2. Ham Radio

Land Peak (W6/NS-169) SOTA Activation 8/28/2012

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To the southwest, Mt. Lola (W6/NS-111) still has snow on its northeastern slope even though we had an exceptionally dry winter.
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To the southwest, Mt. Lola (W6/NS-111) still has snow on its northeastern slope even though we had an exceptionally dry winter.

  • For maps and directions to Land Peak, see <a href="http://www.grizzlyguy.com/HamRadio/SOTA-LandPeak-W6NS169-2013">this album.</a> The trailhead (even though there is no actual trail) is across the dirt road from this tree.
  • It is one of the largest known western junipers.
  • That's it on the left with my ATV for scale. I took these shots of the tree on the way back from activating Babbitt Peak (W6/NS-132) earlier this month.
  • This shot was taken from where I began my hike. Land Peak is on the right. Since there is no trail, I thought it would be easier to follow the vehicle tracks, climb up into the open area on the ridge to the left of the peak, then head for the summit from there. Boy was I wrong! <br /> <br /> When I got up on top of the ridge in the "open" area I found it to be covered with impenetrable snowbrush. I slogged through just enough of it to get me back down into the forest where I could make my way towards and then up to the summit. I only went through about 30 feet of the dense snowbrush, but it was enough to get me bleeding (minor) from a small cut the brush made just above the top of my boot.
  • This would have been the better but steeper route (went this way on the way down): directly up through the forest.
  • No snowbrush at all along this steeper route. Just pines, rocks and plenty of shade to keep you cool as you climb. This shot is looking back down from about 2/3 of the way to the top.
  • There are numerous downed trees from the fire that roared through this area many years ago, but they are easy to go around or over.
  • The summit finally comes into view beyond a slope covered with wooly mule-ears instead of snowbrush. Or at least it would have come into view had I climbed up this route.
  • Standing on the summit of Land Peak, a boulder that is higher than everything else up there. It was surrounded by snowbrush that I had to climb through to get on top so I guess the brush got the last laugh.
  • This pine near the top of the east slope made a great antenna support for the center of my 20/40m link dipole.
  • My RG-58 coax cable heads skyward.
  • Closeup of the antenna's center insulator hanging from my Zing-It throw line below a branch. I used my usual rock-in-ditty-bag method to get the line up there.
  • I didn't bring hiking poles so this 5-ish foot long stick was pressed into duty to hold up the north end of the antenna.
  • I tied off the south end of the antenna to another pine tree.
  • All set up and ready to roll. I left my Crazy Creek chair at home since I was expecting to bushwhack my way to the top, so I just sat on the ground for this activation. It was activation #10 for the little HB-1B (my shiny-new, bulkier and heavier KX3 stayed home).
  • Cranking out the Q's. Today was a little slower going than my prior activations. Maybe everyone was getting ready for the holiday weekend? I still made 12 QSOs in less than an hour, but that's down from the typical 20-ish QSOs in about the same amount of time.
  • Mt. Rose (W7/WC-001) in Nevada is visible in the distance to the southeast.
  • To the southwest, Mt. Lola (W6/NS-111) still has snow on its northeastern slope even though we had an exceptionally dry winter.
  • The town of Sierraville down on the edge of the Sierra Valley to the WSW.
  • Reconnaissance Peak (W6/NS-202) is just left of center across the Sierra Valley, and Dixie Mountain (W6/CN-006) is the peak behind and to the right of it. I activated Dixie Mountain on New Year's Eve day this last non-winter.
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