What started as a Christmas Day hike with my son, quickly grew....as many things with an 11 year old can. Ben asked to take the radio equipment with us, and "let's make some contacts Dad!". I've learned to seize those moments.
The road leading up to the park's lot is closed in winter. It's a fine road, but very steep and not practical to plow or salt. So, we parked with about a half dozen other cars at thhe base, and hiked the way up. It's less than 1/2 mile the whole way up, but a very steep grade, and challenging with ice 'flowing' down the gravel path.
The summit was great, with a few fellow hikers bringing family to look at the Farmington Valley in winter. Not much snow yet, but beautiful as always. Ben and I set up the Yaesu 817d and Buddistick. I called CQ on 40m then 20m, and let Ben key several CQs along the way. No takers...not surprising for Christmas day. I even tried calling VHF simplex 146.52. Does anyone really monitor the 2 meter call frequency these days (I don't). Well, the ground was getting cold, and we weren't really prepared for a day of radio. After 30 minutes or so, we decided to pack it up and hike back down.
A day on the trail with your son is always fun, even when you strike out on the radio.
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