Re: [APML] California Desert Night Sky

["Chris Cook" <ccook@cape.com>]

Hi Jim -


> Hi Chris,
>   Nice to hear you were back ...*home*... out in the much Fabled,
Legendary,
> and Great Eternal MOFN!  I see there's those pesky and very distant light
> domes in pretty much every direction though, but a very nice all-sky
Chris.
>   I made several trips out to (and northward a good 20 miles also) that
> general area back when comet IZ was around, got a shot of it passing M31
out
> there as both set in the low west at dusk.  Not very good though, shooting
> out over Indio and Palm Springs on that trip.  And I couldn't believe it,
> but a very visable hazy smog layer (or maybe particulate dust) did not
> improve my effort.


20 miles north of the MOFN puts you around Rice, truly even more into the
great MOFN.  The burned out buildings, refrigerators and washing machines
laying out in the desert is the true sign of a ghost town in the MOFN.....
<G>  Btw, did you ever see the "Shoe Tree" in Rice?  A must see if you're
out that way.  I have pictures somewhere, I'll dig 'em out and post a few.


>   Man, I was out there in an absolutely raging wind-borne sand storm too
> once, really unbelievable.  I finally headed back, exiting I-10 at the
> Joshua Tree National Monument exit and headed exact due south, out the
dirt
> road and scrambled up the mountains in the rough and wild off-roading
> Accord.

You must have driven down Box Canyon Rd that goes down to Mecca?  During a
trip down this canyon, Jim and I found a couch, cabinets and another
refrgerator.  Heck, one could make a nice little cabin in the desert with
all the appliances out there... ;-)


>   On the way back home west through the nothingness of bleak dark desert,
I
> managed to reel in a center divider parked CHP radar for a citation of
91mph
> in a 70.  Though enjoining a cluster of vehicles ahead netted me a "Thank
> You Judge" and a scott-free walk from the courtroom on the latter trip out
> to Indio.

Instead of clocking you for 91mph, they should ticket some of the truckers
who think its funny to pull out in front of you and pass while going up the
Chiriaco Grade.


>   Of importance though, have you or ANYONE had a chance to shoot or
observe
> south of Wilcox, AZ. in Cochise County but still north of the Chirichua
> (likely spelled wrong) Mountains?  It's a small world sometimes.  I have a
> chance to purchase a relatively decent 20 acre retirement property out
there
> in the desert 30 miles slightly southwest of Wilcox, AZ. (specifically
about
> 10 miles due east, as far as I can tell, from "Kansas Settlement".)  It's
a
> 1000 mile round trip out to view it.  Anyone know if it is a good dark sky
> area?


Sunglow Ranch (a once popular astrophoto place) is just SE of Kansas
Settlement at the base of the Chiricahua's.  It is darker than you know what
out there and another MOFN area.  The only thing that I might question is
that the Wilcox Dry Lake bed is in that region and I would think, could kick
up a fair amount of dust when the wind is blowing.  In the times I was
shooting from Sunglow though, I don't remember dust from the lake being a
problem.  Just a thought...


> Take care out there with the rattlers and them-there glow'in scorpions,

None found on this last trip....... to the pleasure of my wife..... <G>

Chris


-----------------------------
Chris Cook Photography
www.cookphoto.com






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