WA3WSJ Polar Bear Moonlight Madness " Experience"!--- Long

[Edward R. Breneiser-2]

Hello all,

I can't properly convey the feeling I experienced standing on Pulpit
Rock on the AT at night. There I was looking down into the valley and
seeing all the small towns with their lights on. Then looking up in the
sky at a Full Snow Moon in February. Folks, it just doesn't get any
better than this!  We had very little wind, but it did snow on us.
Here's my hike up the mountain and operating story.

I met NK8Q for the first time at the Hamburg, PA Reservoir Parking Lot
on Tuesday evening. It was still light out and we had a brief talk and
then I had to start my hike.  I started hiking at 5:05pm in about three
inches of snow with very little wind with a setting sun.  As I hiked up
towards the reservoir, I started to experience something new - hiking in
the twilight between day and night.  This was a new experience for me
and I must say a little spooky. As I approached the reservoir I saw
Mark, NK8Q and Ed, K3YTR driving up the road behind me and Mark said,
"see you up top" and I was left alone in the twilight again. I did spook
two Canadian geese out of the reservoir.

About halfway through the ravine what do I see but "N3EPA" scribed into
the snow. Ron, WB3AAL had hiked this same route an hour or so before me
and was having some fun.  At this point I stopped and just stood there
listening for sounds, but not a single sound was heard!  After about ten
minutes, I reached the spot where the trail shoots up the mountain
towards the AT on top of the ridge. Its amazing how much light reflects
off the white snow. I didn't turn on my headlamp until I almost reached
the AT on top.

There I was hiking on a snow-covered Appalachian Trail in Pennsylvania
in the dark and enjoying every minute of it!  Hiking the ridge at night
was so cool.  As I hiked, I could see town lights below me between the
trees. Then I happened to look up and there it was a beautiful full
moon. As I approached the observatory near Pulpit Rock, I heard coyotes
howling over on the next ridge. I howled back and we had a
"conversation" that lasted about five minutes - this was so cool!  

Once at Pulpit Rock I greeted all the Polar Bears and I started to set
up. My rig is an Elecraft K1 which fed into a Vertical Black Widow
Fishing Pole Antenna or VBWFPA. I ran my K1 at three watts and used a
stereo plug paddle to send with. My first QSO was with Ken, WA8REI in MI
on 40M. I stayed on 40M most of this trip.  After my first QSO, it
started to snow on us!  I then worked W3DCG -GA; W4FOA-GA; W1RT-VA;
W4FOA again; K4JSI- MD. I then worked two other Polar Bears - WB3AAL and
NK8Q.  It's now around 8:00pm and we decided to pack it in and drive
down the mountain and get some food and liquid refreshments -hi!  

If you've never hiked and played radio on a dark winter night on top of
a mountain, you don't know what you're missing! Singing with the
coyotes, looking down into a lighted valley and watching the full moon
above it all. And playing radio as all this is before you!  I think I
that I must have died and gone to heaven. Yes, I don't know what heaven
is like, but this is as close as I have ever come to it.

To all my fellow Polar Bears, thank you for a fantastic evening of radio
and fine companionship. To all the ops I worked a big THANK YOU for
being there and making for a great radio experience. To all those ops
that called, but couldn't work me, I know we will do this again so next
time. Again a big THANK YOU for being there too. It's you who make for a
great radio experience.
Ron, WB3AAL took some great pictures and he will post them on the EPA
QRP Club Website soon.

72,
Ed, WA3WSJ

 


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