FOBB’03 – A Report From The Field From BB #57

I journeyed up to a park known as Mt. Falcon. It has some wonderful views of the Denver Metropolitan Front Range plains. On very clear days you can see for nearly 40 miles.

The history of this area began with a gentleman known as John Brisbon Walker. During the early part of the 1900's Walker built a home and accumulated more than 4,000 acres of land. Ruins of his house, which burned in 1918 as a result of a lightning strike, remain in the park.

Mr. Walker also had an elaborate scheme to build a Summer White House in an area overlooking Bear Creak Canyon and the small town of Morrison (home of Red Rocks Amphitheater). Unfortunately, he did not get beyond the laying of the foundation and the corner stone is about all that remains.

The first picture (Downtown Denver) is a view of the metropolitan area surrounding Denver, CO. It is about 15 miles away as the crow flies. If you look to the right of downtown and just below the horizon, you'll see a white line. This is the white tent structure of Denver International Airport located about 30 miles away.

The second shot (Operating point) is a view of my operating location overlooking the Front Range plains. There is the proof that I rode my bike, which blew a rear tube just as I was loading my gear to leave. Just behind the red pack is my K-1 and to the right you can see my SD-20 fishing pole antenna. I got a lot of good reports on my signal.

The third picture (Scattered T-storm) is a shot of a mile wide thunder torm crossing the southern suburbs of Denver. Ron Zoerb, KIØII, can attest to this storm as he had just packed up his gear when it hit from where he was operating.

The fourth picture (Approaching T-storm) is a view of an ugly looking T-storm heading straight for me. It brought with it some serious downpours, lightning, and hail. Just before I left, Douglas and Jefferson County NWS issued flood watches and warnings because of this and other surrounding storms. I got out of there just in time.

I had a great time operating from there and will probably do it again. Maybe I'll catch other ARS operators from there during one of the Spartan Sprints.
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Colin Whitmore, NØYGY, is a QRPer and outdoorsman living in Littleton, CO.