DitWit adventures continue!  Inspired by “just going somewhere”, I found a cabin at McGee Creek State Park near Atoka, Oklahoma.  The cabins, huts they call them, were rustic – table, bunk bed, no indoor plumbing – but they came with electricity and a window unit so regal compared to a tent.  – and very affordable at $50 a night.

Unfortunately, no dogs allowed, so Pepper couldn’t come along.  Bunk beds so no wife.  My son, ever willing to “adventure”, joined me. 

An easy two hour drive, straight up Hwy 75 to Atoka, a few miles East on Hwy 3, a wiggle down a park road and you’re there.

If I had to call the country something, I’d call it flatland, prairie.  But, the open farmland is regularly interrupted by bit’s of hill country that lay in clumps like bunched up wrinkles on a table cloth.  Just drive, you’ll find some hills.

About two hours North of my QTH, I met three new parks, US-2795 McGee Creek State Park, US-8136 Stringtown Wildlife Management Area, and US-6339 Atoka Wildlife Management Area. 

I didn’t do a good job taking pictures and didn’t take any video at all.  I guess I wasn’t thinking of recording experiences – just having them. For the most part, I only captured the signs. I call these “Proof of Life” photos that prove to my memory that I was there.

Loadout:

• FT-891
• 20Ah LiPo Battery
• Wolf River Coil and Sporty 40
• 20m EFHW w/ sparkplug 49:1
• 40m EFHW w/ sparkplug 49:1
• RG-8X feedline
• Begalli Expedition paddles
• Admin Pouch

US-2795 McGee Creek State Park
Lots of good antenna trees at this park. Barring a campsite or hut, the Buster Heights day use area is up against the water with plenty of tables.  But everywhere, the trees are pretty tight together.  For me, this means my usual “over the top” arborist throw will likely tangle in two or three trees and put my antenna where I don’t want it.  So, I enjoyed the opportunity to practice throwing straight up and down, aiming for a specific branch.

I made two activations from McGee Creek SP, the day we arrived and about an hour that evening (the next UTC day).  Propagation was steady and reliable. I started with the WRC coil, but SWR was about 2:1 and I didn’t like that.  Near the hut, I just couldn’t find a spot for the vertical that didn’t put a large rock or tree in the ground plane.  I seldom see good SWR with something bulky between the radials.

Changing over to a 40 meter EFHW postured in an inverted V was the answer.  SWR was a flat 1:1 and QSOs came from all directions.

Being in full-on hunting season, I made these quick and quiet activations in the WMAs, hoping to minimize the inconvenience to any hunters.  I set up just inside the properties, used earbuds, and collected the minimum ten QSOs to qualify as an activation.

US-8136 Stringtown Wildlife Management Area. 
Sorry, no photos at all.  Just inside the fence the camping area was cleared and wide open with a small bundle of tall pines in the center.  There were four RVs spaced around the perimeter.  I set up in the pines, in the middle, got a 20m EFHW up and made a very quick 10 QSOs.  In and out, no muss, no fuss.

US-6339 Atoka Wildlife Management Area. 

I liked Atoka the best, if for nothing more than the steep hill leading in.  Being a flatlander, it doesn’t take much incline to make me feel like a Mountain Man in a vast wilderness.   Just off the dirt road, the camping area was flat, cleared of trees and brush with RVs tucked into the trees beyond.

We grabbed a quick lunch in Atoka, then found the “Scenic Overlook” on the North East side of the lake.  Of course, I’m a Texan and everything in Texas is better than anywhere else.  The whole world knows this truth.  But, I have to admit that Oklahoma tends to carve out some very pleasing countryside for public lands.

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