OPERATING FROM THE PULPIT: FINDING A PIECE OF THE ROCK



	OPERATING FROM THE PULPIT: FINDING A PIECE OF THE ROCK
		By Ed Breneiser, WA3WSJ Special to The ARS Sojourner
(Editor’s note: Additional photography for this article was provided by Ron Polityka, WB3AAL) I can’t properly convey the feeling I experienced standing on Pulpit Rock on the Appalachian Trail at night. <http://www.localhikes.com/Hikes/PulpitRock_6680.asp> There I was looking down into the valley and seeing all the small towns with their lights on. Then looking up in the sky at a Full Snow Moon in February. Folks, it just doesn’t get any better than this! We had very little wind, but it did snow on us. Here’s my hike up the mountain and operating story. I met Mark Schreiner, NK8Q, for the first time at the Hamburg, PA Reservoir parking lot on Tuesday evening. It was still light out and we had a brief talk and then I had to start my hike. I started hiking at 5:05 p.m. in about three inches of snow with very little wind with a setting sun. As I hiked up toward the reservoir, I started to experience something new – hiking in the twilight between day and night. This was a new experience for me and I must say, a little spooky. As I approached the reservoir I saw NK8Q and Ed Pennington, K3YTR, driving up the road behind me and Mark said, “See you up top” and I was left alone in the twilight again. I did spook two Canadian geese out of the reservoir. About halfway through the ravine what do I see but “N3EPA” scribed into the snow. Ron Polityka, WB3AAL, had hiked this same route an hour or so before me and was having some fun. At this point I stopped and just stood there listening for sounds, but not a single sound was heard! After about 10 minutes, I reached the spot where the trail shoots up the mountain towards the AT on top of the ridge. It’s amazing how much light reflects off the white snow. I didn’t turn on my headlamp until I almost reached the AT on top. There I was, hiking on a snow-covered Appalachian Trail in Pennsylvania in the dark and enjoying every minute of it! Hiking the ridge at night was so cool. As I hiked, I could see town lights below me between the trees. Then I happened to look up and there it was a beautiful full moon. As I approached the observatory near Pulpit Rock, I heard coyotes howling over on the next ridge. I howled back and we had a “conversation” that lasted about five minutes – this was so cool! Once at Pulpit Rock I greeted my fellow Polar Bears and I started to set up. My rig is an Elecraft K1, which fed a Vertical Black Widow Fishing Pole Antenna or VBWFPA. I ran my K1 at three watts and used a stereo plug paddle to send with. My first QSO was with Ken Louks, WA8REI, in Michigan on 40 meters. I stayed on 40 most of this trip. After my first QSO, it started to snow on us. I then worked W3DCG (Georgia); W4FOA (Georgia); W1RT (Virginia); W4FOA again; K4JSI (Maryland). I then worked two other Polar Bears – WB3AAL and NK8Q. It’s now around 8 p.m. and we decided to pack it in and drive down the mountain and get some food and liquid refreshments. If you’ve never hiked and played radio on a dark winter night on top of a mountain, you don’t know what you’re missing. Singing with the coyotes, looking down into a lighted valley and watching the full moon above it all. And playing radio as all this is before you. I thought I’d died and gone to heaven. Yes, I don’t know what heaven is like, but this is as close as I have ever come to it. To all my fellow Polar Bears, thank you for a fantastic evening of radio and fine companionship. To all the operators I worked, a big THANK YOU for being there and making for a great radio experience. To all those operators who called, but couldn’t work me, I know we will do this again so next time. Again a big THANK YOU for being there too. It’s you who make for a great radio experience. * * * * * * * * * * Ed Breneiser, WA3WSJ, is an avid outdoorsman, QRPer and Appalachian Trail aficionado living in Reading, PA.