Bunker Hill, WA | May 2012

Taylor (K7TAY) and I activated Bunker Hill this weekend in southern Washington. This relatively easy hike starts flat on the Pacific Crest Trail before heading up a spur to the summit. All of the elevation is gained in a relatively short period of time, but the trail is not technical and easy to follow. The actual summit is forested with very little in the way of views of the surrounding territory. However, just before the summit, an outcropping of rock provides a good vantage point. Once on top, I set up for 18 meters and started calling CQ with my FT-817. I had just a tiny bit of cell service, so I spotted myself first. Unfortunately, I was having a very hard time getting out, which I now know is due to a bad piece of coax. I heard chasers calling me, but to no avail. I tried for a bit on 20 meters as well, and was able to squeak out just enough contacts for credit. After watching how difficult it was for me, Taylor decided not to make the attempt. After examining my gear at home, it turns out I was getting just about 1 watt out the far end of my feedline, which explains the difficult activation. However, it's pretty amazing that I was still able to contact WA2USA in Indiana and VE2JCW in Eastern Canada on so little juice!