SOTA in Montana, going for the big one.

So I have been training up to activate Montana’s highest peak ( Granite Peak W7M SF/001 ). SOTA in Montana is hard… Elevation, ruggedness, isolation, extreme heat, extreme cold, wildlife that can eat you, and so much more. This summit is going to be a 24 mile round trip done in one push hopefully getting to the 5th class terrain around dark. I am going to start my hike late afternoon for QRP ops to be conducted at night time due to the extreme heat with no cover, hopefully hiking back to a Montana sunrise around 445 a.m. I have a 26 Mile hike I am going to do next week as a final trainer for this summit then its go time. I am on Mountain Standard Time UTC -7. If there are any chasers who would be prepared to work late and burn some midnight oil it would be much appreciated. This summit like many of Montana’s 10 pointers have never been activated, and help would be appreciated. I will be posted a video on my youtube of the who experience and also starting a challenge to activate every 10 point summit in Montana! Please message me if you are intrested, I will have a satellite text message device out there and be able to communicate via text/self spot.

Send It QRP

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Rob,
Sounds like a nice trip. Wilderness is the magic medicine for humans. Keep the alerts updated when you can: be listening for you on the bands at the appropriate hours.
Best, Ken

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Thanks so much Ken, I will keep you guys posted with a timeline.

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Rob, are you not on daylight savings time, UTC-6? I thought only AZ and HI had no DST.

Elliott, K6EL

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No we have DST here too. -7UTC.

Also, my wife is going as well. She is my intern.

Sounds exciting.

When I was attempting to activate in Glacier NP what was paramount on my mind was the grizzly threat especially as a solo hiker.

Hopefully you are well prepared for a possible encounter.

A few weeks before my visit even a ranger misjudged things with terminal consequences.

Stay safe.

Paul

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Should be exciting for sure, really excited about it. Going to do a little more prep, planning, and training. Then there is also the antenna issue, the terrain up there is terrible for an antenna so still getting that figured out.

I carry a Super Redhawk Alaskan .44MAG with 340grain +P+ buffalo bore rounds and we have bear spray. Bears are SCARY!

That should definitely help assuming it doesn’t break your wrist when discharging!!

When I hiked into the park I remember reading an NPS sign suggesting at minimum bear spray and better still a gun. Reading on it pointed out that something meager like a 9mm probably wouldn’t work and simply irritate the bear making a bad situation worst. Reading more it did call out something like the caliber/load your taking.

I got half way up my mountain toward the AZ, clacking my hiking sticks to “alert” bears to my presence. As I was gun-less and stray-less, the sign eventually did its thing and I turned around.

In hindsight, I was woefully under prepared and retreating the better part of valor (in my mind).

Have fun.

Paul

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:slight_smile:

We can’t have hand guns in the UK and so they fascinate me. I had read somewhere else than your typical 9mm Glock is ideal for striking a pose with rappers in a music video but shooting a bear with one is only going to make the bear angry unless you have one of those 33 round clips and unload the lot into the target.

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9mm has come a long way and it’s stopping power is significantly better today than say 10 or 15 years ago. I think it’s a combination of powder technology, ballistics and the weight/style of the bullet. Some US enforcement organizations such as the FBI have migrated back to 9mm from what was until recently the preference for 10mm aka 40 cal.

No doubt 9mm is a deadly round and would easily dispatch a mountain lion. Maybe a .357 could deal with a small North American bear but a grizzly at 700-900+ lbs is a whole different category.

The early US explorers, such as Lewis and Clark, had huge problems dealing with grizzlies and their .50 ball backed up by a ton of black powder out of a long rifle did squat.

I ran into a yearling bear with Guy N7UN. I thought how cute as he’s pulling me back along the trail from whence we came just in case a less cute mother bear came bounding out of the brush.

All round pays to be vigilant and have a plan if things go sideways.

Paul

0.458 Weatherby Magnum double rifle and LOTS of practice.

Mother of God, that’s a lot of gun. What’s the recoil like on that?

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Now we’re talking!!

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