Friday, September 13th, I headed to Pinckney Island National Wildlife Refuge (US-0265) for a POTA activation and was without Daisy as dogs are not allowed at this refuge. Pinckney Island is a 4,000+ acre wildlife refuge off Highway US 278 on the way to Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. The refuge consists of four islands and numerous small hammocks with Pinckney Island being the largest of the islands and the only one open to the public.
The refuge is named after Major General Charles Cotesworth Pinckney and is one of seven refuges managed by the Savannah Coastal Refuges Complex in Savannah, Georgia. Prior to my time as a ham radio operator, I volunteered for the US Fish and Wildlife Service and spent time at four – Savannah, Harris Neck, Wassaw Island, and Blackbeard Island – out of the seven refuges they manage. I never made it to Pinckney Island so I was excited to finally see this property.
Portrait by James Earl. Source: Wikipedia
Most of Pinckney Island is accessible by foot or bicycle only. After parking my car in the designated lot, I began hiking to my destination – Ibis Pond, a large pond for waterfowl about a mile from the parking lot.
Just before I reached the information kiosk, I got a great look at an armadillo doing what most gardeners and lawn aficionados hate – tearing up the ground in search of food. This mammal eats mostly invertebrates including insects and especially likes grubs. They have horrible eyesight but keen hearing and I was surprised this guy or gal let me get as close as he or she did.
information kiosk
Pinckney island is an important link in the chain of wildlife refuges along the Atlantic Flyway and attracts thousands of migratory birds each year, according to the US Fish and Wildlife Service. The Atlantic Flyway is a major north-south route for migratory birds and it generally follows the Atlantic Coast of the US.
source: North Dakota Fish & Game Department
I saw and heard many birds while visiting the refuge including a flock of White Ibis feeding in the marsh and tidal flats, a Great Blue Heron fishing with a Snowy Egret walking nearby, American Coots, a molting male Painted Bunting, crows flying overhead, and I swear I heard a pair of Sandhill Cranes calling to one another at Ibis Pond. I could have spent all day watching the comings and goings of the refuge inhabitants let alone do a POTA activation.
White Ibis feeding in the marshAmerican Coots at Ibis PondWhite Ibis in the trees at the pond during my activationTrail into Pinckney Island
However, I was here for POTA and, in short order, arrived at Ibis Pond. It is one of five manmade ponds on the island and exists to preserve feeding and nesting areas for birds. The pond has cattails around its edges and much of the water is covered by duckweed.I figured I would be less likely to have any human visitors if I followed the trail around the pond to the far side. But I was wrong. Ten to twelve people walked by my station while there, more than I usually encounter at any park. Continue reading The POTA Babe Spreads Her Wings at Pinckney Island→
After an interesting and successful activation at Fort McAllister, I turned my sights southward and further back in time to Fort Morris Historic Site (US-3717).
source: gastateparks.org
Fort Morris Historic Site contains earthen fortifications that date back to the Revolutionary War. The site is simpler than that of Fort McAllister. Fort Morris was built to protect the town of Sunbury. Sunbury was a thriving, cosmopolitan community on the Medway River. In fact, three signers of the Declaration of Independence came from Sunbury. The river has a naturally deep channel that allowed the town to compete with the city of Savannah for commerce.
Fort Morris was attacked by the British in late 1778 and told to surrender. Colonel John McIntosh told the British, “Come and take it.” The British left but returned later with reinforcements and did take the fort, renaming it Fort George.
The capture of Fort Morris was the beginning of the decline of Sunbury. The British burned the town after its capture. Sunbury lost economic significance, suffered from hurricanes in 1804 and 1824 as well as yellow fever and malaria epidemics, and was abandoned by 1860. There are no remaining ruins of the historic town except for a cemetery in which many of the tombstones were destroyed by the 1870s.
I arrived at Fort Morris early, September 2nd, on an overcast day. The trees next to and over the entrance road formed a welcoming green canopy. I left Daisy at home as I planned to walk through the small museum on site and dogs are not allowed inside. What I didn’t know is that the museum is only open Friday through Sunday.
the entrance road with green canopyparking lotthe museum
I had the site to myself nearly my entire visit. I walked to the fort first to see if I would be allowed on top of the embankments. Nope! So I walked out of and to the right of the fort along a path that runs around the entire structure. The path is dotted with live oaks whose Spanish moss flitted in the nonstop breeze.
the fort from the parking lotsweet pea flower on the embankments
These trees were perfect for the Tufteln EFRW I so often use. I wanted to run my antenna northeast which would put it on the path I walked to get to this spot. In short order, the antenna was installed and I added some more flagging tape for visibility.
live oak tree I used – EFRW antenna attaching to Thom Bihn bag on path. you can barely see the flagging tape in the photo
I first thought to set up at the sole picnic table behind the fort. (How convenient for an activation!) But, on second thought, that would put my back to the path and, though I’d have a lovely view of the Medway River, I would not be able to watch for pedestrians who might walk into my antenna. Instead, I set up my Helinox chair on the opposite side of the path. This way I could still view the river but also look up and down the path.
picnic table with a nice viewHelinox chair – note the POTA flag blowing in the steady breeze
The bands were kind to me today. I began with 40 meters and had two callers, both from Georgia, on that band. I moved to 20 meters where the bulk of my QSOs happened – 29 in total! I also logged one QSO on 15 meters and six QSOs on 17 meters, though none of those were DX as I had hoped for. All in all, I was pleased with this activation.
QSO map for Fort Morris Historic Site 9-3-2024 source: http://tools.adventureradio.de/analyzer/
This activation was also my second using an app on my iPhone for logging – Ham2K PoLo. What I like about Ham2K PoLo is that it is easy to use and the name and location of the op remains on the screen while you are logging the QSO. The app provides a way for me to compare the QTH in the record to the one I copy. It also allows me to thank ops by name at the end of the QSO which I have always liked to do but stopped doing when I used paper unless I could recall the name associated with the callsign.
Ham2K PoLo screenshot
There are a few downsides from my perspective on using the app. First of all, I cannot type the callsign as fast I could write it. But that is because I haven’t become accustomed to using the app yet. Also, if I hear a partial call during a pile-up, I can’t note it unless I write it on a piece of paper. Lastly, when I hunt other activators, I like to write down their information since the POTA app moves everyone’s information on the screen as it updates spots. To get around this difficulty, I started taking a screenshot of an activator’s information and saved it to my photos so I could enter the information in PoLo at my leisure while I hunted the activator.
An interesting sidenote – After I wrote this article, I put together a video of the activation itself which I usually don’t do. I found two busted call signs which is not typical for me. I think there are four reasons for what happened.
First, I am still becoming accustomed to using the new app and that is a distraction while trying to copy information in the QSO. Second, I relied on the app to confirm the QTH. In both instances where I copied the call sign incorrectly, the incorrect call sign also had the same QTH so it didn’t help me in those situations. Third, I need to brush up on my Instant Character Recognition. Last but not least, instead of confirming the callsign at the end of the QSO, I used the op’s name after “TU” since I had it available from the app. I think thanking someone by name is a nice touch; however, many ops who hunt POTA are probably not conversant with conversational CW and may therefore not recognize their name in CW.
To avoid a repeat of what happened, I’ll make several changes. First, I will return to pencil and paper. Sure, having the data logged in the app saves me time; however, my activations have maybe 40 or so QSOs at the most which doesn’t take much time to enter back home. Second, at the end of my QSOs, I will return to using the callsign behind “TU” and only include the op’s name if I remember it. Third, I need more work with Instant Character Recognition – both working with the Word List Trainer tool but, more importantly, spending more time in on-the-air QSOs, especially those using conversational CW. I’ve had less in the way of code buddy QSOs over the summer due to propagation and busy schedules. That changes this month as I resume regular QSOs with two code buddies – Caryn KD2GUT and Gary K4IIG.
So there you have it – my activation at Fort Morris Historic Site – #39 on the list as I work toward 60 new valid park activations this year. Will I continue my streak of historic properties or return to wildlife management areas next? Stay tuned…
Activation Video
If you are interested, here is the link for the activation video on POTA Babe YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/naqWlAatnIs
Equipment Used
[Note: All Amazon, CW Morse, ABR, Chelegance, eBay, and Radioddity links are affiliate links that support QRPer.com at no cost to you.]
After a fun POTA for K2D the previous week, it was time to resume the pursuit of my 2024 goal – 60 new valid POTA activations. Friday, August 30th, I headed to Fort McAllister State Park (US-2175). Though I have lived in Savannah most of my life, I’ve never visited this park in nearby Richmond Hill.
The park is located at Genesis Point, a bluff on the Ogeechee River. An earthen fort was build on the bluff to protect the plantations along the Ogeechee River and the Savannah, Albany, and Gulf railroad bridge. According to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, it is the best preserved earthwork fortifications of the Confederacy. The fort repelled seven Union naval attacks between 1862 and 1863 but was finally captured by General Sherman from the landward side during his March to the Sea campaign.
After being captured, the fort became a prison for Confederate soldiers captured on the upper Georgia coast. It fell into disrepair until purchased by Henry Ford (yes, that Henry Ford) in the 1930s and restoration began on the site. Later the fortifications were restored to their 1863 appearance.
A model of the fort as to how it looked in 1863
I arrived at the park around 8:30 AM without Daisy. Though she loves going with me, the heat and humidity were simply too high for her comfort and I wanted to tour the museum at the site. (Often dogs are not allowed inside buildings at parks.)
park map – source: GA DNR
If you visit the park, please take the time to walk through the museum. It is well done, looking at the history of the site all the way back to the Guale Indians who originally occupied this land. There is also a room devoted to ironclads. (After entering the park, there is an outside exhibit for the machinery that was in the CSS Nashville, a ship who was sunk on the Ogeechee River by the Union ironclad Montauk.)
ironclad room at the museum
After walking through the museum, you head outside to the greenway leading to the fort. There is a signal tower like one that would have been constructed after the capture of Fort McAllister, non-commissioned officer huts, and a reproduction of a barracks building that previously occupied the site.
signal tower reproductionNCO hutsinside of a NCO hut
Then you come to the fort. Who doesn’t love a fort? Though this one is simple, you could get turned around in it fairly easily. The inside is accessed via a bridge crossing a moat with palisades in it. I found the central bombproof shelter interesting though I certainly wouldn’t want to shelter in it. Just outside it, I discovered a deer eating breakfast.
view of the fortpalisades in the moat – ouch!inside the fortentrance to central bombproof
I couldn’t have asked for a better day for viewing the Ogeechee River. Wow! A bright blue sky with fluffy white clouds reflecting in the river below and hardly a ripple on the surface. Views like this is one of the reasons I love living in coastal Georgia.
the Ogeechee River – What is not to love about a view like this?!
I would have enjoyed setting up on top of the fortifications like I did at Fort Anne in Nova Scotia. However, there wasn’t as much room here and setting up the EFRW here might not be appreciated.
path on top of fortification looking down to live oak trees by marsh
I looked below and saw several oak trees near the riverbank. Though there was a gravel path, it was wider than the path on top of the fort. Anyone walking by would have plenty of room to avoid my antenna. Plus the trees would shade me from the summer sun.
my potential QTH from a ground view
After several tries, I snagged a live oak branch and had the Tufteln EFRW installed. I set up my Helinox chair, settled my equipment on my Tufteln kneeboard, and got to business.
view from my Helinox chaira squareback marsh crab visiting
I started with 40 meters, giving ops close to home a crack at me; but the only op who contacted me was Lou N8LEM, a nice op in Ohio from one of my CW Innovations classes. I switched to 20 meters and that band proved to be the heavy lifter of the day – 31 CW QSOs over the course of an hour and a half, including two park-to-parks: Carson W8VAB at US-1828 in West Virginia and the Tortolita Radio Club KT7RC at US-4571 in Arizona.
QSO Map Fort McAllister State Park 8-24-2024 source: http://tools.adventureradio.de/analyzer/
By noon, it was time to call QRT. The sun was gradually encroaching on my shady locale and I had sweated enough for one day.
my setup
I had no idea this park was such a gem! The fort is accessed only by paying a fee or purchasing a Georgia State Park historic site annual pass. (There are picnic grounds accessible with a state park pass or $5 fee outside the museum and fort area.) As I intend to revisit the site as well as other historic sites over the course of this next year, I went ahead and purchased a pass.
picnic grounds outside museum
For those interested, you may access my YouTube video for this activation via the following link: https://youtu.be/IhXsd87fy6k
My valid activation here gave me #38 of the 60 parks I need for my 2024 goal. I have four months to get the remaining activations I need. Where will I show up next? Stay tuned…
Equipment Used
[Note: All Amazon, CW Morse, ABR, Chelegance, eBay, and Radioddity links are affiliate links that support QRPer.com at no cost to you.]
After a one-month hiatus, it was time for the POTA Babe to get back in the saddle. Tuesday, August 13, Daisy and I dropped off my son and headed out for an adventure. Tillman Sand Ridge Heritage Preserve (US-3913), across the Savannah River in South Carolina, is a 45 minute drive from my son’s high school.
source: freeworldmaps.net
The drive is a simple one from Savannah: take US Highway 17 across the Savannah River to Hardeeville, SC where one turns onto US Highway 321. This road cuts a straight line from Hardeeville to Tillman, a small town in the middle of nowhere. Though the day was sunny, shortly after turning onto Highway 321, I hit fog which I assume was due to the proximity to the Savannah River. Canals run along both sides of the road most of this stretch of 321 and they were full of water lillies.
foggy conditions
In Tillman, one takes Sand Hill Road/SC Route 119 to the park. The preserve is on the left side of this road when heading north but if you don’t have a map as I did, you would miss the information kiosk which is hidden behind some trees.
For POTA, I usually like to operate out of or close to my car. In the summer heat (yes, it is hot and humid here even at 9 AM), I am not interested in hiking any distance. However, the access road to this preserve was gated so driving into the preserve was not an option. Time to rethink my game plan.
To the left of the kiosk is a parking area. Just past it inside the preserve is a dirt road which is not accessible due to wood posts. I parked my car Kai and walked to the road, looking to the left and right. Hmmm. To the right, I found an opening in the tree canopy a little ways up the road. Not being far from the car, this spot would make a suitable QTH.
looking to the left on the dirt road in the parklooking to the right on the dirt road in the park – note the opening in the canopy
Y’all know I enjoy using my arbor line and EFRW antenna; however, today I brought the Chelegance MC-750 for several reasons. A short activation is optimal in this heat and humidity and the Chelegance might be quicker to install than the EFRW, especially if it takes me multiple throws to snag the branch I want with the arbor line. (Some days I do a better job than others.) I also feel I should branch out and use different antennas on occasion. Last but not least, I just felt lazy given the weather. (Even POTA Babes have their lazy days.)
the radials extending across field vegetationthe vertical taking advantage of open canopy
I found a spot on the dirt road nicely shaded by trees. Given the sun’s position, I figured we would have one and a half to two hours of respite from it. I threw a tarp on the road, my stuff on top of it, and finished setting up. Daisy, spurning the tarp, dug her own little cool place in the dirt.
our setup on the dirt road
the sun is well behind the trees shading us
I started with 40 meters, given the early hour. I found the band noisy due to RFI from either the nearby power lines or the residence across the street. I then discovered the cell coverage here was spotty. I’d be able to text for five minutes and then there’d be no service for ten minutes. Right when I was ready to text my partner Glenn the frequency to spot me on the POTA page, I lost service. (Great.)
Given the noise on 40 meters, I didn’t linger there long and moved to 20 meters, looking for a station to set up near and hope ops might run across me. Given how often I was calling CQ, this was the first activation I used the pre-recorded CQ POTA message on my KX2.
Finally, after calling CQ for 25 minutes, Steve N2YLO responded to my CQ. But then I lost him due to propagation. I went back to calling CQ and three minutes later I heard from a regular, Bob AB3GB in Pennsylvania. I gave him a 599 and he gave me a 579. YES! I was finally off and running. Continue reading The POTA Babe Gets Skunked→
As much as I enjoy the pursuit of my 2024 goal of 60 new parks, this Wednesday, August 21, I suspended my pursuit of that goal and headed to George L. Smith State Park, a park I activated last fall. Why? I did so in support of K2D and International Dog Day. (See the QRZ page here: https://www.qrz.com/db/K2D)
International Dog Day is observed annually on August 26th. The goal is to raise awareness of the world’s abused, abandoned, homeless, and shelter dogs. Hans YL3JD in Latvia operated the past several years with a special event in honor of the day. This year, for the first time, Hans is joined by stations in Great Britain, Canada, and the United States. The US team is organized by Caryn KD2GUT under the call K2D.
There are eight operators here in the US that will be on the air from Wednesday, August 21 through Monday, August 26. Three of us will do at least one of our shifts from a POTA site. I chose George L. Smith State Park (US-2179) as my site for two reasons. First, for this activation I need good cell service for spotting on the POTA website but also DXSummit. I recall this state park having good cell service during my previous visit. Second, I’ve been hankering for a return to this park given how scenic it is. K2D is a great excuse to return.
Source: gastateparks.org
Daisy (of course she has to come along for K2D!) and I arrived early, around 9 AM. We had the park to ourselves. The temperature actually felt cool, probably due to the presence of the lake and a stiff breeze blowing off of it.
the lake with cypress and tupelo trees
Last time I visited here, I operated from a hill next to the park office. However, I recall a fair amount of noise on 40 meters at that location. I had another QTH in mind.
former QTH
When you enter the park, to the right is the old grist mill through which one may walk. On the other side is a trail. It was along that trail I intended to set up.
Source: gastateparks.org
I parked at the park office, grabbed my gear, and walked to the old mill house. We continued out to the trail on the other side. I found a spot just past some hanging foliage which I thought would prevent anyone from walking into me. (It turns out we didn’t see a single person walking though we did see several kayakers on the lake.) There was a tall wall of foliage behind me which should shield Daisy and I from the summer sun during the entire activation.
overhanging foliage
Given I would operate as a special station, I wanted my trusty Tufteln EFRW. I found a branch high in the canopy and aimed. It took me several throws but I finally snagged a branch close by. I didn’t want to block the trail and needed a branch high enough for a steep angle in my antenna.
QTH at new spotEFRW with flagging tapeview to the left of my spotview to the right of my spot
Around 1400 UTC, I began calling CQ K2D or CQ POTA ES K2D. I opted for 20 meters given I’d likely reach a wider range of hams. The bands today did not disappoint (as you’ll see on my QSO map below) for the two hours I operated. I did try 40 meters near the end of the activation but had no callers for the 15 minutes I tried. Finally around noon, I called QRT.
QSO Map for K2D/George L. Smith State Park source: http://tools.adventureradio.de/analyzer/my view during the activation – ain’t it nice?!
I was thrilled to find at noon that Daisy and I still sat in shade. This is a big deal in Georgia in August! In fact, we felt a breeze off the lake the entire activation. Can you say “ahhh”? So next time I visit this park, I’ll set up in this spot.
Daisy supervisinginnovative way to display my POTA flag
I appreciate everyone who hunted me today.
I hope QRPer readers will consider supporting K2D over the next five days. As this is the first year of the event here in the US, there is not a schedule for when the eight of us are on the air. We will be on when we can for both CW and SSB, though since most of us are CW ops, I suspect you will mostly find us operating that mode. We will stick close to the frequencies of 7.045, 14.050, 21.030, and 28.050 as printed in QST magazine. However, check for us on DXHeat and DXSummit in case we need to move due to inference.
I’ve posted a short video to YouTube about the activation if you are interested:
Next week, I’ll resume my 60 new-to-me POTA activations for 2024 quest. Where will I show up and will I succeed in bagging park #38? Stay tuned…
Equipment Used
[Note: All Amazon, CW Morse, ABR, Chelegance, eBay, and Radioddity links are affiliate links that support QRPer.com at no cost to you.]
Daisy and I awoke the morning of Thursday, July 18, ready to attempt our third SOTA activation of this trip. Today we’d head to Mount Jefferson State Natural Area (US-3846), a short drive from New River State Park. Along the drive, I spied quite a few farms for Christmas trees.
Mount Jefferson (W4C/EM-021) is 4,665 feet in elevation , rises more than 1,600 feet above the valley floor, and was a place for escaped slaves to hide. The mountain is a heath bald featuring dense evergreen shrubs on it which is different from the grassy balds also found in the Appalachian mountains. (Black Balsam Knob I visited earlier in the trip is an example of a grassy bald.)
A road winds up to a parking lot close to the summit. When I arrived on this overcast day, there was only one other vehicle parked. I grabbed my SOTA pack, outfitted Daisy with her harness and leash, and we were ready for the task ahead of us.
The hike up to the summit is an easy one. The trail begins at the parking lot and is easy to identify. To make sure there was no repeat performance of not being sure where the summit is located, I snapped a pic of a posted park map.
Start of the trail
Along the hike, we encountered the weather station near the summit and neat lichens.
The weather stationNeat lichens
It wasn’t long before we arrived at the summit. I could see the weather station back along the ridge as well as the town in the valley below. I had checked the weather forecast before I left our campsite earlier that morning and it looked promising.
The trail at the summitTa-da – Mount Jefferson summit
At the summit is a section of rock with a flatish spot in the middle, almost as if it is beckoning one to get comfortable. We settled ourselves on that flatish spot and I began pulling my equipment out of the pack. I opted for the AX1 again as it served me well at the previous two SOTA activations and there wasn’t much room up here.
I love this photo!
I quickly discovered there was no cell service. I’d have to make do, possibly setting up near another POTA station and hoping the RBN would spot me or someone would come across me. I began on 40 meters but after spending 10 minutes on that band, moved to 20 meters. James WA1EDN found me and I asked him to “PSE SPOT ME”. It worked and in the next 15 minutes, I worked five stations and then…
It started raining! (Noooooo!) I had noticed fog-like clouds moving in; however, I have seen this kind of weather before while on the Blue Ridge Parkway and those clouds don’t always bring rain. I naively believed the weather forecast and didn’t pay them much attention. Until it started raining.
Clouds moving in
I hurriedly covered my KX2 and key, put on my raincoat, and threw what I could into my pack including my notepad. Thankfully, I take with me a Rite in the Rain notebook and pen as a backup. Neither had ever been used. I refused to give up so easily and began calling CQ POTA again. I worked another station – John N7JTT in Washington state – and then…
My wet pack
My key started going bonkers on me! I didn’t think about it but the key is electronic and not mechanical. I can recall only two times I’ve activated in the rain. Both were during my trip to Nova Scotia and both times I activated INSIDE the car. So I and my equipment (except the antenna) were protected from the rain. Electronic keys and rain do NOT mix as I now discovered. I thought I had protected it from the rain but obviously not.
Well, I could deal with that! I always take a small backup key with me which I now pulled out and began to use. However, that key, too, is electrical and crapped out on me in no time. Now I had no choice but to call QRT. Oh, the depth of despair at having to do that when I was so close to a valid activation!
Daisy snoozing in the rain
I consoled myself that at least I got my third SOTA activation and, other than the keys crapping out on me, this activation had been a lot of fun. Also, the AX1 had proven itself a rockstar with two QSOs to the West Coast – John N7JTT in California and WB6POT in Washington state! Way to go AX1!
We dragged our soggy bodies down the mountain to the parking lot where I looked at the keys one more time to see if they would work for me. Nope. Honestly, I felt very, VERY stupid at not thinking about those keys being electrical. I never considered they wouldn’t work in the rain. Sigh. This was another learning opportunity and, when I got back home, I’d make sure to have a mechanical key in my arsenal as a SECOND backup. You know what the SEALs say: two is one and one is none. At this point, I had none!
I had planned on heading back to Georgia tomorrow. But with no working keys, there could be no more activations. (I don’t carry a mic with me as I am a CW-only op these days.) There was no point in staying that extra day.
I headed back to New River State Park, packed everything up, and drove the seven hours back to Savannah, Georgia. Though the keys might have dried out and worked the next day, we had already been through two nights of thunderstorms and much more promised to roll through the area. Enough was enough.
All in all, I considered the trip a success. I finally tackled SOTA and ended up with three valid activations. I added six valid POTA activations to my goal of 60 new-to-me parks for 2024. I survived five days of camping alone with Daisy 500 miles from home. Yes, I made mistakes along the way; however, I viewed those a learning opportunities, mistakes I’d not be likely to make again.
For those of you who followed these articles and hunted me during the trip, thank you for sharing this journey with me. This POTA Babe learned a lot and had a lot of fun along the way, despite the setbacks. I am already plotting a SOTA trip for spring or summer 2025 and, most certainly, a summer 2025 return to the North Carolina mountains. But well before that, I have 23 more parks to activate for my 2024 POTA activation goal. Where will I show up next? Stay tuned…
Equipment Used
[Note: All Amazon, CW Morse, ABR, Chelegance, eBay, and Radioddity links are affiliate links that support QRPer.com at no cost to you.]
I woke on day four (Wednesday, July 17) of my North Carolina camping and POTA trip, determined for it to be a better day. The three unsuccessful activations were actually a good thing. It put me on notice that I had fallen into my past habit of scheduling to the max. Sometimes I become so focused on whatever I am pursuing that I forget to enjoy the ride getting there. So today would be a day of leisure with some POTA sprinkled in.
I spent the morning drying items wet from the previous night’s rain. It turns out the tent waterproofing was just so-so and that smarted. However, it reminded me of an acronym from Dr. Maika Steinborn – FAIL which stands for First Attempt In Learning. There is a learning curve with any new endeavor and waterproofing a tent is no exception. The rainfly and underside of the tent needed more of the exterior waterproofing spray. That is a project for when I return home.
Drying out
The camping spot across from me was unoccupied. The parking spaces for it were bathed in sunshine so I took advantage of that sunshine to dry items before packing them up as we had reservations at a new park.
Meanwhile, I endeavored to get the activation for Lake James State Park that the rain prevented last night. To make matters simple, I used the Chelegance MC-750. It was a snap to set up and, while Daisy snoozed under my seat, I set up on 40 meters. The band gave me four contacts in ten minutes. It was a challenge hearing them at times because a park employee was mowing in nearby areas.
Chelegance MC-750 set up on tent padDaisy snoozingMy setup at Lake James campsite
I moved to 20 meters and added three more contacts including a park-to-park with Randy N5ILQ at US-11768 in Oklahoma. I’d been on 20 meters for nearly 20 minutes with only three contacts and figured I’d give 40 another try. Switching to 40 meters, that band gave me three more contacts. Getting antsy, I hopped back to 20 meters. Contacts with Tim VA3UZ, Dave N1CGP, and Brian K3ES gave me the breathing room I needed for a valid activation.
QSO Map for Lake James State Park 7-17-2024 source: http://tools.adventureradio.de/analyzer/
Daisy and I packed up and headed out. The road along Lake James was one fun ride, like an old-time rollercoaster with banked turns and zigzags back and forth. I’ve about decided I need to visit North Carolina once a year just to drive the roads!
Cool bridge inside Lake James State ParkBeach area down by the lake
We drove through Morganton, Lenoir, and then to Blowing Rock, a swanky looking community. We rejoined the Blue Ridge Parkway for a bit before heading north on 221 toward New River State Park. We were in the upper left corner of the state at this point, 357 miles from home.
A funny sign I spied on the driveVista at Grandview Overlook on the Blue Ridge ParkwayCommon milkweedMore Queen Anne’s Lace
So far, I’m impressed with the state parks at which I’ve stayed in North Carolina. Lake James offered spacious, well-equipped campsites and one of the nicest bathhouses I’ve seen in a state park. At New River State Park, though, I would live in the lap of luxury as I’d have an electrical hook-up at my site! (To recharge my Jackery Power Station so far, I plugged it into my car while driving.) You appreciate the things we often take for granted in society when you go without them for several days.
source: GIS Geography
Our campsiteCampsite visitor – We saw bunnies at Davidson River Campground also.
After setting up camp and a brief rain shower, I decided to activate New River State Park (US-2748) and, again, use the Chelegance MC-750. Contacts came in spurts. I began with 20 meters and made contact with two stations before moving to 40 meters. Forty meters did not disappoint. Over the course of 25 minutes, I made contact with nine stations including Jeff VE3JZT at park CA-5594 in Ontario province. I had a valid activation by this point with 11 contacts. However, I had the hunger for more QSOs and switched back to 20 meters. That proved to be a good move as I worked four more stations including Scott NB0W in Nebraska before calling QRT.
QSO Map for New River State Park 7-17-2024 source: http://tools.adventureradio.de/analyzer/
At this point in the trip, I reflected on the past four days. I had six valid POTA activations and two SOTA activations. Daisy and I had survived camping by ourselves a long way from home negotiating the challenges that arise from this kind of trip. I had a blast driving the roads in my Crosstrek Kai through bucolic countryside and grand vistas. But truth be told, I missed my partner Glenn and was a little homesick. I decided I would end my trip two days early on Friday instead of Sunday. That still gave me two days for another SOTA attempt and two more parks. The fun wasn’t over yet! What summit would I attempt to activate tomorrow? Stay tuned…
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As my friend Jon KC1FUU says “Some days are diamonds, some are stone.” The third day (Tuesday, July 16) of my North Carolina trip definitely fell into the “stone” category.
The day began nice enough with a slow but steady pace. As our next overnight stay was at Lake James State Park, it was time to break camp and set out northward for Linville Gorge Wilderness Area (US-10262). According to the US Forest Service website, “the gorge is formed by the Jonas Ridge on the east and Linville Mountain on the west and is bisected by the Linville River which drops 2,000 feet into the valleys below.” The gorge is also known as the “Grand Canyon of Eastern USA”.
source: GIS Geography
When you activate parks out of the state and with which you are unfamiliar, you never know what the actual conditions will be until you arrive. In case we didn’t want to hike into the gorge, I figured there would a parking lot at which we could set up as is typical of many parks. However, that is NOT the case here. The roads that run along the gorge are also not in the park boundary. All the trails to hike are rated difficult except for one which doesn’t go into the gorge.
After the previous day, I was loathe to do any major hiking, especially for Daisy. The weather didn’t help either as it was sunny and warm.
There was one hike – Spencer Ridge Trail – whose description said there was a moderate section. Plan B was to ride to the other side of the gorge and hike enough to be in the park boundary and try an activation on Spencer Ridge Trail.
Spencer Trail circled in black on Linville Gorge map
Have you ever ridden any forest service roads? Whew! They are a rough bunch of characters. This one – Table Rock Road – was no different. Roads like this is why I drive my Crosstrek Kai, as he is made for these kinds of adventures.
This photo doesn’t begin to convey the bumpy condition of this road!A huge rock along the forest service road
We parked in the lot for Spencer Ridge Trail, geared up, and began the hike. A little ways down the trail, we stopped and I set up for an activation. There was no way to put up an antenna in the trees as this was a narrow trail and likely there would be hikers coming along at some point. I opted for the AX1 and hopped onto 20 meters. After 10 minutes of calling CQ with no answers, I thought about moving to 40 meters. However, there was no room for that long of a counterpoise and, by this time, I was ready to admit “uncle” to the gorge. Sometimes, as another acquaintance says, “the juice ain’t worth the squeeze,” and it wasn’t by this point.
The trailMy view – looking straight into the foliage with the trail behind me
We rehydrated, loaded ourselves back into the car for the bumpy, crazy service road ride, and went on our way to the next activation – Table Rock Fish Hatchery (US-8012).
The hatchery, built in 1946, has 17 ponds as well as a flowing water flume for holding trout. Its water supply is nearby Irish Creek. It is the only coolwater hatchery in the state due to its location which raises fingerling smallmouth bass, walleye, and muskallunge as well as channel catfish.
Maybe I should have taken the rain I encountered as an omen this activation was not to be. It poured on the drive to the hatchery and for about 15 minutes at the site. There was blue sky in the distance and the clouds seemed to be clearing when all of sudden, the sun was out! However, with the sun came intense humidity, almost south-Georgia level humidity.
I set up in a picnic area outside the hatchery gates but still on hatchery property. I found a spot I could park Kai under branches for shade. As there were dogs loose on the property and the ground was soggy, I left Daisy in the car with the windows down and the Koonie fan on high to keep her cool.
Picnic areaKai in the shadeDaisy keeping cool in the car
Due to the rain, there was no lack of wildlife. As I set up, I disturbed a bunch of tiny (and I mean tiny) frogs. During the activation, I kept an eye on the ground while calling CQ over and over and spied a little beetle crawling nearby.
One of the frogs I inadvertantly disturbed
I deployed the EFRW antenna and hopped on the air. I’m not sure if it was the location or bad propagation or both but I had only one nibble. (Thank you Tim VA3UZ for that single contact!) I tried 20 meters for two periods as well as five minutes each on 40 and 30 meters. It was hot and humid. While setting up, the feed-end of my EFRW had dropped out of my pocket unbeknownst to me and I tore my hair out for over 20 minutes trying to locate it. Between the weather, the frustration from temporarily losing the antenna feed-end, and the lack of contacts, I had had enough and called QRT.
Throwing the arbor line to snag my branchThe creek at the hatcheryMy QTH
We drove onto Lake James State Park to set up camp for the night. What a pretty and open landscape this park has. I booked a spot in the Paddy campground, spot #1 right near the bathhouse. Given the rainy weather we encountered, this proved to be a good spot.
Lake James campsite
I planned for an evening activation at Lake James; however, the weather had a different idea. It rained several times over the course of the evening. So, the POTA Babe struck out – zero successful activations of the three parks planned for the day.
Yes, it was a stone kind of day. The good thing about stone days is they don’t stick around. At some point, the diamond days show up again. Was day four of my North Carolina trip a diamond day? Stay tuned…
Monday, July 15, after my “botched” SOTA activation of Black Balsam, the POTA Babe headed to Richland Balsam. Richland Balsam proved to be a nice hike and activation. The mountain is further up the parkway and the highest point on it. You access the trail to the summit via an overlook just southeast of the mountain.
Trailhead for Richland Balsam
When I researched what summits to choose, one nice feature about this one is a bench at its top. Yes, the park service provides you a seat for your activation! Given the gain in elevation to reach that bench, you are grateful for it by the time you reach the summit!
Foliage encroaching on the trail to Richland SummitYes, more ferns!!
By this point in the day, the sun had burned off the clouds and both Daisy and I appreciate sitting beneath the tree canopy shaded from the heat. While I set up my KX2 and AX1 (it has performed well enough at Black Balsam Knob, I figured it would do well here, too.), Daisy sprawled out on the forest floor at my feet.
View from the bench
I was a little nervous at going through all this effort with an ongoing solar flare. However, you never know what the bands are going to give unless you try.
QTH (bench) provided by park service
As per Gary’s recommendation in the last article, I began with 40 meters and, in addition to working Gary, worked three other ops in short order. After ten minutes with no further callers, I moved to 20 meters. I still needed six more QSOs for a valid POTA activation at this site. They gradually trickled in over the course of an hour and a half. I had internet access at this location, too, and was able to hunt Douglas AA0AW at US-11150 in Minnesota. At this point I called QRT and reflected on the day.
QSO Map for Richland Balsam/Blue Ridge Pkwy/Nantahala National Forest source: http://tools.adventureradio.de/analyzer/
The thought of not having a valid SOTA activation in the morning REALLY bothered me. It was fairly late in the day now. Would there be time to go back (yes, go back) and make a second attempt? By now those lovely cloudy skies were long gone so our second hike would be a much warmer one. If you haven’t already figured out by now, POTA Babes are tenacious and don’t give up easily. Besides, I felt the need to redeem myself.
We arrived back at the Black Balsam Knob parking area with plenty of parking now. In fact, there were only a handful of cars left. As we walked toward the trailhead, a pair of men were leaving the trail for their car. I asked them how far of a hike it is to Black Balsam Knob to which they responded about 30 minutes. Well, it was about 30 minutes I hiked that morning. Hmmm.
A gorgeous and sunnier view than previously that morning
When we reached the same area I had that morning, I asked two different parties where the Black Balsam Knob summit was. They both responded right where I was standing! (It had taken a little over 30 minutes, partially to give Daisy a rest due to the temperature.) But where was the plaque? One gentleman confirmed there was indeed a plaque at this site and yes, this was the summit.
The plaque I missed earlier
Well, how do you like that?! I DID have a valid SOTA activation here after all. Whew! What a relief (though I could have done without that hike a second time). I figured since we were already up here, why not try to finish the POTA activation now?
First things first, though, was to find Daisy some shade and the only way to do that was to set up the new Mountain Laurel Designs tarp I purchased for the trip. I couldn’t get the height I saw Patrick WW4D have on his tarp but it was a start. I gave Daisy the shade and sat in front of it shielding my KX2 from the sun.
First time using the Mountain Laurel Designs tarpA simple setup
I went back to 20 meters and thanks to three hunters – Keith K7MOA, Gerald N5KT, and Ken K5ENS – I had my valid POTA activation! Woo-hoo! What a day!
At this point, I heard thunder and saw lightning from a raincloud I’d been watching. It was time to get the you-know-what out of Dodge! I hurriedly threw everything into my pack and Daisy and I huffed it down the summit.
Approaching storm
As I reflected on how the day played out, I was pleased with what I accomplished.
A successful SOTA activation is a big deal to me, to a great extent because I’ve had no one to Elmer me. There are those who’ve answered my questions and there are Youtube videos that were helpful. But the endeavor still seemed overwhelming at times, especially since I often set the bar high for myself. There are still additional skills I need for further pursuit of SOTA, especially if hiking to a summit that isn’t as easy to find as the two today were. But today was a good start. For those of you considering your first SOTA activation, if I can do it, so can you! So do your research, gather your skills, and get out there.
A happy POTA Babe and her POTA pup
The track record for the trip is going well – four POTA and two SOTA activations and it is only day two! Will I keep up the pace and where will I head next? Stay tuned…
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Monday, July 15, the second day of my North Carolina camping trip for POTA and SOTA, started chilly with overcast skies. Today I would attempt my first SOTA activations. I chose two easy summits – Black Balsam Knob and Richland Balsam.
Daisy and I headed out after a simple breakfast up US Highway 276 through the Pisgah National Forest toward the Blue Ridge Parkway. Along the route, we encountered Looking Glass waterfall. The last time I visited this waterfall, it was packed with spectators. Today, I shared it with only one other person. It was a nice way to begin what turned out to be a very long day (spoiler alert).
Looking Glass Waterfall
If you haven’t driven the Blue Ridge Parkway, put it on your bucket list! I’ve been on the parkway more times than I can remember. I relish driving it. Surprisingly, I encountered very little traffic this day so I could move at my own pace along the banked turns and stunning vistas.
The parking area for Black Balsam was already full when I arrived; however, several other cars were making use of the side of the road and I pulled in behind a couple who were suiting up for their hike. It turns out the husband of the couple had a father who was a ham and learned CW during World War II. It is a small world indeed.
Lots of cars already at parking area.
The hike to Black Balsam Knob is not one I’d consider easy, especially scrambling over the rocky surfaces. Before the trip, I was concerned as to how Daisy would handle hiking given she’s done nothing like this before. It became obvious why she is a POTA pup – the terrain didn’t bother her in the least!
Part of the trail to Black Balsam summit
On the hike up, we saw Carolina lilies growing wild along the trail. There were also bees everywhere, especially in some yellow wildflowers I could not identify.
Carolina LillyYellow flowers in which the bees were active
I was grateful the skies were overcast and the temps on the cooler side (upper 60s). There was a light breeze when we arrived at what I thought was the summit and the tall grasses stirred in it. You could see for miles! The hike was worth the view.
Overcast skies from the top of Black Balsam
I originally thought I would use my EFRW mounted on a fishing pole for my SOTA activations. However, cleaning, stripping, and re-waterproofing the tent/rainfly took so much time, I didn’t follow through with a solution to support it on a summit with no woody vegetation. I opted to use the AX1 instead with the configuration Thomas has had the most success – mounted to the side of the KX2. I also took with me the counterpoises (20 and 40 meters) that came with the antenna.
Once on the air, I called CQ SOTA to make sure I worked those ops first given they are fewer in number than POTA hunters. Since the activation would count for both SOTA (Black Balsam Knob W4C/CM-003) and POTA (Pisgah National Forest US-4510), I gave my location (NC) for all exchanges. (I think SOTA just requires an RST.) I worked seven stations in ten minutes, a good rate.
Operating
I moved down one Hertz as I began faintly hearing someone else on the frequency. (Yes, I cleared it first; however, given I was operating QRP, fighting for the frequency was probably a losing battle.) It was at this point I began calling CQ POTA and the callers dried up. I did have cell service here and worked one park-to-park with Kenneth NS1C at US-11632 in Massachusetts. I continued to call CQ both on 20 and 17 meters with no luck. I didn’t opt to try 40 meters as I figured it wouldn’t be any better.
QSO map for Black Balsam Knob/Pisgah Nat’l Forest source: http://tools.adventureradio.de/analyzer/
About the time I had packed up my gear, Gary W5GDW contacted me asking about 40 meters. I was loathe to pull my equipment back out. He also advised me there was a solar flare. (Maybe that was why I suddenly didn’t hear anyone.)
At this point, I had a valid SOTA activation but not for POTA. I figured the campground at which I was staying – Davidson River Campground – is in Pisgah National Forest so I could finish my activation at my campsite later in the afternoon.
As I headed down the mountain, I began questioning whether I had actually reached the summit. Something didn’t feel right. I checked the map at the trailhead and noticed Black Balsam Knob has a plaque honoring Art Loeb and I didn’t recall seeing any such thing. Uh oh. Maybe I hadn’t had my first SOTA activation. My heart sank.
Map at trailhead for Black Balsam Knob
First of all, it was demoralizing I had botched my very first SOTA. Second, how humiliating because of how public it would be. Honesty is one of my values and I’d have to admit the mistake. I almost scrapped the remainder of the day I was so bummed. However, I didn’t drive all the way to North Carolina to scrap activations so onward I went to the next one – Richland Balsam – which would give me a SOTA activation and two POTA parks. Did I redeem myself? Stay tuned…
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