April 2003 Meathead All-Day hunt Story

As always, the day started uneventful as any other Saturday, except for the anticipation of the up coming hunt! When we arrived at the start point, several teams had already gotten to the best spots. Nobody would take any bets on the direction of the T's. We all expected to see the signal come in from the south or southeast.
 
As feared, the signal (If you could call it that) was copyable on sideband with 25DB of pre-amp gain. We had an initial bearing of 112 degrees, which put it into the most eastward portion of San Diego county or western Imperial county. We decided to head out the 91 to 15 south.

As we left the hilltop, the signal actually seemed to get stronger. We had no problem copying the signal all the way to Green River. Down the 15 to Nichols Canyon exit, where all of a sudden, the signal went away! We got off, filled up the tank, and listened for the signal.

Where had it gone? Had we passed the T this close to the start? Had VCR pulled a fast one? We then remembered that VCR had said that he would try and raise his power for a time, then reduce it later. So instead of going back up the 15 freeway, we decided to press on south.

The signal started to come back up as we passed Lake Elsnore. We decide to go to route 79 just pass Temecula. While we where on 79, Steve N6XFC& Deryl N6AIN passed us. Well! We knew that we couldn't let them find T2 ahead of us (Tom had said at the beginning of the hunt, that he would treat the hunter(s) that signed into T2 first to a steak dinner). I knew that my poor Isuzu wouldn't be able to keep up with Steve's new Durango, so we went into the "laid back let then think we didn't care" mode. Several times down 79 and later S2 we leaped frog each other, as one stopped to take bearings the other would pass.

As we approached the critical area, we had to come up with a plan to delay them from getting to T2 first. First we set into their minds that we thought that the signals must have been coming from the Carrizo Badlands area. We where now ahead of them a bit and turned off on to a dirt road leading to that area. We stopped to talk with them and lie a bit about our bearings, so they had to really think about whether or not to continue down S2 or go cross-country. We left them to decide. We went in about .7 miles and waited. They didn't take the bait! Too bad, now we would be behind!

We came back out to find that they had gone. So off we went to where we though the signals where really coming from. As it turned out,  Steve & Deryl turned down the next road to get to the Carrizo Badlands. Well we didn’t know this, so we high tailed it down S2 to I8 then off to Superstition Mts. OHV area. We had bearings that crossed at the end of Wheel Road, which is in an OHV area.

When we got there, we could hear several T’s, we passed them so to not delay getting to T2. Now the fun started. There are a million trails made mostly by off road Jeeps, Dune buggies, and motorcycles. All in deep sand!!!!

We could tell that T2 was up on a mountaintop, with some radio sites, but how to get there? We tried to go around the west side of the ridge, and that didn’t work. Then we went back alongside the hillside, all in this gawd all full sand. I noticed a sand rail behind us that seemed to be impatient with my snail pace up this trail, so I waved him to pass us. At this point I realized that this was Tom, our prime hider. So I immediately told him of what I thought of these roads, and he told me that all T’s could be gotten to with little or no trouble. I think at this time I threw several buckets full of sand at him. Well I told him that I was glad he was in the area, so if I should get stuck that he would come and pull us out. He agreed that he would do that (I think I saw him crossing his fingers when he told us that).

So off we went trying to locate which one of those sand trails was going to take us to the top. After several hours of searching, we found one that the Rodeo could muster enough speed and strength to get us up to the top. Up there we found T2, a 90’ rope antenna running about 25 watts, and we where the first! Wow! Steak Dinner for two! Neat!

Hey? What happened to N6AIN & N6XFC weren’t they here yet? The next T we found in VCR’s sand buggy, and then we put our eyes on T1, which in most areas was stronger than T2. The bearing was about 245 from T2 location.

About then while standing next to VCR, we heard that N6AIN was trying to get in touch with us, but we have no radio to call them back, so Tom VCR took the call. It seems that Deryl & Steve where up to the running boards in water, stuck! Oh so that’s what happened to them. Gee, too bad. We offered to help Tom get to Deryl, since we kind of felt a bit responsible for their predicament. But Tom said No, he and his buddies would do the rescue.

So we went to look for T1. This happened to be in the same direction that N6AIN & N6XFC where stuck. So we followed Tom and friends out a ways, until we heard T4. We located T4 in some bushes pass a bombing target. I really didn’t feel too at ease at this location. Then continued on for T1.

As we went in the direction of T1, we noticed that the signal wasn’t really getting stronger. Just then it went away! What? Did VCR turn it off, because it was interfering with their communications with Deryl? What happened? So we turned around and started back to find T0 (zero). On the way back T1 started up again! What is going on? So around again all the way to Gypsum Narrow Gauge Railroad tracks. We couldn’t find a way across, so we gave up hunting for T1.As it turned out T1 was up on Mt. Laguna about 30 miles away.

Now for T0! This T seemed to be on the east end of the same ridge that T2 was on, but we tried but just couldn’t find a road up. But in trying to find a road up, I managed to get my car high centered on a boulder that I fail to see as I was turning up a narrow trail. Steve (LAJ) type, managed to injure himself when the car hit the rock. This hunt is fast becoming real fun! So it was starting to get dark and we had had all the fun we could stand for the day and decided to head back home.

We knew that there was one more T we hadn’t found yet, but was on the way back out so we left the radio on until we heard that T. We then saw Jippy trying to look innocent, like I’m just parked here, because I’m enjoying the sunset! We swapped lies with Jippy and waited for him to leave so we wouldn’t give away the last T location, but Jippy wasn’t leaving either. After a standoff, we continued on our way to the T’s location, to find out that Jippy had already been there.

So in all we found four T’s and had a good time hunting, and fooling the other teams we came into contact with. Tom that steak dinner will have to be up here! I’ll pick the restaurant. Don & Steve KF6GQ & KD6LAJ

PS. We really didn’t plan the events that led Steve & Deryl to their ultimate stuckness, but it did make the story sound better.