Golden Gate Park POTA
Golden Gate Park is a 1,017 acre city park separating the Richmond and Sunset neighborhoods in the western half of San Francisco. Although large and internationally known, GGP is a city park and thus does not qualify for a Parks On The Air reference. The park is a two minute walk from my Richmond District QTH, so it would be incredibly convenient if it were, in fact, a POTA park.
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A few months ago, a POTA Slack channel discussion of multi-park activation opportunities in the Presidio of San Francisco National Historic Site revealed a β3-ferβ that I had not recognized before. Activating from Mountain Lake would net you the Presidio US-7889, Golden Gate National Recreation Area US-0647, and de Anza National Historic Trail US-4571.
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This got me thinking that if the Anza expedition traipsed north from Lake Merced to Mountain Lake, then they must have crossed what is now Golden Gate Park. And, if that were the case then there was the opportunity to do a legit POTA activation within the park.
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Of course, the exact route taken by the Anza expedition through the vast sand dunes of what became known as San Franciscoβs βoutside landsβ is unknown. But the route can be reasonably estimated. The NPS website for the Anza trail shows a historic trail corridor roughly aligned with Crossover Dr. and the Park Presidio Bypass in Golden Gate Park.
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I figure anywhere within the historic trail corridor and that is public land is fair game for activating Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail US-4571.
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The western portion of Strawberry Hill and Stow Lake extend into the corridor and with the hill being the high point in the park, this is where I chose to activate from.
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Even though the forecast called for warm weather, at 9AM the marine influence was still holding firm, making the top of Strawberry Hill too cold to spend more than just a few minutes there.
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My companion and I quickly gave up on the 409 foot βpeakβ and retreated down past Stow Lake to a meadow which was in the sun, protected from the west wind by Strawberry Hill, and by my reckoning, still within the historic trail corridor.
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There I setup the GRA-7350T whip antenna using the ground screw and extension post which is part of the Gabil Radio GRA-GNT mini tripod mounting kit. This easily gave a match of under 1.5 to 1 with the KH1 tuner in bypass mode.
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The bands were surprisingly active for a Monday morning and, being a West Coast QRP operation, it took a while to finish the activation. I could hear European DX calling on 17 meters, with the distinctive βflutterβ signals get flying over the poles, but unfortunately was unable to raise any of them.
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With 11 contacts in the log and one βeyeballβ with Ben KG7KGE, who was also enjoying the morning in the park, I called the activation of US-4571 in Golden Gate Park a success.
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A short walk later we were home for lunch and refreshment.
73 de W6CSN