[Elecraft] WB3AAL BB#35 on the Appalachian Trail

[Ron Polityka]

Hello,

 Unfortunately I could not make it out on Sunday's FOBB.

The thunderstorms started around 06:30 UTC / 2:30 AM around Reading, PA. The 
lightening was flashing about every 30 seconds with loud claps of thunder. 
This went on until 09:30 UTC / 5:30 AM. The rain kept coming down until 
11:00 UTC /  7:00 AM. At this time I had to go into work for 2 hours. While 
I was there I checked the weather radar to see how the storms were moving. 
Unfortunately they were moving very slow and along the Appalachian Trail.

 The weather started to clear around 16:00 UTC / 12 PM in Reading, PA. I 
checked the weather radar, unfortunately there were some heavy storms just 
North of the area I would be on the Appalachian Trail. I did take a drive to 
the two areas I would be operating from but the trail was wet and muddy, 
this would make for a very difficult hike. But the thunder in those two 
areas were still too close for comfort. They thunder claps were still loud 
even with the storm about a couple of miles North. Just was not worth taking 
a risk, lightening will travel 7 miles from a storm. Not worth experimenting 
with being a human lightening rod on top of a mountain with wire.  :-)

I will be going out sometime on the Appalachian Trail in August

72 and Thanks,
Ron Polityka
WB3AAL
www.wb3aal.com
www.n3epa.org/

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