We did a first time activation of the summit of Panther Mountain - 4600 feet above sea level. My hiking companions were Patrick KI4SVM and Scott KW4JM. Patrick is the Manager of the W4C Association for Summits on the Air (aka SOTA - a program for radio amateurs who love the great outdoors and making radio contacts initiated in the UK). Our hike started at a trailhead near the North Carolina town of Cashiers. We followed the forest service road which descended into the creek bed - about 650 feet then bushwacked up the mountain first by ascending the fall line towards the ridge, then climbing along the backbone of the ridge to the summit. we had to gain another 1000 feet of elevation from 3656 feet to the summit elevation of 4616 feet. The roundtrip hike was a total of about 7 miles with about 1600 feet of elevation we had to negotiate. Our hike down was less steep but longer.
At the summit we were rewarded by amazing views and warm weather (in the 50s with little wind). I settled down into my operating position, erected my antenna and started making contacts. Almost immediately a California station called. After a few more contacts I heard what sounded like a ZL prefix in Morse. I listened to it again and copied ZL1BYG. I sent his call back to confirm ZL1BYG? and he returned ZL1BYZ and gave me a signal report that I was very weak. That is a New Zealand station!! - How cool is that?!. We exchanged signal reports and closed the exchange. That is a first for me to bag a station from clear around the globe with my little radio transmitting a puny signal.
Here Patrick KI4SVM (red shirt) and I were trudging in the snow on the Forest Service trail
Patrick KI4SVM and I at the summit - photo by Scott KW4JM
Scott's HB1B doing yeoman's duty
My KX3 and my HT
That is the beast we have to slay (Panther Mtn) - taken from the trail
Scott KW4JM operating at the summit
Patrick KI4SVM is operating in comfort
GPS track of our hike in
Hiking back to the vehicles - all uphill - about 650 feet of elevation gain
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