On a quck training hike for our Switzerland Hiking / Climbing tour next July / August, I carried along my trusty ICOM - IC - V85 2M HT because it has an output of 7 Watts. Together with my old AEA "Hot Rod" telescoping vertical antenna for 2M, it seems to work very well on 2M FM. Squak Mountain, 617 Meters, 2,024 Feet elevation is an easy 4.2 miles RT hike gaining 1,274 feet to the summit. It is easily accessible from my home QTH in Bellevue, WA. Park on SR900 (Issaquah - Renton Road) or, as we did, at one of the higher trailheads on Mountainside Drive at 750 feet. The hike is through mostly wooded terrain, with some sections of lovely old growth Douglas Fir and Cedar trees. One (1+) hour up and same amount of time down, as one in the group is recovering from knee surgery. A few other hikers and trail runners en route, along with a slew of all types of dogs.
All contacts were on 2M FM Simplex, using my 7 watt Icom HT. I did carry a 4 element Arrow Antennas Yagi, but did not need to deploy it.
