M with a 40M linked extension. I was hoping for some 40-meter action early in the morning. Setup was a breeze. My throw line cooperated beautifully – the 40M EFHW was practically vertical!
Naturally, I filmed the whole process: setup, activation, and pack-up. Before I started the activation, I spent a few minutes talking about the CFT1 – its design philosophy and what I like about it. Hopefully, this will help you decide if it’s the right radio for you.
Gear:
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Somedays, I just need a little POTA and radio-active therapy to energize the day. And this was one of those days.
On Thursday, July 18, 2024, I woke up still feeling quite tired because I had been out the entire day before helping my sister with a move–my wife and I didn’t get back home until midnight.
I was exhausted!
That Thursday, though, I still needed to hit the road again fairly early to help my sister with her home closing and then bring my dad home (finally) from the skilled nursing facility where he’d spent the previous 2.5 months!
It was a big day, and I was feeling pretty low on the energy reserves even after the morning coffee. We’ve all been there, right?
I didn’t think I would have time to fit in a POTA activation, but my father’s nursing facility contacted me and asked if I could pick him up after lunch instead of before. All of a sudden, I had a two-hour chunk of time, so, of course, I was going to get radio-active!
Fortunately, I had my GoRuck GR1 in the car, after my trip to the NC coast, packed with the KX2 and a few antenna options!
Looking at the time, I knew Tuttle Educational State Forest would be my best bet for a quick activation. Accounting for travel time and lunch, I would have about a one-hour window to operate.
Tuttle Educational State Forest (US-4861)
I arrived at Tuttle and wasn’t surprised to find the place nearly empty. Tuttle caters to school groups, and since schools were still in summer break, I didn’t expect to see any school buses or large groups.
My plan was to attempt this activation using the AX1 antenna–just to keep things simple.
I chose a picnic table in the shade and set up my gear in short order!
Gear
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Upon arrival, I immediately noticed that a new bridge had been built over the creek. It’s funny how you get so used to some POTA sites that you feel a real connection to them and notice even small changes.
I had brought along my Elecraft KH1 with the idea of doing the SOTA activation (it’s with me all the time anyway), but earlier, I noticed that I still had the Penntek TR-45L Skinny in the back of my car, so I opted to use it for this POTA activation.
I quickly deployed my PackTenna 20M EFHW, connected it to the TR-45L, and hopped on the air, hoping 20 meters would serve me well.
I’d hoped I’d packed a 40M EFHW so that I would have two usable bands and that I could work my buddy Mike (K8RAT), but 20 meters it was! I hoped the band had a little life in it!
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I hopped on the air and started calling CQ POTA. Within a few minutes, I started working a stream of hunters. Continue reading Finding Joy in the Journey: A Missed SOTA Hike Leads to a Relaxing POTA Activation 
