Easy Peasy Lemmon Squeezy – Tucson Tri-Girls Club
The Tucson Tri-Girls Club’s Easy Peasy Lemmon Squeezy is coming up, and we’re building a communications team to support this multi-week endurance event on Mt. Lemmon.
This is a GMRS-based operation, and a valid GMRS license is required to participate.
If you also hold an amateur (ham) license, that’s a strong bonus, but all operators must be able to work on GMRS.
No prior event experience is required. If you can communicate clearly and come prepared, we’ll help you get the rest of the way there.
A Unique Multi-Week Event
This is a 6-week progression, with the course growing longer each weekend:
- The event begins June 20th with a shorter effort supported by mobile-only communications
- Each weekend, an additional aid station is added as the route extends
- The series culminates on August 1st with a full-length event requiring 8 staffed aid stations
You can volunteer for one weekend or several as the event builds.
| Aide Station | MM | June 20 | June 27 | July 11 | July 18 | July 25 | August 1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Start-Line | 0.0 | Active | Active | Active | Active | Active | Active |
| Molino Vista | 4.5 | – | Active (Half Turnaround) | Active | Active | Active | Active |
| Gordon Hirabayashi | 7.2 | – | – | Active (Half Turnaround) | – | – | – |
| Seven Cataracts | 9.2 | – | Active (Full Finish) | Active | Active (Half Turnaround) | Active | Active |
| Middle Bear | 11.5 | – | – | – | – | Active (Half Turnaround) | Active |
| Geology Vista | 14.0 | – | – | Active (Full Finish) | Active | Active | Active (Half Turnaround) |
| Rose Canyon Lake | 17.2 | – | – | – | Active (Full Finish) | Active | Active |
| Bigelow / Palisades | 19.8 | – | – | – | – | Active (Full Finish) | Active |
| Cookie Cabin / Summerhaven | 25 | – | – | – | – | – | Active (Full Finish) |
What You’ll Be Doing
Operators are positioned along the course to provide reliable, real-time communication between aid stations and event coordinators.
Your responsibilities include:
- Logging and relaying participant bib numbers
- Communicating requests for water, food, SAG support, equipment, or medical aid
- Reporting course conditions and any developing issues observed at your aide station
You are not directing participants or managing the race. Your role is to observe, document, and communicate clearly.
Net Control Operators Needed
We are also looking for Net Control operators, which are critical to keeping communications organized and efficient.
Net Control can be handled:
- On-site at select aid stations, or
- Remotely from home, if you have reliable RF access to:
- Mt. Lemmon 650 repeater
- 5151 550 repeater
Net Control for this event is supported by the SWCRS Event Communications Systems, a cloud based communications suite which helps streamline logging, tracking, and message handling.
If you’ve never served as Net Control before, don’t let that stop you. Training is provided, and the system is designed to make life easy.
RF Reality on Mt. Lemmon
Coverage varies significantly across the course.
Some locations are easy. Others are not.
As the event progresses, several positions will require:
- Mobile or base radios
- Elevated antennas (portable masts, base verticals)
- Directional antennas (yagis) in select locations
SWCRS has limited loaner equipment, but we especially need operators who can bring:
- High-gain antennas (elevated base antennas or yagi antennas on masts)
- Higher power mobile radios
- Experience setting up temporary field stations
If you can build a reliable station in challenging RF conditions, you’ll be essential to the later events.
With that said, if all you have access to is an HT and a can-do attitude; we can certainly use your help nonetheless.
Who We’re Looking For
You’ll be a good fit if you:
- Hold a valid GMRS license
- Are comfortable in field operations or interested in Net Control
- Can set up and troubleshoot your own equipment (for field roles)
- Communicate clearly and stay organized
Prepared operators make this system work.
Plan Ahead
This is not required, but strongly encouraged: operators should visit their assigned location ahead of time, especially for later events.
Verify:
- You can reliably access the system
- Your equipment performs as expected
- You understand terrain and access logistics
This step prevents most problems before they happen.
After the Event
We’re working to grow this team, and your feedback helps.
If you can:
- Take photos
- Write a short recap
- Share lessons learned
…it helps bring in future volunteers and improve operations.
Ready to Help?
Click below to sign up!