Glacier-Waterton Hamfest SOTA
I would like to suggest the Glacier-Waterton Hamfest as a possibility for those interested in combining SOTA with a Hamfest. I discovered the Glacier Hamfest last year & SOTA this year. I decided to combine the two & activated Elk Mountain (W7M/FN-110) with my wife Barb (AE7AQ) and friend Bill (N7MSI). Elk Mountain looms over the Hamfest, which made for great fun snapping photos of our friends far below (as they eyed us through binoculars). We were able to make a number of FM contacts with them (as well as a number of 20-meter CW contacts with others). The mountain has a nice mule trail (3,300 feet) to an abandoned fire lookout. The Hamfest is very much oriented towards RV & tent camping – nearly everyone camps out – mostly in an expansive grassy field. It also works out nicely, since many of the Hamfest participants arrive on Thursday & then spend Friday morning/afternoon either “hanging out” or exploring Glacier Park. This makes Friday a natural for SOTA. The Hamfest locale is between Glacier Park and the Great Bear Wilderness. There are numerous peaks in all directions, none of which (with one exception) have ever been activated. I should note that although some peaks have a trail to the top or near to the top, most do not. The country is rugged, and is also Grizzly Bear habitat, so the hiker or SOTA adventurer should be “Bear –Aware”. The Glacier-Waterton hamfest will be July 17-19 next year. I am definitely planning to attend, it would be fun to have some other “SOTA-Types” there as well.
-73, Rob – AE7AP