Kings Canyon / Sequoia National Forest 2012

[DaveK]

We took advantage of the good weather and spent 4 days visiting one of our favorite spots in the local (well, sort of) mountains. Just outside Kings Canyon National Park is the Sequoia National Forest and it has some of the most spectacular High Sierra scenery in California. We base camped for these 4 days and visited some of the things that make this area so famous.
Tom was not able to join us, as he had committed to host his customer appreciation event that weekend at Frasier Park. In advance of the weekend, Tom and I had arranged to use our HF radios to contact each other so he could do a Ham Radio demo at his event. As it turned out, we were not able to get the HF thing to work, due to some coordination issues. So, on the day of the event, we figured it was worth a shot to see if we could hit the Fraser Mountain repeater (which Tom was monitoring for his event) to see if we could make a contact. Hopes were not high as we hit the Buck Rock Lookout Tower (8500 ft), especially since all we had were our 5 watt HTs. To our surprise, not only were we able to hit the Fraser Repeater, but the audio quality was very good. It was at this point that Tom agreed that a 2M contact would be an impressive demo. From our location, it was 135 miles to the Fraser Mountain repeater. Not bad for an HT!

Back at camp (8100 ft.) we tried to hit the Fraser Repeater with our vehicle vertical antennas, but no soap. Frank and I set up our 2M beams, aimed them at Fraser, and continued to have great contacts with Tom, including his demos at the event.

This years side trips included the Boyden Caves, the General Grant Grove, and the Buck Rock Fire Look out Station. Four days of great weather, great meals, and great friends, all in one of the most scenic areas you can imagine. Very, very hard to beat! Thanks Hector, Ben, Frank, Larry and Ollie.

CAMP AND VIEWS FROM CAMP

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KITCHEN

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ON THE WAY TO CAMP

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More to come
BOYDEN CAVERNS

[cruiserlarry]

Another fantastic adventure in the High Sierras...

Thanks again to Dave for setting this trip up, and to Hector, Ollie, Ben, and Frank for making it a memorable event. As Dave said, the weather couldn't have been better - and the clear skies and full moon only made it more dramatic. Camping at close to 8500 ft, it was eerily quiet for 4 days; not a bird call, insect buzz, or animal cry to be heard. We were truly alone with each other and our thoughts, leading to some great (even if heated) conversations on a variety of topics.

The trail to and from camp was an adventure to itself; some challenging maneuvering, and absolutely stunning views. The evidence of a dry season was obvious, as the dust was plentiful. But traversing a dusty trail was well worth the scenery, and the opportunity to again see the majestic Sequoia redwood trees, which are unlike trees anywhere else in the world - it is a humbling experience to be near these giants, knowing they were here long before your great-great-great grandparents, and will (hopefully) be here long after we're gone.

As is the rule on these excursions, there was no lack of fine food - my thanks to everyone for the efforts, and for the fantastic results. No one left hungry.

At camp, we were set up to relax, and play a little HF radio. The reception on 20 meters was excellent, and we were in contact with places as diverse as the Maldive Islands, Australia, Italy, Japan, Spain, and several other countries. Listening to folks chatting from Europe, sounding as if they are next door, using only equipment we've set up in a remote area, is still amazing to me. Add to that our ability to hit the Frazier Park repeater and talk to Tom at his customer appreciation event, and the benefits of ham radio on the trail definitely stand out.

(So to those not yet licensed - get cracking, and see you at Borregofest for the testing session )

Here are a few pics:

Dust on the trail from a dry season

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The gang hangin' out at the Boyden Cave

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Ollie and William dwarfed by the majestic Sequoia redwoods

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One of many stunningly beautiful views from camp

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Playing on the way up to camp

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Ollie on the way to camp

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Ben along the trail

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Nighttime sky with a full moon

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Can't beat the scenery

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[BorregoWrangler]

Thanks for the trip report and photos! Looks like a great way to beat the heat!