ACØPR, ham radio blog: POTA/WWFF Red Cliffs Conservation Area (Desert Reserve), It's First Activation

Shack near small spring

I can enter the Red Cliffs area in 5 minutes from my house, not the place I went today, but it's a huge area with a main artery into the city that goes right through it. I looked at a number of possible places to go. I decided on the T-Bone Trail, mostly because it's still close (15 mins) yet no one would be there. This is another that had never been done before. This one is POTA K-6077 and WFF KFF-4968.

The area:

There are MANY trails going through parts of this area--I'm sure I'll see them all eventually, especially in the winter when this would be best to activate. A number of the other trails I considered were too frequented by hikers and I didn't want the looks and questions of having a station setup. I scouted out a couple of the trail heads, I'm glad I did since another one I was considering had the trail I wanted closed for regrowth. I did have one person come up on me. An older fellow hiking and hoping to see a desert tortoise (he specifically wanted to see one where I was, by some water), of course I was kind of hoping that as well.

It was a nice hike, cool desert scenery. I was a bit worried about how to get my antenna up since you

cannot go off trail in this area. So I needed an area up higher, running north-south so I wouldn't have to have wires over the trail, and that had something I could use to support the mast. With the doubts I had, I brought extra gear--my Jackite pole which gets higher and is stronger, but requires more to keep it in the air. The spot I found was just right. Just at the top of a hill, it was at a trail crossroads (although the crossing trail isn't open for hiking) so I could be just off the trail and not be in the way and not have to go far off at all. There was an extra-large bush that I used a main branch to keep my fishing pole mast up.

On the radio:

I spotted on POTA and WWFF to start. I had a good start back east again. I had the POTA required 10 within 15 minutes, which was nice. WWFF requires 44 qso's to count (although it's cumulative, and POTA has to be done the same day UTC). After that I tried 40 meters, I got Jess, W6LEN, but then nothing. After several minutes of nothing, I went to 30 meters, but nothing. I just went back to 20.

After going back I had the highlight qso of the day with ON4VT, Danny in Belguim. It wasn't easy and I'm sure even worse for him, but we got it connected. I had another DX in France that was trying, but never got him all the way (F1BLL), but hopefully I'll get him in the future. I ended with 23 qso's. I had time to do more, but when there's lots of calling CQ and not a lot of productive qso's being made, I pack it in (habit from SOTA).

It was a great day!

Video of the activation

Call	Bnd	Date / Time	Freq	Mode	Name	Rec	Snt	ST
W5GDW	20	8/7/2020 14:11	14.049	CW	GARY	559	579	NC
VE3LDT	20	8/7/2020 14:13	14.049	CW	David Wg	559	579	ON
W5ZDW	20	8/7/2020 14:13	14.049	CW	LEONARD	599	599	LA
WD5CSK	20	8/7/2020 14:14	14.049	CW	Ronald	579	579	OK
WB5OZA	20	8/7/2020 14:15	14.049	CW	Douglas	599	599	LA
KG8P	20	8/7/2020 14:16	14.049	CW	Thomas	559	599	MI
WA8IPA	20	8/7/2020 14:20	14.049	CW		559	599	MI
KD1CT	20	8/7/2020 14:21	14.049	CW	ROBERT	599	599	NH
W1OPR	20	8/7/2020 14:21	14.049	CW	DUSTIN	339	559	ME
W9AV	20	8/7/2020 14:24	14.049	CW	Julien	599	599	WI
W6LEN	40	8/7/2020 14:34	7.037	CW	JESS	599	599	CA
K8RAT	20	8/7/2020 14:49	14.049	CW	WILLIAM	579	559	OH
W8SUN	20	8/7/2020 14:50	14.049	CW	GEORGE	229	579	VA
KE1VT	20	8/7/2020 14:51	14.049	CW	KEVIN	559	599	VT
K0FX	20	8/7/2020 14:51	14.049	CW	DONALD	579	599	CO
AF8E	20	8/7/2020 14:52	14.049	CW	John	599	599	OH
NE4TN	20	8/7/2020 14:53	14.049	CW	WALTER	559	599	TN
ON4VT	20	8/7/2020 14:57	14.049	CW	Danny	339	559	Belguim
NA5AR	20	8/7/2020 14:58	14.049	CW	ROBERT	599	599	TX
NG5E	20	8/7/2020 15:00	14.049	CW	DAVID	559	599	TX
K9EXY	20	8/7/2020 15:02	14.049	CW	J Richard	599	599	IN
W4KAC	20	8/7/2020 15:03	14.049	CW	KENNETH	529	579	NC
AC0A	20	8/7/2020 15:05	14.049	CW	William	559	599	KS