We were up bright and early again—about 5:30 AM local time. As usual, Gayla got the coffee brewing almost as soon as we opened our eyes. I’m definitely noticing a pattern here.
It was a chilly morning, but we bundled up and decided to enjoy our coffee outside while watching the sunrise over the quiet forest. As we sat, we spotted a female Western Tanager flitting through the trees—not as vibrant as the males, but still beautiful in her own way. Nearby, we also admired a patch of blooming Western Wallflowers just off the edge of our campsite.
With coffee in hand and the sun climbing higher, I got to work setting up my HF radio station to activate Parks On The Air (POTA) park US-4403 – Medicine Bow National Forest. I was running just 10 watts of power, and despite the low output, I quickly racked up contacts. I ended up with 57 total contacts, including an exciting long-distance QSO with a station in Japan—not bad for a low-power setup in the Wyoming wilderness.
After wrapping up my initial round of contacts, it was time for brunch: top sirloin, scrambled eggs, and crispy tater tots. A solid, satisfying meal that hit the spot.
While Gayla settled in at her laptop to knock out some work before noon, I jumped back on the radio to enjoy a few more contacts. The dogs, of course, decided this was the perfect time for their mid-morning naps.
We stayed outside until around 1:30 PM. As the skies grew gloomy and the wind started to pick up, we packed it up and moved inside Clifford. Gayla had a 3:30 PM Zoom meeting, so I fired up Starlink for the first time since early October to make sure she had solid internet—and it worked like a charm.
While Gayla was in her meeting, Tucker and I went for a walk around camp. We discovered a tall flowering plant called Miner’s Candle—a fun little find and something new to add to our growing list of wildflowers.
After the meeting, we had a light snack for supper while the dogs eagerly chowed down too—clearly exhausted from all their hard work napping. One last walk around camp brought the day to a close, and then we settled in for a quiet movie night.
Total miles driven today: 0.
Tomorrow marks the start of our work week, but for now, we’re savoring the peace and satisfaction of another great day outdoors.
