2. Ham Radio

Mt. Lincoln (W6/NS-149) SOTA Activation 3/14/2013

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Before I could setup and operate, I needed to go down a few hundred vertical feet then hike back up (SOTA rules prohibit the use of motorized vehicles, such as ski lifts, for your final ascent). The snow was still firm and icy in spots, so this was the perfect opportunity to try out my new Black Diamond Neve Pro crampons with step-in (a.k.a. automatic) bindings. Wow, are those things awesome! I walked down the edge of a steep black diamond run and had perfect traction. On the way back up I was able to stick the two toe spikes straight into the firm surface and walk up it like I was climbing steps, without my heels even touching the snow. Very-very nice, especially compared to my crampon-less <a href="http://www.grizzlyguy.com/HamRadio/SOTA-Activation-Monument-Peak"> activation of Monument Peak W6/NS-061</a> when I could barely make it up an icy slope that was only half as steep.
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Before I could setup and operate, I needed to go down a few hundred vertical feet then hike back up (SOTA rules prohibit the use of motorized vehicles, such as ski lifts, for your final ascent). The snow was still firm and icy in spots, so this was the perfect opportunity to try out my new Black Diamond Neve Pro crampons with step-in (a.k.a. automatic) bindings. Wow, are those things awesome! I walked down the edge of a steep black diamond run and had perfect traction. On the way back up I was able to stick the two toe spikes straight into the firm surface and walk up it like I was climbing steps, without my heels even touching the snow. Very-very nice, especially compared to my crampon-less activation of Monument Peak W6/NS-061 when I could barely make it up an icy slope that was only half as steep.

  • Mt. Lincoln is the highest peak within the Sugar Bowl ski resort. Sugar Bowl is along Interstate 80 near Donner Summit, approximately 10 miles west of Truckee. I parked at Judah Lodge. To get to the top of Mt. Lincoln from there, take the Jerome Hill Express lift, ski down to the Mt. Lincoln Express lift and take it to the top of the mountain.
  • Heading up the Mt. Lincoln Express lift.
  • The light turquoise line is the Mt. Lincoln Express lift. The turquoise-and-white dashed line is my estimation of the activation zone. My operating position ended up being at the irresistible top of the terrain that slopes down steeply to the east.
  • Before I could setup and operate, I needed to go down a few hundred vertical feet then hike back up (SOTA rules prohibit the use of motorized vehicles, such as ski lifts, for your final ascent). The snow was still firm and icy in spots, so this was the perfect opportunity to try out my new Black Diamond Neve Pro crampons with step-in (a.k.a. automatic) bindings. Wow, are those things awesome! I walked down the edge of a steep black diamond run and had perfect traction. On the way back up I was able to stick the two toe spikes straight into the firm surface and walk up it like I was climbing steps, without my heels even touching the snow. Very-very nice, especially compared to my crampon-less <a href="http://www.grizzlyguy.com/HamRadio/SOTA-Activation-Monument-Peak"> activation of Monument Peak W6/NS-061</a> when I could barely make it up an icy slope that was only half as steep.
  • I set up my Alexloop about 8-10 feet from the edge of the steeply downsloping terrain to the east that you can see in the topo map. The wind was blowing steadily at 20-25 mph, so I jammed both of my skis into the snow to form an A-frame for extra stability. I snapped my Buddipole shockcord mast together and ran it between the ski tips, with two bungees wrapped around the skis making for a solid structure. My homebrew Buddipole-mast-to-Alexloop adapter threads onto the top of the mast, and the Alexloop slides down over the top of it. The friction fit kept the loop from rotating. Today I took the time to put the Alexloop together correctly (vs. sloppily on all prior activations) and I even pointed it correctly (again for the first time) with the plane of the loop pointing in my desired E-W directions. East is to the right in this shot.
  • A shot of the steep east-facing terrain.
  • Alexloop coax connected, external 2.3 Ahr battery, paddles and earbuds plugged into the KX3... and I'm ready to roll.
  • I used my pack as an operating table, and a piece of closed cell foam from a Coleman camping pad to insulate my rear end from the snow.
  • To the east-southeast, the mountain with ski runs on the skyline is Mt. Pluto (W6/NS-138). I've activated it on skis twice before.
  • Castle Peak (W6/SN-038) dominates the skyline to the north. Pacific Crest Trail runs by and below it on the opposite side.
  • To the east is the lower <a href="http://www.grizzlyguy.com/HamRadio/SOTA-Activation-W6NS213-2013">Schallenberger Ridge (W6/NS-213)</a> with Donner Lake below and to the north of it.
  • Further to the east is Mt. Rose (W7/WC-001) over in Nevada.
  • Spots from today. I started on 20m and then worked 30m, 40m, 12m, 17m, and back to 20m to finish up. The Alexloop was playing well: 35 QSOs including 3 summit-to-summits and QSOs with two chasers who called in from Europe on 12m (OK1MLP and DJ5AV).
  • Logbook page 1, all familiar calls.
  • Logbook page 2. More familiar calls except for N?YYX who never responded to my requests to repeat his callsign. We clearly weren't hearing each other well with 229 reports going in both directions.
  • Logbook page 3, including my two QSOs with European chasers OK1MLP and DJ5AV. A steady stream of skiers stopped by throughout my activation and asked me what I was doing. I'd yank one earbud out and carry on a conversation with them while doing a QSO with my hands and the other ear. When DJ5AV called in, I happened to be having a boisterous conversation with two skiers I know ('dude, seriously, you shredded that? No farkin way!...) and my usually-good-at-multitasking brain was having trouble working CW while this was going on. It took several overs to finish that QSO. Sorry DJ5AV, my bad!<br /> <br /> EA7HXK dropped his call over and over, but he may have been calling some other DX station split frequency as he never came back to my replies to give me a report. He isn't listed in SOTAWatch as a chaser, so that's probably what happened and I'm not counting it as a QSO.
  • Logbook page 4. I went back to 20m because I'd seen Mike KE5AKL spotted there earlier, then heard him call some other activator that I couldn't hear (can't remember who) on 14.062 for a summit-to-summit. I thought that if I called CQ on 14.061, Mike might give me a call. After a few minutes I tuned around and heard him working Jack W7CNL up on 065. Jack told Mike that I was down on 061, and Mike said he'd head down there to find me. I frantically dropped my call (probably on top of Jack, sorry Jack) to catch Mike before he spun the dial and it worked. <br /> <br /> It was a fun day, thanks to all the chasers who called in to work me!
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