A hazy day on Evergreen Mtn.

I guess the winds must be blowing smoke from the fires in Wenatchee over the mountains.  It was a pretty hazy day, especially at lower elevations.  This one is a short hike (1.5 mi), but a steep one. The drive took me longer than expected, as did the hike, so I wound up about an hour late with the activation.  The views were stupendous, though, inspite of the haziness, and the lookout tower at the top made a perfect support for my pole.  

I tried to spot myself with SMS (just barely enough signal to get that out), but it looks like it didn't quite work - gotta check on that.  It was kinda slow going on 20 for a while, though eventually I did get 9 QSO's in the log.At one point, after a CQ I distinctly heard the call "OM1AX" sent twice, but though I called several times, he never came back again.  Maybe he was answering someone else.  The last QSO was WG0AT at home, (I think) a reversal of our usual roles!  I also gave 40m a shot, but after 15 mins and no takers, it was time to pack up and head down the hill.  

The folks at the ranger station mentioned that you could rent this lookout for the night - hmm..  VHF  contest weekend??

This one is a good one for those (like myself) who aren't exactly moutaineers - FS maintained trail to the top, and even a nice place to set up the station.  The drive up is a bit long, but the roads were in quite good shape - hardly any washboarding or potholes to speak of. 

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