WB3AAL & WA3WSJ February 10, 2001

Appalachian Trail Trip

Campsite / Shelter

Applebee Campsite, PA

Description

Camping is permitted at several flat clearings just to the left of the junction of the side trail and the AT. Water is available from Pilger Ruh Spring. The campsite is about 0.6 miles northeast of Route 501.

Coordinates

40° 30' 52" N

76° 20' 9" W

WB3AAL out hiking on a cold winters day.

WA3WSJ out for a windy winter hike.

WB3AAL working the pileup on 40 meters.

We arrived at the parking lot around 15:00 UTC (10 AM). The skies were bright and sunny with the temperature around 38'F. The winds were blowing anywhere from 10 MPH to gust of 50 MPH. This would give us a wind chill of 22'F to 0'F. After the 15 to 20 minute hike in the snow and ice we arrived at the camp site. We were not alone, to our surprise we found someone else was camping over night in another site. We had to watch the trees around the camp site due to how the trees were swaying on the mountain. With the wind and cold it took Ed and myself about 20 minutes to setup the antenna and rig. We were using WA3WSJ's K2 @ 3 watts and a 66' doublet.

I made 20 contacts from the AT in about 1 hour and 20 minutes. This was actually the best outing I ever had on the AT. I had pile ups going most of the time on 40 meters. We were specifically looking for Jim, W4QO, using the QRP ARCI Club Call K6JSS. Jim wanted to exchange the QRP #'s, I think that idea was a great and I plan to do that from now on. The K2 worked great in the cold but the batteries were becoming weak. I did go onto 20 meters for a little while. I called CQ about 6 times and I had no replies on 14.062 MHz. and I did not hear much activity so I went back onto 40 meters. The last two QSO on 40 meters I had to drop to 2 watts output due to low battery. We should have had the solar panel with us, it would have given us more time to play.

Since Ed, WA3WSJ, is heading to C6A land for the ARRL CW DX Contest he said he wanted me to make most of the QSOs from the AT. Jim did find us and we made the AT to AT QSOs with W4QO and K6JSS. I quickly turn the key over to Ed, WA3WSJ, so he could make his AT to AT QSOs. When I did not receive any more replies to my CQ on 40 meters and the battery forcing us to 1 watt, I decided that it was time to pack up and go for lunch.

If anyone that made a QSO with WB3AAL would like a picture QSL. Send an SASE with your QSL and I will get one out to you. I have a small back log of QSLs to be made but I am working on the QSLs from the AT now.

Look for me from the Appalachian Trail March 2001. I plan to take a tent and be on the air for a few hours.

72 & Thanks

Ron de WB3AAL