[Elecraft] WB3AAL New Years Day trip on the AT

[Ron Polityka]

Hello,

 I hiked to my operating site which was only around 1/2 to 3/4 of a mile off 
the road. Wow, I was beat from the short hike due to the mud and ice on the 
trail. I just felt like sitting down and not hanging the vertical. After a
shot rest I got the vertical up and started to call CQ on 20 meters 
around16:32 UTC. My first contact was Ed, WA3WSJ. I worked a couple more 
guys on 20 meters and then I worked Mark, NK8Q. Mark said that he worked a 
couple of other PB's on 40 meters so I switched over to 40. WOW, signals 
everywhere from the SKN contest. Every time I found an open spot to call CQ 
there was a QSO already going on. So I looked around for the other PB's but 
I could not find anyone.

 A hiker came through with his dog which was a playful Lab. I asked him a 
question about all the orange markings on the trees. He said it was hunters 
but it looks like to me that they might start cutting down some trees to 
thin out the area. Anyway his dog brought the vertical down out of the tree. 
So I had to re-hang the antenna and I switched over to 15 meters around 
18:00 UTC. I heard the W5USJ beacon but there was no other signals on the 
band. So I pulled out the trusty cell phone and asked WA3WSJ to post me on 
the list that I was on 21.060 calling CQ. I worked a couple of station on 15 
meters on the west coast. 15 meters is open in the afternoon, can't imagine 
why no one get on the band and makes it more radio active.

 Over all it was a wet and flurry kind of a day. The temps were around 33' 
f, just enough to melt the fresh snow on the ground and make it into mud. I 
worked a total of 9 stations and I finally packed it up around 20:00 UTC. I 
was chasing some DX on 15 meters for a while, almost worked a ZS6 station 
but the QSB got me in the end.

Good news is that I am closing in on my 500 QSO's from the Appalachian Trail 
and WAS from the trail. I have 465 QSO's
40 States
14 Countries
12 of the 14 States that the AT run through. Still need to work MA and ME 
for Trail to Trail QSO's.

Hope everyone had fun. I have to finish the web page for the Polar Bear 
today and the sprint rules.

72 and Thanks,
Ron Polityka
WB3AAL
Polar Bear #1
www.wb3aal.com
www.n3epa.org