2. Ham Radio

Sand Ridge (W6/NS-155) SOTA Activation 9/4/2012

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A closer shot of Castle Peak (W6/SN-038). The Pacific Crest Trail runs past and below it on the other side.
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A closer shot of Castle Peak (W6/SN-038). The Pacific Crest Trail runs past and below it on the other side.

  • For maps and directions to Sand Ridge, see <a href="http://www.grizzlyguy.com/HamRadio/SOTA-SandRidge-W6NS155-2013">this album from a later activation.</a> If you have a high-clearance 4WD vehicle that allows you to drive to the ENE end of the Sand Ridge, it is an easy hike to the top that only climbs about 320 vertical feet. I happen to have just such a vehicle. ;-)
  • This small pile of rocks marks the summit.
  • Standing on the summit with my foot on the small pile of rocks. Wooly Mule Ear leaves are in the foreground blocking the view of the rocks. I'm holding my 28-foot Jackite Pole that I brought along because I wasn't sure if there would be high trees on top of the ridge. It turns out that there are plenty of trees, but the wind has wreaked havoc with them as you will see in the pictures that follow.
  • From the looks of this tree, the ridge clearly gets a lot of wind. It appears to be broken off but managed to continue growing.
  • A broken piece of the tree is near its base. From the looks of the piece, it wasn't broken off very long ago.
  • Here is another one: it was once a tall tree but lost it's top section at some point, most likely due to wind or lightning.
  • I'd spotted this collection of dead trees (great for hanging antennas) about 30 vertical feet below the summit on my way up.
  • There weren't any better trees at the actual summit and these gave me a steeper down slope to the east, so I tossed my Zing-It throw line into the biggest tree and quickly had my 20/40m link dipole up about 30 feet high.
  • The antenna's center insulator with my RG-58 coax running straight down, and the antenna wires running out to the north and south (putting its maximum lobes east-west).
  • I extended the top few sections of the Jackite pole and used it to hold up the south end of the antenna. The bottom is stuck under a rock and bungee cords near the bottom tension the pole downward to another rock. I tied the north end of the antenna to a conveniently placed fir tree.
  • All comfy in the shade, sitting on my Crazy Creek chair, and ready to roll with the little HB-1B QRP transceiver.
  • My view while operating, I was looking south.
  • Turning my head to the left, Castle Peak (W6/SN-038) was just a few miles away (towards the east).
  • A closer shot of Castle Peak (W6/SN-038). The Pacific Crest Trail runs past and below it on the other side.
  • One of the granite "pebbles" that the glaciers left behind on top of Sand Ridge when they scoured and created this landscape eons ago. My Jackite pole is leaning against it for scale.
  • This little rock appears to be all that is keeping the granite boulder from rolling down off the side of the ridge. It probably isn't all that is keeping it there, but I still refrained from kicking or otherwise annoying the little rock as I walked by. ;-)
  • Interstate 80 is visible down below me to the south.
  • A view of the mountains near Donner Summit with thousands (millions?) of acres of granite visible in the foreground below.
  • Logbook page 1.
  • Logbook page 2. Thanks to everyone who gave me a call!
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