The ARS Sojourner

A fishy experience, by Bob Armstrong, N7XJ

 

By Bob Armstrong, N7XJ

Contributing Editor, The ARS Sojourner

August 2007

 

 A summer backpacking trip with my son-in-law, Jeffrey, has become an annual event.  For July 2007 we chose to explore the Ottoson Basin in Utah's High Uinta wilderness area.   My wife and I enjoyed a glorious time with the Az ScQRPions at the Arizona Hamfest. Upon arrival home I literally grabbed my backpack and was out the door to join Jeffrey.

 

Jeffrey and I started hiking the Morning of July 9 and worked on putting as many miles behind us as we could the first day. It's our habit to move quickly until we reach the backcountry.  I've noticed that I see remarkably fewer people after 10 - 15 miles on the trail, and soliture increases my enjoyment of wilderness.  Jeffrey and I have been working on reducing the weight of our packs, and we noticed the difference in terms of enjoyment of the trail and miles without fatigue.

 

That night we set up camp in a thickly wooded area near an isolated lake enclosed by mountains at about 10,500 feet.  We did some fishing, dined on fresh trout and then I operated 20 meters.  I had a hard time making just a few contacts,and they were mostly in the northwest.  My antenna was a dipole with homemade open wire feed line, and the rig was a KX 1 at about 2 watts output.

 

The following morning we passed by the last humans we would see, a crew of Forest Service employees who were breaking up a dam at one of many reservoirs constructed in the 1920's.  The Forest Service goal is to move water stored in the wilderness out of the mountains where it is easier for landowners to control it.

 

About noon we climbed over a pass and gazed into East Basin. In the distance we could see mountain peaks that surrounded our destination.  Continuing, we followed the general direction of the trail but frequently interrupted our journey to fish, using a GPS device to find many small lakes and streams far off the beaten track.  We enjoyed fast fishing at many of them and caught brook and cutthroat trout as well as some arctic grayling that had been stocked in a few of the alpine lakes.  As evening approached we set up camp at a beautiful lake at the base of a huge snow-covered talus slope.  I was frankly too tired to fuss with the radio and discouraged by the enclosed location.

 

After a night's rest I felt great. As we broke camp a nonchalant moose wandered by. He did not mind approaching us, but made threatening gestures that sent me up a tree after I took his picture.

 

 

 

 

We loaded our packs and fished from lake to lake, enjoying great success. By mid day we were ready to cross a pass at about 12,000 feet when a storm moved over.  Bolt after bolt of lightning lit up the dark sky and thunder shook the earth.  We found a sheltered spring with delicious cold water, ate lunch and napped in a protected spot until the

lightning settled down.

 

 

 

 

That evening we fished in intermittent rain, dined on trout, and enjoyed the beauty of a string of high lakes.  I listened briefly on 20 meters, but was discouraged by loud static crashes and did not leave the antenna up long enough to make any contacts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The following day we crossed a pass and entered Ottoson basin. Leaving our packs, we hiked to the base of towering peaks and had a unforgettable day fighting aggressive cutthroat trout.

 

 

A herd of deer moved into our campsite that evening and I felt very rested and at peace. Our camp at over 12,000 feet was surrounded by 13,000 foot peaks, but it had a dramatic view to the south and east. I made immediate contacts with east coast stations and was given 579 signal reports. It was thrilled to contact a Spartan Sprint friend, Randy, K7TQ, in Idaho.  Randy took time from making jelly to email my XYL and assure her we were sill among the living.  The mountains apparently prevented me from hearing much from the west and northwest that night.  Although I'm occasionally astonished by great propagation from deep rock canyons, antenna locations with a broad sloping horizon or on mountain tops simply can't be beat.  The hamming that night was as good as the hiking and fishing; that is to say, it was simply great!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The following day we ventured far off the trail to visit an obscure lake and were rewarded with husky brook trout and incredible scenery. After a belly bursting fish lunch, we loaded our packs, beat our way back to the trail and set off down the mountain for home.  My thanks to those who listened and took time to contact my tiny station in the wilderness.

 

 

 

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Dr. Bob Armstrong, N7XJ, a country doctor living in Manti, UT, is an expert outodoorsman, QRPer, avid builder and a contributing editor to The ARS Sojourner.