Tumamoc Hill is a popular walking area for the city dwellers. The first time I set out to hike it, I actually turned away and went to a different summit because there were so many people. Today was no different, but I decided I was going to hike it anyway. The hill itself was not that difficult. The most difficult part for me was enduring the endless staring from people that thought I was up to no good. I guess for "urban" hikers it might be a bit strange to see a guy with large backpack and painter's pole as a walking stick/antenna mast. One guy even made a "swinging" motion, like sword play when I was walking by. I assured him that I was not going to do any such thing and then explained to him what the pole was actually for...he didn't seem to comprehend what I was saying. At the summit, there were a lot of people and very few spots to set up. Tumamoc is one of the oldest "experiments" in the country and you are not supposed to leave the roadway. Fortunately, there was an area at the top where I could set up my gear. Again, people looked at me like I was part of ISIS. I even heard some comments about "scaring people" from a couple who actually approached me. I asked them if I was in fact scaring people and they assured me that I wasn't. They asked about what I was doing and for how long. I explained what SOTA was and that I would be there until I made enough contacts or until I "scared" a sufficient number of people that the police would come and remove me...we all chuckled about that one. I have set up near antennas like this before, but this one was the worst with regard to interference. I made just over the minimum number of contacts and left. The crowd was thinned out considerably when I left, so if I do this summit again, I think I will wait until it is too hot for the urban hikers so I can have the hill to myself.
