SOTA weekend Virginia!

I am starting to know every crack in the road from my QTH in Ohio to the closest true mountains @5 hours away! During the drive I am often wondering what the heck am I doing and is this worth it? Then I envision the chance to have vistas like this in my mind and I keep on driving.


North Marshall Mountain (W4V/SH-009) Sunset on hike up!

I hiked North Marshall after activating Compton Peak (W4V/SH-016) as I made my way south along the Blue-Ridge parkway.


Compton Peak SOTA station.

Retiring to Luray VA for the night with the promise of Blue Bird skies the next day I slept soundly! I was not to be disappointed!

The highest peak Hawksbill (W4V/SH-001) in the Shenandoah National Park sits high above Luray and beckoned me out of my slumber.


Hawksbill SOTA station

Next, I headed over to the second highest peak Stoney Man (W4V/SH-002)


Near summit of Stoney Man looking towards Hawksbill. I took a couple minutes watching some hawks fly on the updrafts….super cool!


Another from Stoney Man.

All in all a great weekend for the memories. Total miles hiked @7 and @1800 vertical feet (pretty easy for 46 points). Just enough effort to make the activating that much sweeter. My skill activating via CW mode has been steadily increasing with the help of many patient chasers TU!

For anyone reading this and preparing to activate via CW mode keep pressing forward it IS worth the effort!

73

Erik
KE8OKM

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You picked a good day for it. We were out there the day before and it was COLD and WINDY. We never got about 20degF while out there and it was 15degF when we started.

When we did The Pinnacle at the end of the day, I was at my favorite vantage point a bit down from the summit where one can practically sit on the edge of the mountain, and watched crows soaring on thermals mere feet from me.

I love being out there at sunrise and sunset too.

Chris

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Looks great! Skyline Drive sure provides a very nice SOTA trip! Bob AC1Z

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Great report and photos Erik, thanks and well done. :+1:

Geoff vk3sq

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Thanks for sharing, Erik. Very nice pictures and report. 73 de Jonathan (“JB” on CW)

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