Forest Hills Park

I hadn’t activated a new location for the Parks on the Air program since mid-June, so it was about time to get back in the saddle. Today’s plan was simple: pick up Ralph, head out to the park, and enjoy a late lunch together before heading home. Because the park was roughly a 35-minute drive from my house, I decided to set out around 10:45 AM. This timing promised to give us ample opportunity to operate before we stopped to eat. Our navcom plotted a route along the Langley Bypass and Glover Road, before turning onto 216th Street and navigating the final stretch through a residential subdivision. It was a reasonable drive overall, though road construction in a few spots proved a bit frustrating.

Upon arrival, we parked across the street from the entrance since the park lacked a formal parking lot. The main entrance opened directly into a children’s play area, with a paved walkway leading toward a pair of tennis courts that were both currently in use. Following our usual routine at a new location, we set out on a walk around the grounds to explore its features and scout out distinct operating positions for each of us.

The park sloped downward to the north. Nestled right in the middle was an overgrown pond flanked by signs warning visitors to stay out because it was a protected fish habitat. Looking at it, the water was so densely packed with vegetation that I doubted any fish could actually survive in there. On the north end, the terrain dropped into a ravine, while the walkway continued along the western edge toward the next cross street, 88th Avenue. Walking past the pond, we made our way back along the eastern side of the park and soon arrived right back where we started.

Although the morning and early afternoon forecasts warned of rain, and the clouds overhead looked ominous, the weather had remained dry so far. We retrieved our gear from the car, loaded up the cart, and headed back into the park. I stopped at a bench by the kids' play area to set up. Ralph continued on to the far side near the pond, choosing a spot under a tree where he could seek shelter if the weather turned.

I stretched out my antenna and reached into my pack to grab the radio, only to realize that my main battery was missing. I had left it sitting at home. That meant high-power radio work was completely off the table for the day. I finished setting up anyway and began perusing the bands. Unfortunately, the residential surroundings created a high noise level, making it incredibly difficult to pull out any distant stations. Once Ralph finished his own setup, we managed to make a few local contacts between ourselves. I then proceeded to try calling out further, but the rain finally arrived and I started getting damp. Thankfully, I had brought a tarp. I managed to hide under it to stay dry, though it quickly grew quite warm underneath the plastic.

Soon enough, the rain tapered off and I went right back to calling. Unfortunately, the small backup battery simply wasn’t capable of pushing out enough power for my voice to be heard on sideband. If I had been operating CW, it likely would have been perfectly fine. Meanwhile, Ralph was having his own difficulties getting his activation spotted on the network; despite calling repeatedly, he received no responses. With both of us struggling against different technical issues and yielding zero results, we decided to pack up a bit early and head out for lunch.

Once our gear was safely stowed back in the car, I asked the navcom for the closest Starbucks. It was only 600 meters away! This specific location had been our regular stop when activating other parks in Walnut Grove, so I was already familiar with the almost hidden entrance to the parking lot. Getting to the store was smooth, and we lucked out by finding a parking stall directly next to the front door.

After ordering and collecting our drinks, we grabbed our sandwiches and sat down at one of the outdoor tables. Despite the earlier bout of rain, it was a remarkably warm afternoon with temperatures nearing 27°C. We enjoyed our lunch in the pleasant warmth and then set out for home. This time, our route took us down 208th Street to 56th Avenue, then down 192nd to 16th Avenue. It was a thoroughly pleasant drive back, and we successfully avoided the frustrating roadwork that had delayed us earlier. Even though we didn't do as well on the radio as we had hoped, it was still a great time getting out to explore a new park. The fresh air and afternoon sunshine were a lovely bonus.