Note- this web page was written when I lived in Pagosa Springs, CO. I've since moved, but I'm leaving the page online due to its relevance to the ham radio community.
Welcome to Pagosa Springs, Colorado! We are located in
southwest Colorado, surrounded by the incredible beauty of the San Juan
and Rocky Mountain Ranges, at an elevation of 7500 feet. Pagosa Springs
is about 50 miles east of Durango, and 25 miles north of the New Mexico
border. Pagosa Springs offers many outdoor recreation opportunities and
is perhaps best known for its historic mineral hot springs and the exceptional skiing at Wolf Creek, where 440 inches of snowfall annually make skiers very happy.
Retirees,
tourists and a steady base of "locals" who enjoy the high mountains,
four seasons, fresh air, plentiful sunshine, and diverse attractions of
southwestern Colorado make Pagosa Springs a dynamic town. Pagosa
Springs has been "discovered" by those wanting a great outdoors experience and life style. Archuleta County, home to Pagosa Springs, has a
population of about 11,000 people. Only about 40 percent of them are
full-time residents, making Pagosa Springs largely comprised of second
homes.
Within the 11,000 person population in the immediate vicinity of Pagosa
Springs, there are about 80 ham radio operators. A large majority of
these hams are technicians, with a strong representation of general and
a handful of extra class hams.
Working DX stations (countries far away) is a favorite pastime of mine.
I'm continuing my pursuit of "the last one". I came very close when I
lived in Alaska (ex-WL7M) with 313 countries. Now that I've
moved to Pagosa Springs, I've had to start all over again! So far, I've
worked 339 countries - more than my Alaska total - and just a few more left to finish working all DXCC entities. Not bad
for not "being" a DX station! It takes more work, and it's every bit as
much fun!
I
love 6 meters too - I've managed to work 45 states in two months from
here in Colorado. When I lived in Alaska, I worked all states in 30
days on 6 meters - quite an accomplishment, but the bands were wide
open and being in a "rare" location, I got a fair share of attention.
My thanks to all the guys and gals who made that happen. I've also
started using High Speed Meteor Scatter on 6 meters, which allows me to
talk to people on a daily basis on what otherwise would be a "dead
band". Give it a try - you may really enjoy it!
