Well it looks like
another missed finding the T, hunt. It all started at 10:00am when
Steve XFC got the signal from Mt. Pinos. I agreed with him that it
seemed to be coming from there. We went to the top parking lot, and
refined our bearing. It was 327 +/- 10 degrees. 3/4 scale with preamp
in, not strong but enough. So we put Mt. Pinos location into our new
iQue 3600 the probable location. Started going at about 10:20am. The
voice navigator was right there given us the proper instructions. So I
told my naviguesser (LAJ), that he was not needed anymore, and he could
just come along for the fun if he wanted. He said, "unless I was to
drive him back to where he left his car, he would have to stick it out
with me", ok fine, be that way! So off we went happily on our way. Up
Hawthorn Blvd. to the 405, all the time able to get a signal at times.
No need to turn off at Muholland, the signal is still at 330 or so. I
didn't even bother to wake Steve from his slumber, it wasn't important
enough to bother him. Up the 5 freeway, to the truck merge lane, where
we saw Steve XFC, well why shouldn't he be here, he got the same
bearing as us! He waved and left, we got a good strong bearing at about
330, so off we went up north on the 5. Somewhere near Pyramid Lake, we
got a real strong signal from T1 at about 280 degrees, this put it near
Alamo Mt. Hmmm! Ok we will just get off at Hungry Valley Rd. and cut up
to the road that goes to Alamo Mt. Well we didn't hear anything until
we got to the road, and then we only heard it only once in a while? It
also had much QSB on it, like the antenna was hanging in a tree, and
the wind was blowing it around. Well about this time Steve woke up and
tried to get me to go up the road to Alamo Mt. but I resisted and
finally won out, since I was driving, (who knows, it might of been
there). So we continued up to Frazer Park where the signal(s) where
coming in stronger than ever. We took the right (as our iQue 3600 told
us to do), continued up into the Mt. Pinos area (note: I kept telling
Steve that it couldn't be up there, because the bearings where coming
from both sides of the mountain, and where not strong enough. Any way,
up we went, to find no T's only more bearings to the west at 260
degrees. We managed to find snow, I managed to slip on some ice, trying
to get to the snow, but no T's. I told Steve that putting Mt. Pinos in
the computer was a mistake, and why did you let me do that! We left the
top of the mountain, and continued west through Pine MT. Club, where we
saw Mike K6SNE, or so we thought we saw him. He had just come out of a
side road and took off like a bat out of hell! We tried to catch up
with him, finally about 4 miles up the road he got slowed by traffic.
At which time we realized that it wasn't Mike, but a government
employee in a vehicle that looked just like Mikes. Oh well, I told
Steve again that I don't think that the T is anywhere around here. He
insisted that it must be, just then we came to the top of the pass and
got a full scale+ signal from T1. Took a bearing on it and unfortunally
pointed right at Figueroa Peak, and the only way to get there from here
is to go all the way to 101 in Santa Barbara. That's 104 miles! I don't
think so. It's already close to 3:30pm and there is no way we are going
to hunt for 14 mini T's after dark in sub-zero weather. So we call Dave
and let him know we are quitting the hunt. So my guess is the north
side of Figueroa Peak, with his antenna pointing towards Mt. Pinos.
Nice job Dave! I guess that the 327 degrees should of been 300 or so,
then I would of gone up the 101, which would of been the shortest route
to there. I assume that the rest just drove right up there, since we
didn't see any hunters except Steve XFC. All in all a great day
for a hunt, we got some pictures, went on some neat roads, had snow,
wind, dirt roads, water crossing, and no T's. Don & Steve (LAJ)