AVOID THE BUMMER LIFE

Outliving the bastards one hard-earned beer at time.

Author: K2VFZ

  • Smoot Hill W7W/WE-033

    Smoot Hill W7W/WE-033

    It’s been a mild January thus far and this weekend, although windy, was a prime 42F. Running a bit short on time, a close-to-home hill would be on the menu and Smoot was today’s flavor.

    To be honest, I’m not exactly sure about the accessibility of this summit. Some fencing along the nearby gravel road has Washington State University signs declaring no trespassing—but I’ve spoken with two individuals who have assured me that as long as you are traveling by foot and being respectful there is no issue.

    Parking is obvious at the Rose Creek Nature Preserve. Considering the above, I booked it rather quickly up the hill until slipping into the trees where I’m a little less exposed to the road. The summit approach is rather unremarkable. There’s a lightly groomed path, probably for researchers to access the wildlife preserve, which meanders the ridgeline towards the summit. It’s straightforward until eventually reaching an intersection. Now heading south you’re less than a quarter mile and under 200ft elevation from the AZ. Plenty of trees there for a bit of a wind break (or shade).

    This was the first activation using my new mast, the “POTA Explorer” which is a rather stout 33ft carbon fiber pole. Because it’s so much taller, with thicker diameter segments, than my trusty SOTA Beam 6 (19.6ft), the Explorer’s penchant to tip is more significant and I had to prop it up in a tree to keep it from falling over. I’ll be adding some prusik cord for next time if I need to guy it.

    The activation was relatively smooth with a dozen contacts including a summit-to-summit.

    Also this year, I am planning on photographing all of my activations on film. This was a bit of a test run as I haven’t shot much film in the past 20 years and I haven’t developed film myself since college circa 2001-2003. I’d say this turned out to be a success and am looking forward to the added pain in the ass this will all surely be.

    Nikon F2 | Ilford FP4+

    Thanks to all of my chasers, this was a good solid run as I shook the dust off my SOTA skills. The S2S with K7FOP and K7ATN was especially a treat, as always.

  • Holiday in EU

    Holiday in EU

    Last year we visited my family back in Arizona for Christmas and the round-trip tickets cost somewhere in the ballpark of $700 each. I said something along the lines of: “…next time we spend this much on plane tickets, we’d better be drinking beers in an European pub.” That initiated some conversation which eventually led to flights being booked into Munich.

    Linz, Austria

    Pilzen, Czech Republic

    Prague, Czech Republic

    Dresden, Germany

    Frankfurt, Germany

  • Ins & Outs 2025

    Ins & Outs 2025

    Boy, this last year was a real fuckin’ churn. Trying to make sense of all that swirled around us can bring on the most piercing of migraines–yet here we are. Looking over our shoulders while blindly anticipating the next few steps.

    Despite the shitshow that the world continuously reveals itself to be, life around here has been quite tender lately. Some personal progress and time-well-spent with my loving partner has superseded the things printed in the news.

    The calendar has flipped as well as my age. The time to reflect is here, once again, in the form of some non-committal list making.

    The Outs 👏

    • chaco
    • digital
    • gin & tonic
    • run it dry
    • fleece sweater
    • “what-ifs”
    • trails
    • 0.7mm pencils
    • internal thoughts
    • papa murphy’s
    • racing to the start line
    • posting
    • lattes
    • teevee

    In/Still In 🤘

    • birkenstock
    • analog
    • wine
    • zipper lube
    • waffle hoodie
    • 1% improvements
    • bushwhacks
    • 0.9mm pencils
    • journaling
    • crock pot meals
    • enjoying the process
    • printing
    • cappuccinos
    • card games & puzzles

    One tradition I dodged this past year was event-driven endurance racing. Besides a turkey trot there were no marathons, bike races, trail runs, triathlons, or any such sort. That was all fine and well, but I do miss the buildup to and the effort during these events. So here are a few I’ve scribbled on the calendar for 2025:

    Tour de Blast

    Mogollon Monster (42k)

    Seattle Marathon

    No big reaches there, just some milestones that’ll require consistent good ‘ol fashioned work.

    I’m also preparing for a long-term photography project that should be both challenging and rewarding. No specifics to share yet but at some point this spring/summer I’m sure that I will have a working page dedicated to it’s progress.

    Am also hoping to make progress learning two new “languages”: German and Morse Code.

    And finally, while there are no tickets yet purchased, there are some travel plans to exciting new places in 2025.

    To summarize: I’m hoping to maintain a level of chill and a smile. Do more with what I have and let go of the wants for things I don’t have.

  • Pullman Winter Ultras

    Pullman Winter Ultras

    Every December/January, the Palouse Road Runners hosts two free “ultra” marathons we affectionately title the Pullman Winter Ultras. It’s a simple and relatively hands-off premise: you sign up for free and run anywhere between 1-4 eight-mile laps around town, no matter the weather.

    And the weather in Pullman this time of year can be heinous.

    I race-directed this event but because it was minimal support, I basically hung out at a coffee shop all day and gave some check-in props to runners as they came by every hour or so.

    This was my first year directing the thing and we had a solid turnout of about 30 participants. The weather was relatively prime until rain started at around hour five. Everyone had a solid time and I’m stoked to see who returns for the January edition.

  • Smoot Hill

    Smoot Hill

    Another weekend with decent weather. Another first activation.

    This time it was Smoot Hill, super-close to home and the only reason I hadn’t tackled it until now: I wasn’t exactly sure anyone was allowed up there. It’s technically on WSU property as it is a nature preserve, but after speaking a cycling buddy who mountain biked up there a couple of years ago and spoke to someone who manages the land, as long as we’re respectful and not on motorized vehicles they’re generally okay with it.

    Good enough for me.

    The walk was quite pleasant via a cut path through fields. A lot of predator scat along the path and a large footprint (see photo below) that might just be a big dog but I’m not exactly sure. It was a brisk but bright November afternoon in the upper 30’s. Parking at the Rose Creek Nature Trail, I crossed the road then crossed the fenceline making my way about 1.5 miles to the AZ.

    Up top, the wind was a thing and the clouds began to roll in. Thankful that I always keep a spare jacket in my SOTA bag, I layered up before getting the antenna rigged and on the air. Not wanting to waste much time, I spotted myself on 40m and after a couple of minutes the chasers came in hot. Eight of ’em, one right after the other and signal reports 5.5+ all around.

    Giving the SOTAwatch feed a look to see if there were any S2S possibilities (nothing that materialized), it was time to get going. I was starting to get a little chilly and knew that Corrie was waiting for me to get back so we could pick up apples at the WSU organic farm. The hustle back down the hill was uneventful besides a mule deer sighting.

  • Dual Idaho First Activations

    Dual Idaho First Activations

    The temps have officially dipped and we’re in the shoulder season of unpredictable and generally unfavorable weather. Saturday looked to offer a bit of a window, so I dug out a rough plan to work two more unactivated W7I summits: NI-268 and NI-269.

    This pair was super close to one another and road access seemed open, and it was indeed. The drive in via Winfall Pass Road was downright pleasant with some of the widest, smoothest dirt I’ve been on all year. I parked in a saddle right between the two summits which I internally referred to as the ‘ham cleve’ and flipped a coin on which to tackle first.

    The southern summit, 268, was a nice roadwalk up to the very top. There had been some active logging recently as I passed multiple smoldering burn piles. The AZ was wide open with a few standing trees and plenty of downed branches to which I could attach the ends of my antenna wire.

    After 5 QSOs I packed up and started booking it to 269. The initial approach was much the same but this summit was still heavily treed and the roads suggested by the historical maps were no longer there. Things got thick quick, and once I found myself within the AZ I began looking for somewhat of a clearing in order to get a wire up.

    Due to limited space, I opted to just run my EFHW as a 20/10 sloper (rather than the usual 40/20/10 inverted-v). It got the job done with 5 QSOs on 20m (including 2 summit-to-summits) and 2 more QSOs on 10m. Clouds rolled in and the temps really dipped during this one, so after exhausting the quiet 10 meter band I tore down and got back down the hill to the car.

    Next time, I would follow the two-track as far as I could towards 268 before bushwhacking a little as possible straight up the hill. Not sure it’s really worth it for 1 point, but everything else about this activation was pleasant so I’m sure I’ll do it again next year.

  • Autumnal Shoe Swap

    Autumnal Shoe Swap

    We’re full into the fall weather here with temps in the 40’s and 50’s, leaves doing their thing and the sun setting at like 5:30pm. It’s fine, it’s all fine.

    My running/hiking shoe situation has been a bit unchecked this past year. I don’t know how many miles I’ve put into what but the shoes are feeling thin and that’s usually a good sign they need to go. This time around I decided to just commit and replace all of the shoes at once. Real clean slate, fresh-start shit.

    For the record: they’re all Altra shoes. (‘cept for the old boots)

    Starting in the front are my trainers. Pair on the left are Altra Provisions from last year. I actually had two pairs: one for the road and one for the gym.. and while the gym ones are still in use, these light blue roadies have been swapped for a pair of Torin 7’s.

    Top right are my old yellow Lone Peaks. Love these things and have gotte my money’s worth out of ’em. They’ve been replaced by a bright, near-ugly pair of TIMP trail runners. The only reason I didn’t get new Lone Peaks was because they were quite literally, all out of stock. I’ve had TIMPs before and liked them, so I’m hoping these will do their job.

    Finally, top left, my old hiking boots: Oboz something-or-other. They’ve been fine, mostly. Sometimes they’ve given me horrendous blisters, sometimes they’ve been alright. But never what I would call “comfortable”. Also, I’ve been wearing them on winter treks for probably the past 6-8 seasons. Their replacements: Altra Lone Peak all weather high tops. I’m not a high top guy but when you’re trudging through snow, you gotta keep your feet as dry as you reasonably can.

    I’ll try to remember to file an end-of-season report on these suckers with how they performed. Hopefully I’ll put them all to good use.

  • Hiding Things from Oneself

    Hiding Things from Oneself

    One of my “ten essentials” when heading out into the backcountry is my Garmin inReach Mini 2. It’s been an incredibly useful tool for getting texts out to my partner (or whomever) when completely out of cell service, which tends to be quite frequent ’round these parts. Aside from the convenience of friendly texts, it provides a sense of security as an oh shit device incase things get real bad and self-rescuing is not an option.

    Downside: the little sucker tends to fly out of pockets as I’m biking down bumpy trails or ‘shwacking through thick vegetation. Using a biner to clip it onto a pack is 100% advisable and I follow that advice 90% of the time.

    Last month I got out for one last bikepacking overnighter before the cold season fully took grasp. My inReach was tucked into a little pocket on the side of one of my handlebar bags and lived there the entire trip–sans clip. The ride was a rough one, both in road surface and in general effort. We were pretty spent by the end of it.

    Following weekend as I prepped for a hike it occurred to me that the inReach wasn’t anywhere I expected it to be.

    Not in my usual drawer of outdoor electronics.
    Not connected to my SOTA backpack.
    Not in my bike bag pocket where I had the weekend before.
    Not floating around in the back of the Honda.
    And not in my buddy’s truck.

    Sure, when we were bombing down that one hill on Day 2 and hit some of the roughest washboard this side of the Cascades, the little guy musta jumped out my bag and bounced his way to freedom. I immediately began looking for a replacement, but it hurt to think about paying for a brand-new one… even though, it’s invaluable.

    I gave it a week. Then two. Occasionally looking through the local Craiglist for postings of a found, or even recognizable for sale, inReach. Nada.

    Well fuck me if just a few hours ago I didn’t go looking for a usb power brick when there it was. Sitting right in the drawer where it shouldn’t be, but I can see how it seemed logical at the time in my post-ride haze.

    All this is to say, I’m glad that I’ve found my inReach. And I swear that I’ll never travel with it unsecured again.

    Until I do.

  • Two First Activations

    Two First Activations

    Found a couple of not-yet-activated summits just north of me and across the state line into Idaho: Moses Mountain W7I/NI-207 and Tensed Benchmark W7I/NI-223. The two activation zones are only about 5.5km from eachother and the weather for this day was looking prime so I figured this would be a good opp for my first two-summit day.

    The drive out wasn’t too bad. AWD definitely needed and the clearance on my Honda Element was plenty. It was logging country and whether or not people were supposed to be out there was a little questionable, but nothing explicitly posted no trespassing, so I parked down the hill from Moses Mountain and bit off the main road.

    Tensed BM was first and very nice hike along two-track trail pretty much the entire way. At the summit a big rock cairn and that felt like a good spot to set up the radio and get cracking. After 8 QSOs I packed up, at my slice of leftover pizza from earlier in the week, and headed back towards Moses Mtn.

    The trail up towards Moses’ peak fizzled out quickly it became a bushwhack up the side of the hill. Nothing impassable, but I got some good leg scratching today. After getting 7 QSOs in the bag, I decided it was probably time to start my way back down. The air was chilling and the sun was going down on this early fall day.

    Big thanks to WW7D, my #1 all time chaser, who sought me out on both summits today.

    The ridge hike up to Tensed Benchmark.
    AZ of Moses Mountain.
    Tensed Benchmark cairn.
    Post-activation cheers.
  • Escure Ranch Wind Plow

    Escure Ranch Wind Plow

    Hit my buddy Keith with the idea for one last quick gravel overnighter. He fired back pretty quickly with a route he’d had in his back pocket; it was 100 miles through some really cool high desert country, camping at Escure Ranch where I had spent a weekend working the Washington State Salmon Run just a month prior.

    The weather was looking prime with temps in the mid-60’s and no rain, but oh my, the wind forecast. And the wind did not disappoint. The day one ride was 100% into the wind and that shit was pushing back at 15-20+ mph. That’s significant when you’re already weighed down with 30 pounds of bikepacking gear & food. Not gonna lie: that was a real grind. The last 15 miles or so was a mental struggle. And then we got to camp.

    I guess we’re not camping alone…

    As we soon learned it was opening weekend for deer season and the typically ghost town empty BLM campground was teaming with trucks, trailers, and blaze orange. At that point, there was no plan B so we rolled in, got some looks, found a spot and set up our tents.

    A light dinner, mild weather, and some shared Scotch before an early bed time. The return ride would be shorter in distance with the wind at our backs. It was a solid weekend resulting in some tired legs and refilled souls.

  • Dog Walkin’

    Dog Walkin’

    For the first time in my adult life, I have found myself without a dog companion. I rescued my first dog when I was in college, about 22 yrs old (Kloe, the best dog in the world and I still miss her dearly). Since then I’ve had as many as four dogs at once, two separate times.

    Now, we’re taking a little break from being a dog-centric household. It’s freed up our weekends, weeknights, and ability to travel. And, we honestly were just so sad after losing our old dogs these past few years we couldn’t stand the thought of going through that again.

    I have started volunteering with the local Humane Society as a dog walker; twice a week, I take a little time out of my workday and walk a doggo. It’s truly been fulfilling, and I’m going to go ahead and share my new dog friends here.

    Delilah
    Crunch
    Sting

  • Krell Hill

    Krell Hill

    Popping up to Spokane to drop my mom off at the airport after her visit; might as well get in a SOTA. Krell Hill W7W/WE-021 was in a familiar area, I’ve hiked the Rocks of Sharon before and this AZ was just the next hill over from that. A quick 1.7-ish miles up (it was steep) led me to an area below a bunch of quite large teevee antenna towers.

    The day was WINDY and warm, probably upper 60s. I found a good spot to park it next to some very large rock structures that I hoped might act as a bit of a windbreak. Mast deployed, wire up, and away we go.

    The 20m band was rocking. I bopped around a bit to try find some POTA activators looking for contacts and nabbed three of ‘em, getting relatively decent signal reports in return: 42, 59, 59. I wasn’t sure how much the giant antenna array directly above me was going to affect my waves, man.

    The 40m band, however, was dead quiet. Odd. I went ahead and spotted myself and quickly was hit up by my #1 chaser, WW7D who gave me a not-so-great 3-1 report; I guess there was a reason this band wasn’t seeing any action. I then heard N7KOM call loud and clear, whom I acknowledged but never heard a reply. Again, I’m blaming the band. A couple of more hunters connected with me and that was about it.

    I got all I needed, wasn’t hearing anyone else, and needed to hit the Trader Joe’s before making the 90-minute drive back home. Packed it all up and called it a day.

    This was a super easy summit to access, both trailhead and hike-wise. I’ll remember it early next year as I think it would make for a good winter SOTA.