This SOTA activation was part of a one-night camping trip to Colonel Denning State Park in Cumberland County, near Tuscarora State Forest. This was an easy drive-on on my drive east, a quick stop in the Bear Valley division of Buchanan State Forest. I drove along Bear Valley and Broad Mountain Road which were in good condition. I parked around the trailhead for the Lehman Trail, a singletrack MTB trail a bit down the road southwest from the towers, and strung my wire up alongside the road and worked the contacts.
While this was just a quick one, it became a “Northeast SOTA Buddies” activation, and I worked S2S with three of my most frequent chasers: JB KC1MXB on W1/AM-109, Eric VA2EO on VE2/QC-106, and Roy WN3F on W4V/SH-024, all on 40m! One of the advantages of activating on a Saturday: S2S abounds!
This site overlooks the Letterkenny Army Depot which is in the valley to the east. I’m not sure what happens there, but it is blotted out over every map. A cursory search tells me that missile systems are repaired and modernized there. It probably would be best to stay away!
- Trailhead: 40.04289, -77.75591 : Pulled over from Broad Mountain Road, though there is lots of parking on the ridge. 40.04161, -77.75766 is parking for access to Lehman Trail and would be another good spot.
- Maps: [AA3TZ SOTA] [Buchanan State Forest Map (Bear Valley Division)]
- Route: Drive-on.
- POTA: US-5463 Buchanan State Forest
On the drive back down, I stopped at the Clarks Knob overlook, which has a bench to rest at after a short rock scramble. Worth a stop!
Tom Zajdel 
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