N1CLC: 2019-09-01 Red Butte First Activation

My original plan for today was to not hike, kick around the cabin, meditate, and then watch the rain come down... Then I started thinking about how I might be able to do both. At about 9 I decided to jump over to New Mexico to activate a summit that had never been activated, Red Butte (W5N/AP-035).

The drive over to the planned trailhead took about 45 minutes from the SOC (Sota Operations Center, AKA my cabin), and it was a beautiful drive through the national forest. The initial route up is charted HERE and the IAF (turn onto a road) at 33.92855, -108.9152. There is a jeep trail that actually took me up past half way to the summit. The truck has four-wheel-drive which was needed only in one spot. It ends at a large clearing. I passed some guys on the way down. I think they were target practicing up against the hillside there. It’s actually a good place to do that.
[click on image for larger]

I hiked up a much worse jeep trail and then realized when I hit a summit, I had a little more climbing to do. I went up and over the false summit over to the actual high-point. I setup about 20 feet below a very rugged, small rock plateau. I couldn’t find a safe place to get up there with a pack on since I planned to keep the risk a little lower this trip :). Setting up at that location with the radio would have been a nogo anyway as it wasn’t big enough.

Once setup, I fired up the radio. While I was waiting for my spot to go out on the sat com unit, I answered a CQ from a guy in Tennessee who was working a contest. Once my spot went out for 14.284 MHz from the satellite communicator, I had a small pileup.

I had a bit of shade and it wasn’t too hot, but the weather was starting to move in. I worked the pileup down to zero and then thought I would try 7 MHz. I sent a spot out via the Inreach but it was taking way too long, I wasn’t getting any hits on my CQ, and I was getting hungry. I had 14 contacts so not a bad day. I could have snacked but I was looking forward to lunch in Alpine.

I found a better route back to the truck so if you do this summit. I suggest you follow my lead on this one and stay south of the little false summit as you head over to the activation zone..

I stopped in Alpine at the Bear Wallow and had a late lunch at about two. As I was having my apple raisin pie, I could see the lightning bolts coming down on the other side of the mountain where the SOC is located. The windshield wipers in the truck really suck so I thought it best to get home.... And just in time...

As I sit out on the front deck of my cabin writing this, it’s pouring rain and hail, and we are having one hell of an electrical storm. A real banger. With the water gurgling down the gutter system, a light breeze and rain, I just want to take a nap now. In fact, I think that’s what I’ll do.

Contacts

Date:01/Sep/2019 Summit:W5N/AP-035 (Red Butte) Call Used:N1CLC Points: 8 Bonus: 0 Delete

Time	Call	Band	Mode	Notes
18:03z	KC4NX	14MHz	SSB
18:09z	K6MBD	14MHz	SSB
18:14z	AJ6CY	14MHz	SSB
18:15z	N4EX	14MHz	SSB
18:16z	W4KRN	14MHz	SSB
18:16z	W0MNA	14MHz	SSB
18:17z	W6KM	14MHz	SSB
18:18z	W0ERI	14MHz	SSB
18:19z	AI6US	14MHz	SSB
18:19z	NS7P	14MHz	SSB
18:20z	K8LJG	14MHz	SSB
18:21z	WW7D	14MHz	SSB

Loadout for the multiple summits:

● Gregory Zulu 40 backpack

● First aid kit. Make sure it’s a good one... like ability to patch up an impalement wound. ● CHA MPAS with spike and additional MIL mast (and version 2 of the top section)

● Yaesu FT-891D HF Radio at 100 watts

● 30’ of coax feed line

● Yaesu FT-2DR HT

● Slim Jim dual band antenna for my HT.

● 3 L of water (8 lb)

● iPhone with All Trails, MotionX GPS and sota goat

● LDG Z-100 plus auto antenna tuner for the FT 891

● Trekking poles

● Jetboil MicroMo cooking system (at the car)

● Packtenna.

● Extra LiFePO Battery

● AnyTone AT-868UV DMR radio for testing.