Frosty Morning in Marsh Creek State Park

Sign for Marsh Creek State Park

I was long overdue for some portable operation. Between family obligations, malfunctioning toilets, and a couple of snowstorms this week, opportunities were few and far between. Since I had gotten past all that, I headed out for a short activation at Marsh Creek State Park (K-1380, KFF-1380).

It was downright chilly this morning. When I left the house, the temperature was in the teens (°F). By the time I arrived at the park, the temperature had moderated to a balmy 25°F. I rolled into my favorite section of the park, and for a while, I had the place to myself.

My truck all alone in the parking lot.
My truck all alone in the parking lot.

I operated from my truck using my trusty TR-35 (5 watts) and my 12-foot loaded whip. Starting out on 40M, it took all of 10 minutes to make my first 10 contacts. I made about half of my total contacts today on 40M. I spent some time on 30M, before finishing up on 17M.

Towards the end of my outing, some strong winds had kicked up, and my antenna was whipping around in the breeze. I figured it was a good time to pack up. 

The lake in Marsh Creek State Park (K-1380, KFF-1380) with the remnants of the snow we received earlier in the week.
The lake in Marsh Creek State Park (K-1380, KFF-1380) with the remnants of the snow we received earlier in the week.

I ended up with 41 contacts in just under an hour. I didn’t have any park-to-park contacts (that I know of), but I worked nine European stations:

  • Slovak Republic (3)
  • France
  • Germany
  • Lithuania
  • Ukraine
  • Sweden
  • Denmark

I also worked a station in Washington State. It always amazes me when my little five-watt CW signal makes it out to the West Coast and into eastern Europe in the same session.

Hopefully, I’ll be able to get out more often in the coming months.

72, Craig WB3GCK

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