Spring Hike to Knox Mountain Cabin
May 2015

I hiked up to the cabin at Knox Mountain this afternoon. It was the first time this spring. I set
up the MTR and worked a SOTA station in New York and another station in Bulgaria.

In just a couple of days the leaves have budded out and the woods are coming alive.



I left Knox Mountain Road and headed east toward the brook. The old bridge is impassable
now. Only one timber remains. The rest have collapsed.



Rather than take a chance on the bridge I went below and crossed on the
rocks.



It's 82F today and feels like summer. The trail is littered with fallen
branches from the winter. But there are a few treasures too. I found
some Colt's Foot flowers near the brook.



I climbed down a steep hillside near the second bridge which has been
gone for several years. I crossed the brook on rocks again and soon
came to the pond. It's beautiful.



I threw a Par End Fedz antenna over a high branch of the cherry tree on the hill overlooking the
pond. This allows me to use both 40 and 20 meters. I hooked up the MTR on 20 meters and tuned
around. Pretty bleak. The band was not active. I switch to 40 meters. Again, not good. But I could
here one station N1FJ calling CQ SOTA. I work him and get a 529 from the Catskills and complete
the exchange!



Before leaving I try 20 meters again. This time I hear LZ70VZ in Bulgaria calling CQ. He gets my
call after a couple of tries and we exchange 599s. Amazing... even with bad conditions I complete
two exchanges with 3 watts and a wire. I only stay at the cabin for 15 minutes and I pack up for the
 hike back.

The black flies will pretty much shut down the hikes for a couple of weeks. I may have another day
or two before they come out in full force.