Jack NG2E's Winter SOTA Marathon in the Shenandoah

  

Our friend Jack NG2E is a homebrewer.  He is also a Summits-On-The-Air guy. He does much of his SOTA operations along Skyline Drive in the Shenandoah National Park. Jack's Story Map method of documenting this SOTA trip is very cool. 

Elisa and I are frequent visitors to this amazing park.   Both my kids went to college in the Shenandoah valley, and the park starts just one hour by car west of us.  It is a beautiful place. The Appalachian Trail runs through the park;  we have crossed paths with "through hikers" who are walking from Maine to Georgia. We have also met up with more than one Black Bear in the park (see below).  My son Billy and I launched our Green Hornet rocket from a farm in the Shenandoah valley: https://soldersmoke.blogspot.com/2017/05/still-photos-and-slow-motion-video-from.html

I really like Jack's use of both HF and 2 meter FM.  This makes me think that I should blow the dust off my Baofeng HT and bring it out to the Shenandoah next time we visit.  Jack's 20 meter CW contact with Christian F4WBN in the Pyrenees added a nice element of transatlantic mountain symmetry.  

Check out Jack's Shenandoah Story Map: 

https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/c9ff4a13eca24b37bc9dcda0d2dce989

Here's another story map from a SOTA trip into the Adirondacks with info on his gear: 

https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/594ca069a27147c1a8d8b79dc1513a72

I know that Jack wants to include a homebrew rig in his SOTA operations.  That would significantly add to the already very high level of operational coolness.  Perhaps Colin M1BUU or Paul VK3HN could provide some suggestions or encouragement in this area. 

Thanks Jack.  Happy trails. Regards to the bears!