Sept 25, 2004

All Day Hunt

 Dave an I set out early to meet friends at the TRW swap meet. From there it
was to the hill. Not your typical All Day hunt as we could actually hear a
signal. Heck, we could even get a bearing on it......after putting in 20db
of attenuation. We started down the hill for a drive in the general
direction of Mt. Pinos and the Lockwood Valley.

Along the way we creped up on Scott N6MI & Tom KD6VCR and ambushed them for a rolling on-camera interview. The stares we received were perplexing until
we realized that Scott & Tom could see our lips moving but couldn't hear a
word we were saying. After tuning the radio to the correct band we again
attempted our interview. After hellos, the general question was how they
felt about the overall difficulty of the hunt so far. Again, the stares we
received were perplexing. After checking the radio yet again, and finding
it to be on the correct frequency, we now understood their stares, and
fearing that something was about to get thrown at us we let them get well
ahead. In fact we heard they didn't stop until Bakersfield.

Somewhere between Hwy 14 and Hwy 126 the main transmitter went off the air.
We stopped for fuel at Gorman, where the Jeep's gas tank barfed all over
Dave. Sorry Dave. Back on the road again to Frasier Park where we
reacquired a signal. After stopping at the ranger station Near Frasier Park
for an Adventure Pass and a map, we proceeded south through Lockwood Valley.
We took a 4 mile detour up to a ridge that looked promising. To bad too
'cause it was the wrong ridge. We finally got back on track and ended up at
Pine Mtn Road, and then Reyes Peak where Dave proceeded to hike all over
creation looking for transmitters. While Dave was out sniffing I found a
transmitter hidden in a plastic bread roll in the bread basket on the table.
Other hunters were nearby however so I had to wait to sign-in as not to
give-it away. On his third trip to the same T, way down at the bottom of a
steep hill, Dave was heard muttering something about fine print and murder
so we left him alone for a few moments. In all there were 6 Ts (7 if you
count the phony one) in the camp area.

Dave and I then jumped in the Jeep to find 5 remaining Ts about a mile away
on Reyes Peak. While Dave was hunting the infamous Froggy T, Scott and Tom
arrived and joined him in the race to find the elusive T. While they were
hunting, something strange and terrible happened. Amidst the hunters there
appeared a hideous beast that could only be described as a Cyclops with
mange. Photos were taken and submitted to several university researchers.
After close inspection of the photos it was realized that it was two beasts,
not one. To this date they are unable to identify the species caught on
film. It has been reported however that other sightings have occurred in
the past, usually confined to the back seats of school busses after high
school football games.

Dave sniffed out the last T just as dusk fell to a beautiful sunset. We
left the hill with the other hunters and hiders in caravan for the trip
home. It was a great way to end what seemed like "the easiest T-hunt ever"

73! Mike K6SNE