The 1996 Bear Wallow Mountain Expedition

Boy, 1996 was the year for storms and fog on Bear Wallow Mountain! As you can see from the image to the right, a foggy place it was indeed!

The fog didn't stop us, though, and we went about setting up camp on the Friday afternoon befor the June ARRL VHF contect. Tents were errected first, as the threat of thunderstorms loomed on the horizon.

As in years before, a skeleton crew began to arrive Friday around noon, and others followed in the coming hours. Antennas were errected, radio gear set up and tested, and all was prepared for the big contest the following day.

...then the rain set in. Big electrical storms came on Friday night, and the rain followed all day on Saturday and into Sunday morning. Reports began to trickle in, that many other contest groups were unable to make it to their planned mountain top perches before the rains came, and had to set up operations from roadside locations or abort altogether. We had a good time, did pretty good in the contest, and broke everything back down for the trip home on Sunday...just as the rain quit.

here are more pictures from the 1996 trip:

• Here, a stack of UHF yagis are errected.
  
• KD4MYE and KD4PFS arrive and set up.
  
• KE4TZO sets up lighting for the night.
  
• FOG set in on Saturday morning!
  
• The contest gang, preparing for the start by reviewing the contest rules.
  
• They're off! Here KR4TP and William (KD4WJD's harmonic)are "pulling out the weak ones"...
  
• Night time operation by KQ4MS.
  
• Fog on the sleeping quarters of some of the ops on Sunday morning.
  
• Rob (KE4TZO's harmonic) and KB4ZMB are working the bands during a Sunday morning meal.
  
• Finally, it was time to tear it all down ... in the rain...