Mini-All-Day May 2004

 

Well as we all can say about plans, they sometimes go awry.

The plans (what there was of them), was to have a series of T’s spread across the San Gabriels east to the Big Bear area. If someone thought that the cost of gas was too high, they could bale out at any time, and not be too far from home. Steve LAJ was to hide two T’s in the Big Bear area, and I was to hide about seven T’s from Mt. Gleason to the Wrightwood area.

I got up at 5:30am, on the road with all my checked out equipment and was on the road by 6:00am. My first stop was south of Mt. Gleason near Lighting Point campground. When I arrived at that location, I thought I was in the middle of a battlefield. There where several men walking around in army fatigues with rifles. I was to find out that this was a group of men (Geronimomen.com) on a retreat. They really didn’t want to have to deal with T-hunters traipsing through their camp. So I continued down the dirt road a bit, till I found the “just right place”. Here I put T1 (note: I refer the T numbers to the sequence that I put them out). This one did ID as T1. It was running about 2 watts to a 1.4 wave vertical.  This was slated to come on at 10:00am. I left there and went back to Angeles Forest Hwy. On the way I placed the “Snake” T on the PCT, just off the road. This was T2. I crossed over to Brown Mt. And placed T2 on the south facing side of a hill between Brown mt. And the Santa Clarta Divide dirt road that passes by Mt. Pacifico. This was my first problem with a T, and the second problem for the hide. I couldn’t get the Byonics controller to start! I had tested it the night before, but now it refused to do anything. So after fighting with it for 15 mins. I used my last auto on T this was to be T3, iding as T2. It was running about 1.5 watts to a semi vertical j-pole. I left that spot and took the Santa Clarta Divide road towards hwy. 2. Just after the road changes to pavement, I placed T4, iding as T9 in some bushes that took a little in finding the way in. I got a first hand report from Doug (RJN), in how long it took him to find it. Over 4 hours! He had slept  two of those hours when he wasn’t able to find it in the dark.  Next I went east on hwy 2 towards Wrightwood. At the tunnels I placed a mini T, T5, running 80% duty cycle between the two tunnels. Then I went to the spot that I was going to place the Main T to get everybody to go east towards Big Bear. This was to be planted up near the RF site on Blue Ridge. I had used the topo map to determine that T2 and now this T6 would be able to hear each other. I placed the T, and left. Note this was not an easy T to get to! Rocky rutted steep road, a fun T hide road. After I left, I noticed that I wasn’t hearing the T! It was running when I was at the site, so back up the steep rutted rocky road to the T. I found that the antenna connection was pulled out, so the signal wasn’t going too far. I hooked the antenna back up. Now I was ready to leave the area, but about halfway out I met a Forest Ranger, who told me that the open gate I had come through was supposed to be locked and would soon be! Oh no! I had to go back to the site and remove the T. The worse part was I had no idea where to place the T so it would be heard at T2 location. So I left, when I got to the gate, yep you guessed it, it was locked, with me on the wrong side of it. I was considering using my skeleton key, (bolt cutters) but I looked close and I thought I could see a way to get the latch by one of the locks. So with three hikers looking on, I showed them how I get in and out of locked areas. I was able to open the gate and just then up comes another forest ranger! Now! how was I going to explain this? He wanted to know what I was doing on that side of the gate. My story was it was open and I just drove through! He didn’t want to hear that, he wanted to know how I got in! Again I explained that, no I had no key, the gate had been open. If I had a key, why would I be using a rock to get the latch by a lock? I also now had the latch stuck open, with no way to free it! When he went back to his truck, I managed to pick up a large rock and smashed it down hard on the latch, freeing up the gate, so it could be locked again. He again asked why I was up there, and this time I told him I was doing some work near the radio site (not a lie). This seemed to make him happier; he said I should not leave the gate open when I drive through (which of course I had). Now about one hour and 30 minutes have elapsed, and I was nowhere any closer to finding a spot for this T! I thought maybe I could go out into the desert till I could see both places and place it there. After spending another 45 minutes driving out into the desert, I was nowhere far enough away to get a good location. So I came back and placed the T, T6 iding as T5, up on Table Mt. I had hoped that the shortest distance between T4 and Big Bear would make the hunters come that way, even without a signal. It was time for me to set up the last T, T7, iding as T8 was placed in Wrightwood in front of a café (see pictures). I had planned on treating any and all T hunters who got that far to lunch at the café. Sorry it didn’t work out that way. I don’t know how Steve’s T’s did,  I did meet him and his helpers at the café, he told me he placed two T’s up in the area that he got stuck last year. So with no hunters to treat, I fed Steve and his helpers.
 

 A note, from this morning Sunday. On the way by the so called “locked” gate, it was open again! Leave it to the government to screw up a well planned hide. I should of just left the T up there with a sign in sheet at the “closed gate”. I wonder what that ranger would of done with me, had he found me up there Sunday morning.  I have pictures in reverse order up to the tunnel T, at that place as I was taking pictures of the location, I slipped and broke my camera, so no other pictures, sorry. Thanks for coming out on our hunt, I hope even with the problems we had, that you guys had fun.  Don KF6GQ