We kicked off the day early—Gayla had a morning video call and woke up to a brisk 46°F inside Clifford, our trusty camper. The sun was out, though, and with us being parked at 9,400 feet elevation, the crisp mountain air felt clean and refreshing.
Coordinates: 40.5166° N, 106.8034° W
After her first call wrapped up, we shifted operations outside to warm up in the sunshine. I know friends back in the Midwest and on the East Coast are sweating through a heat wave, but here in the mountains we actually saw frost this morning.
With the weather cooperating, I decided to set up my HF radio station and activate POTA park US-4536. I made 22 unique contacts running 5 watts into my homebrew 20m linked dipole. Not a bad morning! I may jump back on the air later. Around 11:30 AM, hunger started calling.
While Gayla took a noontime client appointment, I prepped for lunch. Once she wrapped up, we headed out on a 2-mile hike around the lake. The trail was stunning, with wildflowers in full bloom and beautiful views all around.
Back at camp, we set up the 7×7 shelter for a little afternoon shade, and I cooked up some tacos with hamburger and avocado—easy, tasty trail food. The warmest it got inside Clifford today was a comfortable 73°F.
Gayla spent part of the afternoon sketching out some strap designs on her iPad, putting her creative energy to good use before winding things down. At 5 PM, after her final call of the day, we took the dogs, Oscar and Tucker, out for a short hike. They did great—pretty impressive for a couple of senior pups!
After we got back, it was snack time for everyone—humans and dogs alike. A calm, productive, and beautiful day with 0 miles driven.
