By K9ZIP
My drive to New Glarus Woods State Park is about 35 minutes, and the hills become more numerous and intense as I put distance between my home QTH and approach the park. Eons ago glaciers had an enduring impact on the geography of this region, making for a more exciting drive in the present day. Also of note: fall is in the air. Trees are barely showing signs of changing, but the plentiful corn fields have mostly shed their deep green for a “harvest-amber” color.
New Glarus Woods State Park, with its POTA designation K-1467, offers a captivating blend of dense woodlands, picturesque trails, and plenty of picnic tables ready to briefly home an amateur radio station. As I parked my vehicle, I observed over a dozen people enjoying the area where I wanted to set up. This concerned me, as I like to start my activation away from the crowd. But, as luck would have it, they seemed to clear out within two minutes after my arrival. I must look pretty scary or something.
I found a table in the shade and made quick work of deploying my trusty Xiegu g90 and Super Antenna.
While it took me about 5 minutes to set up my station, it took over a half of an hour to find an open frequency. 20 meters was packed! I briefly tried 17 meters, but no joy. I went back to 20 and hunted another park (KB0RFC at K-9178, Fort Hays State Historic Site) to get things rolling. Then, like magic, I found an open frequency.
Radio Contacts of the Day
While enveloped by the serene environment of New Glarus, I connected with numerous fellow hams:
- KK4ANY
- N6GR
- KG4NXT
- K4MI
- KC1QDZ
- KD2YXS
- N4CHD
- KB3PGU
- KW4BGY
- KB1NEQ
- KD2MTG
- AK4VQ
- KB3AYY
- K4MJR
- K4IDA
- W4VHZ
- KQ4AEO
- K0VK
- KQ4BII
- WD4RBX
- KE0PDU
- W3JWE
- KI5AX
- KD2VRZ
- KC3NQB
- KC7UXM
- AD4JX
- KB0RFC
To all those who made contact, a heartfelt thanks! I eagerly look forward to future activations and the opportunity to once again intertwine the serenity of nature with the thrill of amateur radio.
