This year I was unable to work Field Day from my usual remote campsite in the high mountains.  Instead I opted for a Sunday morning excursion in the local Santa Susanna range above the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles.  This involved backpacking my gear for an hour hike and a 1300’ elevation gain to a high spot at 2800’ – sort of like doing a SOTA activation.  While it was mild at the start, the temperatures reached 99 degrees with no shade by the time I wrapped up the operation and headed back down.  I used a KX3 at 5 watts to an end fed dipole as a sloper with one end held up by a collapsible 28’ mast and the feedpoint tied off to my hiking pole.  Because a lot of day hikers passed through, I had the opportunity to answer questions about what I was doing.  In spite of working QRP, being a fresh callsign on Sunday helped in making 67 contacts on 20 and 40 meter SSB and CW and 2 meter FM with my HT.  Although it was in 2005 that I had last worked Field Day from this location, no matter how or where I end up doing my 1B class operation, it always is fun to be part of this yearly ham radio ritual.  Plus being in the outdoors puts me in contact with nature.  In a shady area alongside the trail to this summit, I walked by a cistern filled with water run off from the mountain which has a healthy population of goldfish that I make sure to bring along fish food for!  Until next year, 73 de Scott.