I am another weekend activator and still working on MG at 71. I figure it will be two more years until I join the Herd. It is motivating to see how many “high mileage” hams are finding the health benefits of getting out there. It is a pleasure to chase and activate with you. 73, Gary W5ODS
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As many have pointed out, it’s not age but fitness. I will be 77 in a couple of weeks and am over half way there. I had over 300 points in the last year. I may be a little above average fitness for my age but nothing special. I once had a professor in his 80s who literally would hike circles around a bunch of 20 somethings going up a New England mountain.
The real question is: “Are you having fun?” I’m having a boatload of fun.
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Best post so far.
wunder
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I guess John is not too old! He just achieved mountain goat today!
Congratulations!
Walt NE4TN
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Congratulations John
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When I was just a young squirt I asked my grandpa (who lived into 90s) “How did he get to be so old?” He told me, “Never get too comfortable at anything …particularly just sitting!”
Regardless of what I was told by my elders to “act my age!” I never listened! Matter of fact I always thought the contrary! Later in grade school I was told “Act as if you’re already the person who you want to become” which seemed to make more sense but left wondering what if I wasn’t prepared for the part?
At 73 I’m still defying gravity and have an attitude about gaining altitude for points! I’ll admit I’m noticing my cognitive abilities in the thin air (above 10K’) are beginning to slip (just a little). Especially copying high speed CW much less sending it with cold numb fingers …makes me think maybe I should “act my age”? (Wait …Whaaat?)
Maybe I should stop this insane nonsense of bushwhacking up steep grades for a few silly points and take up sitting in front of the fireplace playing checkers or reading. Nah!
Acting one’s age is a death sentence!
73, Steve/wGOAT
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That is close to Socrates who said “be as you wish to seem”, after 2.5 kiloyears he still makes sense!
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With apologies to Messrs Chapman, Cleese, et al.
King Arthur: Old woman!
Andrew: Man.
King Arthur: Man, sorry. What prominence is that summit over there?
Andrew: I’m 37.
King Arthur: What?
Andrew: I’m 37. I’m not old.
King Arthur: Well I can’t just call you “man”.
Andrew: Well you could say “VK3ARR”.
King Arthur: I didn’t know your callsign was VK3ARR
Andrew: Well you didn’t bother to find out, did you?
King Arthur: I did say sorry about the “old woman”, but from behind you looked…
Andrew: What I object to is you automatically treat me like an inferior.
King Arthur: Well, I am a Mountain Goat.
Andrew: Oh, Mountain Goat eh? Very nice. And how’d you get that, eh? By exploiting the chasers. By hanging on to outdated imperialist dogma which perpetuates the economic and social differences in our hobby. If there’s ever gonna be any progress…
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I m 33. Just started last year so who knows when I will hit mountain goat. Think it is more about the journey then anything. As far how old you can be…Well I have been on some summits and ran into 75 year old guys that bust out mountains all day everyday. Age is just a number.
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68 1/2
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It’s a shame it’s not April 1st any more as publishing a rule change saying chasers can call CQ SOTA and activators have to search for them would have been quite amusing along with some kind of 1970’s Radio Peking style commentary about taking the means of QSO production out of the hands of the priviliged few and handing over to all.
They don’t have a hammer and sickle emoji so this will have to do comrades 
Commisar FMF
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The hammer and sickle Unicode character is pre-emoji, from Unicode 1.1 in 1993.
wunder
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☭☭☭☭☭☭☭☭☭☭☭
☭ Hey, it works! ☭
☭☭☭☭☭☭☭☭☭☭☭
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I’ll be 69 in September and just purchased a KX2 with intentions of beginning activating when I’m satisfied with an antenna. I climbed W0C/SP-119, 9472’, Friday (sans radio…don’t ask) just to test my fitness. I made it with no problem and was rewarded with magnificent views, which included numerous other SOTA peaks in the area. Should have taken the radio, it was the last day for winter bonus.
That’s Black Mountain W0C/FR-031 (11,653’, 3552m) in the distance.
Anxious to get started.
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We’ll have to ratify that at the bi-weekly meeting of our anarcho-syndicalist commune
SOTA summit / political summit
SOTA party / political party
SOTA manifest / political manifest
♫ …I like the way this is going, I like the way this is going… ♫
How old is too old to be a Ham Radio Operator?
When you’re old enough you’re in the ground!