Redwood Park on the Air

For a few years now I have wished that Redwood Park was on the Parks-on-the-Air list. It unfortunately is not a national nor provincial park and so was excluded from being eligible. Recently I discovered that historical items of significance were listed on a Parks Canada website describing the target and why it is significant. I checked the list and there was the treehouse of Redwood Park. It was listed on the National register. I quickly pointed this out to the POTA managers and very soon the park got added.  It was now a new park on the list just waiting for the first person to come by and activate it.

I changed my plans to make time to get to the park the next day and to be the first to activate the park in the POTA program. The coordinator asked me to operate near the treehouse and to send him a photo.  I knew that there are some nice, covered picnic tables near the treehouse which is where I would prefer to operate but for the sake of it being the first activation I decided I would see if the area around the house could work.

I set out from my home at 10am and arrived at the park 3 minutes later! So nice having a park that close. I reviewed the parking lot and selected a stall near the pathway into the main park area. There were a few cars present, and one could hear kids playing in the kids’ area not far from the lot. Once parked I loaded up the cart and set out along the paved walkway. I took the main route which leads across the grassy area and straight to the covered tables. The route continues past, passing a line of tagged trees talking about what each species is. The trail continues to a fork where one can see the treehouse to the right. I followed that route to the house and there I stopped to gather a few photos.

The official posted photo of the treehouse shows a bench in front of it but that was no longer there, there was another bench a short way to the east and I decided it would work well as there is an open space between it and the house. After walking up the stairs of the house and gathering some photos I collected my cart and set out for the bench. I first set up my portable table in front of the bench and then located a spot for my tripod where I could raise it without the elements being entangled by high tree branches. The spot I chose had a few small twigs across my path about halfway up, but I was able to get the wire above them without much problem.

Soon the antenna as raised and stretched across the one trail. It was high enough to not be an issue for walkers. A number of people were walking the trails, but all seemed to just use the alternate route around my set up. They did have some curious looks but only a couple asked about it. Soon the radio was ready, and I checked the band conditions 10m looked good and so I scanned the postings for another activator. I found KE8WYP in Minnesota activating park US-6694 which is in central Michigan, NW of Detroit. Though the signal was weak we had a good chat, I let him know he was the first contact from a newly listed park. He thanked me for letting him know he had the privilege of being first. I then moved up band and found KE0OMJ activating a double in Missouri. Our signals were much better to his location. 

After that contact I selected a frequency and began my own calling on 10m. The first to come by was a regular, N4EX – Rich from North Carolina, a major Hunter with over 28000 contacts of which 15000 are from unique parks! He is number four on the top hunters list for POTA. Not to be left behind W9AV (Clint) the top hunter worked me a half hour later. Other responders included hunters from Texas, New York, Ontario, South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, an activator in California, Maryland, Louisiana, and Arizona. I missed hearing from Alaska though I did get one station EA1IZX (Oscar) from Spain to give me an exotic. It had been a great 45-minute activation, but I was now out of time as I had a previously scheduled coffee meeting with a friend in Abbotsford a 45-minute drive from here.  On lowering my mast, I forgot about the small branch below my one wire element, and I got snagged by it. Raising the mast again allowed me to solve the issue without any serious problems. Branch bypassed and mast lowered I soon had my gear stowed in the cart and I set out for the car gathering a few more photos as I made my way.

While I was packing up, a chap walking his dog come along and we talked for a while. He had worked for the parks department once in his career and felt quite attached to Redwood Park. He was saying how saddened he was to see some of the big trees dying off due to global warming. He was also a bit annoyed that the maintenance of the park had been a bit lacking recently. I hope things improve as I would like to make this my home park going forward.

As I reached the car, I noticed some flowers poking their heads out of the ground and could see some colour returning to the park after the winter months. It was a lovely sunny day as well and this added colour sparked a comforting thought that warm days were coming, and I should be able to get some good activations here. The noise floor seemed low, cell coverage good and with four covered picnic areas it should be a good place to operate. I am looking forward to my next activation.