For the past eight years my XYL and I have hiked the Cataloochee Divide Trail near Waynesville, NC as part of our wedding anniversary around Thanksgiving Day.

This trail starts at 4,067 feet and rambles along the ridgeline border that straddles Maggie and Cataloochee valleys. To the north is the rugged green expanse of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park and to the south are the developed areas along U.S. 19. Grassy knolls along the way make good viewing and relaxing spots.

This year I decided to take along KD1JV's Appalachian Trail Sprint II transceiver which I built last spring. This rig is a complete surface mount 20/30/40/80 meter 5-watt transceiver including DDS frequency control, internal keyer with memory and internal batteries.

The complete station weighs just over 0.5 pounds including a set of earphones and WA3WSJ’s AT paddle (which I'm holding in my left hand in the accompanying photograph as I send with my right hand).

For an antenna I used the Par Electronics EF-20/40 which is an end-fed 1/2 wave vertical on 20 and 40. I simply throw a weight with monofilament fishing line over a convenient branch and then pull up the wire. One advantage of this system is that it requires no antenna tuner which saves additional weight.

I sent notice to the Adventure Radio Society that I might be on-the-air on Thanksgiving morning so someone might be listening if I decided to try operating. Unfortunately the weather was terrible with blowing snow but we decided to “go for it” anyway.

The temperature at the 4,067 foot trailhead was 28 degrees according to the thermometer in my truck and the wind was gusting to 20 MPH out of the north, making the wind chill effectively 15 degrees.

We decided to hike on the leeward side of the ridge instead of the actual trail which was on the windward side – fortunately there was an old private logging road on the south side.

I only made one contact – with Lloyd Lachow, K3ESE at about 1630z – mainly because of the low temperatures which were not kind to my exposed hands!

The photograph does not show it, but my ATS-2 is dangling from the Par vertical at the lower left with the keyer and earphone cables running up to my hands and ears.

Lloyd and I chatted for about 10 minutes until my cold hands – and XYL – told me it was time to get back into their gloves.

This was great fun but I'll definitely insist on better weather before trying it again!
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Bill Tippett, W4ZV, is an experienced outdoorsman and QRPer living in New London, NC.