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Tim W3ATB and I hiked down to Old Hill Village today. The Pemigewasset River is up more than 20 feet and the area is inaccessible. We set up in a small field and worked the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Belgium and Alabama. We had a grand time.

We hike into the Corps of Engineers flood control area along Needle Shop Brook. We detour and clamber down a steep hill to get near the brook. It’s exhilarating to see the water racing through the narrow channel, filling the air with mist.

As we get closer to the flood plain the road disappears. The river has become a huge lake of more than 1000 acres and millions of gallons of water held back by the Franklin Falls Dam perhaps 8 miles downstream.

Melting snow and recent rains have left their mark. Three miles upstream a man drowned a couple of days ago in the Smith River. Search teams have been called back because it’s too dangerous.

Tim and I find a safe operating position in an overgrown field above the water’s edge. We toss a line over the branch of a small maple tree and pull up a sloper. I am using the KX3 and the internal tuner. I hear OK2PDY calling CQ on 15 meters and complete a quick exchange. He gives me a 559 and he is 579. In just a minute I work Frank PA1FP in the Netherlands. I am only 539 and he is 589.

We’ve brought our jackets because the temperatures dipped into the 30s the last couple of days. But my thermometer reads 60 in warm spring sun. I hand the key to Tim and he answers N4RAY who is calling CQ from Alabama. Rodney gives us a 579. He is QRP but is a strong 599.

Before calling it quits, I snag one more QSO… this time with a special event station in Belgium. OS16M is celebrating Morse Heritage Day. We exchange quick 599s and pack up. Unless we get more rain the water will recede in a few days and dry out within a week.

We’ll be back soon with bicycles to explore some of the most beautiful countryside in New Hampshire.

Thanks to W3ATB for the photos.

I walked on bare ground for the first time in four months today. It was glorious. I worked Iceland, Ukraine, Belgium and a bunch of stations in the Missouri QSO Party and a few in the QRPARCI Spring Contest.

The river is swollen with spring run-off. A couple of kayakers have just left for the three mile run through the rapids to Franklin. I hiked along the old rail trail that runs alongside the river. Parts of the trail are snowy still. It’s still squishy in many places. But it’s 52F and a perfect day for the first real spring outing.

I hiked about a mile and whistled back and forth with a chickadee as I went. I turned through a gate toward a farmer’s field. I tramped through eight inches of snow on the way to a warm spot I knew would be free of snow. The sun had melted all the snow in a warm corner of the field, and I sat down under a large pine tree. The rest of the field was still covered with six inches of white.

I had tossed a line over a pine branch and was using the KX3. I tuned a 33 foot wire with the earchi.org 9:1 unun and the internal tuner on the KX3. Rather than detailing each QSO, I’ve attached my log below:

6 Apr-14 1921 21.037 N0M CW 599 599 MO
6 Apr-14 1922 21.039 N0O CW 599 599 MO
6 Apr-14 1924 21.042 W0E CW 599 599 MO
6 Apr-14 1927 21.060 N4BP CW 599 599 FL
6 Apr-14 1932 14.006 TF3JB CW 599 599 Iceland
6 Apr-14 1940 14.025 UR9IDX CW 599 599 Ukraine
6 Apr-14 1942 14.062 AB8FJ CW 599 599 OH
6 Apr-14 1945 21.018 ON4IA CW 579 599 Belgium

I operated for about 25 minutes and had a fantastic time in the warm sun. The little thermometer attached to my backpack read 65 degrees in the sun!

As I made contacts around the world, I could see the last remnants of the long winter melting before me. Most of the snow in the open areas will be gone in 10 days or so. It will linger for several weeks in the woods. I will get out every chance I have.

It was gorgeous today. Tim W3ATB and I headed to Profile Falls and set up right alongside the Pemigewasset River. We worked Russia, the Canary Islands, PA, OH, NC, and Belgium.

We had lunch in Bristol and then drove out the back road toward Hill Village. We turned left toward the Smith River and parked the car not far from Profile Falls.

We walked through the woods about a half mile toward the Pemi. The Corps of Engineers has a picnic area along the river. We set up right under an 85 foot pine tree.

Tim brought his HB-1B and tossed a line over the pine branch and pulled up his portable Par antenna. He was running about 4 watts with internal batteries on 20 meters and snagged W1AW/8 in Ohio within a few minutes of sitting down. He was ecstatic.

I set up on a nearby table. I tossed a line over a second pine branch and pulled up a 33 foot wire. I was using the earchi.org 9:1 unun with the internal tuner on the KX3. I set up on 12 meters with 5 watts.

I worked Alex RA6MQ in Russia almost immediately. He was a 599 and gave me a 559. Within two minutes, I worked another station… EA8/OH2OT in the Canary Islands. We exchanged quick 599’s.

I switched to 10 meters, and worked ON6MG in Belgium followed by Alex RA6MQ again. He had also switched to ten meters. It was fun to work him on two bands. By now my fingers were getting a bit chilly so I built a small fire in the grill by the table and listened while Tim racked up the QSOs.

Tim had a long chat with Don, KD3CA in PA and told him we were operating outdoors alongside the river. When they finished Tim made a quick contact with K4DJ in North Carolina and exchanged SKCC numbers.

We packed up and walked along the river to enjoy the remarkable scenery… sparkling water, deep blue sky and brilliant snow. We stopped for a minute to soak up some warm sun before heading back down the trail towards the car.

From here, it only gets better… warmer days, melting snow and finally spring!

What a relief to hike again. It warmed up to 45F today and I hit the trail. Down to the Pemigewasset River where I worked Spain, Poland, Norway, Germany and Greece.

I walked about a mile on the access road to the river along the snowmobile trail. Weeks Brook is still frozen. Soon it will be rushing with the spring melt.

Right in front of Shaw Cove is a sharp curve in the road. There’s a row of tall pine trees directly exposed to the southern sun. Even though two feet of snow covers the ground in most places, there is a bare patch at the base of these trees. I set up the KX3 at 5 watts with a 33 foot wire up to one of the pine branches. I spread a plastic bag on the ground to sit on.

I started out on 17 meters and heard Christian, LI8OM in Norway. He gave me a 449 and he was 599. This is not an ideal spot for propagation because there is a steep hill directly to the east… toward Europe. So I never expect strong reports here… but it was 55F in the sun and one of the few spots available to operate at this time of year.

Next, I exchanged reports with Serge DL1DGS in Germany. He gave me a 559 and I was pleased to work him again after a long time.

Shaw Cove is directly across from where I sat… and farther… the main flow of the Pemi. Both are frozen and probably won’t break up for a few weeks.

Now I switched to 12 meters and made three quick contacts with SZ7SER, a radio club in Greece followed by DL5LYM in Germany and SP7ASZ, Andy in Poland.

For a final contact I went to 10 meters and worked Oscar, EA1DR in Spain. I’d only operated for 15 minutes, but made six nice contacts. I packed up for the return hike up the hill.

This has been one of the coldest, snowiest and longest winters for several decades. One warm day is all it takes to raise my hopes for spring and summer adventures to come.

Hanz W1JSB and I hiked to Knox Mountain this afternoon. There was ice on the pond, but we worked St. Martin, Cape Verde Island and Curacao.

We were lucky to cross the first bridge. After crossing it, we noticed that one of three main supporting logs had collapsed. This was no surprise because we’ve seen holes developing in several places, and we were always careful where we stepped.

The owners tore down the second bridge a couple of years ago. Hanz and I placed a board across some rocks last spring. It’s served us well for a crossing, but today we notice ice hanging down from the board.

We knew this was treacherous… and we were right. The top of the board was slick with smooth ice. We quickly thought to spread some dirt across the surface and that worked like a charm. We crossed with no trouble.

At the pond, we were a bit surprised to find it completely covered with ice.

Today it was in the mid-thirties but the sun kept us from feeling the chill. I set up under some tall pines behind the cabin. I chose the spot because even though the sun was low in the sky the shadows hadn’t reached there yet.

I threw the line nearly 40 feet over a branch and pulled up a wire. I operated exclusively on 15 meters and the band was full of DX. I had to work split on two of the stations, but the KX3 was up to the challenge.

I worked three quick stations in barely five minutes. First I heard FS/K9EL in St. Martin calling CQ and I answered. I received a quick response and we exchanged 599 signal reports. The second was D44AC in Cape Verde Island off the coast of Senegal in East Africa. Again the exchange was 599. Finally, I worked PJ2/N7WA in Curacao just north of Venezuela. Again we exchanged 599s. Hanz didn’t feel like operating, so we packed up and headed back down the trail.

The forecast is calling for rain or snow tomorrow. The warm days are probably past.

This afternoon I took a quick hike up Shute Hill. I had a great two-way QRP QSO with N0UR and then I worked J88HL on three bands.

I walked down the range road and turned into the woods. Farther on I came to Will Ellis’s field. I sat down near the east edge and turned on the KX3. I heard Jim N0UR in MN calling CQ on 14.060. He was booming in, and he gave me a good report too. “UR portable ANT doing FB,” he sent. I had the ten meter wire over a branch with the earchi.org 9:1 unun. He was running a K2 at 5 watts to a 3-element beam. His signal was over S9. What fun to have a 2-way QRP QSO.

After that I went up to 15 meters. A group of Polish operators was running a DXpedition from St. Vincent. J88HL was working split with a pretty large pileup. But it was orderly and his signal was strong. I had no trouble making the QSO.

When I switched to 10 meters, there was the St. Vincent station again working split. So I worked J88HL on 10 meters and moved to 17 meters. I was surprised to hear them again on another band. Once again I made the QSO. So I worked them on 3 bands in the course of 15 minutes.

With that I packed up and headed back down the hill. What a beautiful afternoon for a quick outing… sunny with temps at nearly 50F.

I just worked the Russian Research Vessel, Akademik Fedorov, at sea.

It’s always a thrill for me to work ships at sea. This was an ordinary QSO on 12 meters… but not ordinary for me. RW1AI/MM was calling CQ. I answered and we exchanged 599s. Then I asked Mik for the name of his vessel. I looked it up on “ship track” and found its current location off Portugal with a destination of Cape Town. My guess is it will re-supply there and head to the Antarctic.

The vessel is 463 feet long and was traveling at 14 knots. I think I was traveling a lot faster than that! Even though I was sitting in my warm shack, a maritime QSO just brings adventure and the thrill of remote radio contacts to me. Thanks Mik for the nice QSO. Good sailing OM.