ALL-DAY T-HUNT

Oct. 23, 2010

The 4Runner is broke and I haven’t found time (or money) to get it fixed. For about the last year the clutch has been slipping and now it is bad enough that I best get it fixed. So I decided to take the Saturn station wagon with the Doppler Systems Doppler.

I over slept, it was raining (a little bit) and I rushed out of the house, jumped into the Saturn and off I went to King’s about 20 minutes behind schedule. I arrived, had my English muffin and off to the start point. I was alone. It was 9:30 and I was alone.

Deryl (the hider) called to do a signal check, but I heard nothing (not unusual for a Doppler) and he said that Doug was on the way and would arrive about 5 minutes to 10. He did and he heard the signal and yes, so did the doppler. Weak, un readable but gave a bearing that matched Doug’s. 320-340 Degrees. Mt Pinos here we come.

I drove for two hours with no signal. The Doppler picked it up at Frazer on the 5 freeway and gave me a bearing that pointed at Mt. Frazer. So in celebration, I ate lunch and got a tankful of gas.

Now I knew it was not on Mt Frazer as I would have heard it long before Gorman. But it could be on Pinos as that was the same direction as Frazer from where I was. No! said I, and decided to go on over the Grapevine and see if it was in the Central Valley somewhere. Down I went to route 166 and west a couple miles. Signal was stronger but still pointed south toward Frazer/Pinos.  Maybe it is in the Lockwood Valley between Pinos and Frazer. Back to the Grapevine I went and on around to the  Chuchupate Ranger station. They had no maps for Inyo Forrest (not that I was going there today or anything).

Well I was confused now as there was little or no signal here so I decided that I would go up Frazer and get a good bearing. Up I went on a mostly dirt road in the Saturn. All went well and I arrived at the top and the signal was weak and pointed 320 degrees. Definitely was not in this area and was somewhere in the Great Valley. Well, back to route 166 where I was some 2 ½ hours before.,

But, now the bearings on 166 were pointing west not south. (what is with this Doppler anyway???). So I went west some 25 miles before the bearings started to drift slightly south. I got to Maricopa and rte 33 and a bit further before I was south of the transmitter. I found a route, Elkhorn  Grade, and took it. It turned to dirt and stayed dirty for some 15 miles. Then off on a spur …a one mile spur… I found the main T. It was 4:30 and I had gone some 214 miles at least 30 of it on dirt roads. Not to bad for a Saturn station wagon and a Doppler. OH Yeah. .I beat Doug and his fancy 4Runner with his 9 element beam and 40 years of T-hunting experience.

After chatting with Deryl and Ray for about an hour I went and found the other two talking transmitters. So I found all three and it was still daylight. Had a nice dinner at Grapevine Denny’s and got home before 11:00 PM A fine day, a great hunt and a real star for the Saturn and Doppler. With a lotta luck and a wet noodle anyone can win an ALLDAY T-hunt.

Jippy