Capturing the Art of Nature
Bear Hill Again
A quick little hike to the summit with lovely views at the top
Category
Serendipitous Discoveries
Summits on the Air
2021
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Bear Hill is a quick little activation, only a 760m trail from the car to the summit, over that one gains around 160m elevation. There are a few steep bits but it really is a very easy walk up. This year I saved it for a hot day when doing the longer hikes would be less inviting. I finished breakfast and took a leisurely rest before starting the drive to the trailhead. I knew the route but I still put on the map software to keep me abreast of any issues as I navigated the traffic. In 30 minutes, I had arrived at the small pullout parking area and picked a spot as it was empty. No need for hiking boots on this trail so I quickly put on my pack, grabbed my camera and started out.
The sign at the start said it was 760m to the summit. So, quickly I past the sign and up the initial steep bit to follow the trail through some very dry grass and shrubs. I was thinking at how quickly the area would burn if a fire started. I made quick time to the summit and encountered no one on the trail as I made my way up. Once on the summit I scouted out a decent spot to set up where I could hide in the shade and still have a clear view north and east. The ground only had a thin veneer of soil over the rock so finding a spot that would support my ski pole took a few tries. Once placed, I was able to set up the yagi and then put out a call.
First contact for the log today was fellow club member Ken followed by Ralph. So, it seemed like it would be a good day for contacts, but then it dried up! It took 12 minutes of calling to get a third contact, but shortly after it I had six more in quick order. I now had more than enough for the activation so I decided to take a break and eat a light lunch before wandering the summit area for some photos. I then tried a few more calls but no one came back so I packed up the radio. During this time a couple of people wandered up to the summit and left. It was a quiet morning up there.
Well, it was starting to get quite warm up there and as I was done with the radio, I started back down the trail. I found a few photo spots on the way but generally it was a quick descent to the car. It was a successful activation but I was surprised I didn’t get more contacts. The other mid-week summits did better. I guess people are too busy planning their week-ends by this time on Friday to be paying attention to the radio. The drive home went smoothly and soon I was back relaxing in my air-conditioned room.