Worked Brian, NM5BG, activating in California, on forty-meters… and

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Doc called my attention to K9ROB who is visiting from Anchorage, Alaska, and had alerted to activate the Organ Needle, W5N/OR-001.? The needle is a challenging hike.? I activated it in 2014 oh HF, Alan and Mike activated it in 2016 on 2M.? Those are the only activations of this well known high point.

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Rob posted for 20M SSB only and I would not have expected to hear him.? As luck would have it; there was short skip, and even more unusual, I found my microphone beneath a bunch of stuff in a drawer.

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I got the SOTA COMPLETE, the only opportunity for it so far, and Doc worked him also such that he has worked both of the HF activations of this peak.? Great series of photos from a hiker, here:

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This peak is a fun challenge.? You hike from about 5,500 ft to 9,000 ft and look down on Las Cruces more than 6,000 ft below!? I see that in 2022 someone installed a rope ladder for the previously free climb, I guess it could be ignored, hi hi.

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73,? fred kt5x

I did the Needles a few years before I made W5-SOTA a thing.? I made several contacts from up top on FM-only, 6m-2m-70cm-23cm using an Icom IC-T81 H/T.? Several friends were surprised at how well all of those bands propagated from up there.

I do not think I could make that hike today.? We did an over-night, 1 full day up, sleep at the top, one full day down.? I left the ground with 2.5 gallons of water, that is about 21-pounds or water.? 1-1/2 gallons was frozen, 1-gallon was in the bladder for drinking.? I also carried 2 frozen bottles of gator-aid.? We all cached about a half-gallon at about 1/3 of the way up and another half-gallon at 2/3 of the way up.? I needed about 1gal on the way up, drank the gator-aid with dinner and breakfast, and with less than a ?-gallon of water left started back down.? Picking up the two cached refills on the way down, they were fully melted but pleasantly cold, and finished the hike with a couple of cups of water left.



It was an epic adventure.? But I do not think I could do it again, and certainly not in one day!

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Vy73 - Mike - KD5KC.

El Paso, Texas - DM61rt.

SOTA W5T-Texas Association Manager.

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You’re nails tough, bet you could do it.? No question, that’s the top of the Needle alright!

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Some scoff at my go-light endeavor, but that’s what made my ascent possible.? Entire HF set-up just one pound.? Could have left the pole at home, cut it to a half pound, lay the wire antenna on the rocks, would have worked fine!? Just need … w-a-t-e-r.? ????

Fd

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I did the Needles a few years before I made W5-SOTA a thing.? I made several contacts from up top on FM-only, 6m-2m-70cm-23cm using an Icom IC-T81 H/T.? Several friends were surprised at how well all of those bands propagated from up there.

I do not think I could make that hike today.? We did an over-night, 1 full day up, sleep at the top, one full day down.? I left the ground with 2.5 gallons of water, that is about 21-pounds or water.? 1-1/2 gallons was frozen, 1-gallon was in the bladder for drinking.? I also carried 2 frozen bottles of gator-aid.? We all cached about a half-gallon at about 1/3 of the way up and another half-gallon at 2/3 of the way up.? I needed about 1gal on the way up, drank the gator-aid with dinner and breakfast, and with less than a ?-gallon of water left started back down.? Picking up the two cached refills on the way down, they were fully melted but pleasantly cold, and finished the hike with a couple of cups of water left.



It was an epic adventure.? But I do not think I could do it again, and certainly not in one day!

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Vy73 - Mike - KD5KC.

Fred – I am encroaching on 70 y/o here and don’t feel “nails tough” anymore.? I say it all the time – the days of a 75-pound pack in full battle-rattle are long in my past.? When you and I did Manzano together my pack was about 35-pounds.? I am not sure I could do that today either.?

You are probably right that I could still do it, mind and attitude are a big part of any mission.? But what would the cost be the next day when I couldn’t get out of bed?? ?

Mike – KD5KC.

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Fred – I am encroaching on 70 y/o here and don’t feel “nails tough” anymore.? I say it all the time – the days of a 75-pound pack in full battle-rattle are long in my past.? When you and I did Manzano together my pack was about 35-pounds.? I am not sure I could do that today either.?

You are probably right that I could still do it, mind and attitude are a big part of any mission.? But what would the cost be the next day when I couldn’t get out of bed?? ?

<<< now, that, (getting out of bed the next day), ?is s’truth!!!? - fd