WARNING: If stitches and blood make you not feel well, don't go to the bottom of this post!
Way back in October, I went out to Top View for a quick evening of observing. I had been out the previous night out at Eight Mile Spring Rd with my friends Shane and Jeff. We had an excellent night! Well, I wanted to maximize the sky as the conditions were just terrific so since Shane and Jeff could not make it, I headed out on my own to Utah's West Desert to a site I call Top View. Top View is on Toon Rd. which is off the Pony Express Road and about 2 miles west of the Pony Express Marker on that road.
I made this into one movie but thought it would be better to split them up here so you can just the footage I made on my drive out to Toon Road and Top View. If you're new here, my videos are raw, I don't edit them in this case because I just want you to have a feel for my voice and who I am and my love of the hobby. Please look past mistakes I make.
This is of my drive out on the road leading to Five Mile Pass and my thoughts as I drove.
This video is of my continued drive out on the Pony Express Road. I show the road and that there are others ATVing, Motorbike riding, and it looked like some rocketing going on.
This next video shows my drive on Toon Road after turning off the Pony Express Road. The Top View site is about 1/2 mile south on a ridge. On the drive out someone had tried to block the road with tires. I went around them and later went back and moved them out of the road. The next day my son called the BLM and on our next drive out they had been removed. Please if you use the Public Lands, be respectful and carry out what you bring in, so others can enjoy the land.
Below you can see how beautiful the sky was here. This is the view looking south from Top View. Just spectacular!!!! I was so looking forward to having an outstanding evening.
This video shows the 17.5 inch dobsonian telescope that I named Star Catcher collimated and ready to go. I also show you how (not in the winter months) I use the car windows down to access my equipment.
This video shows my set-up and the table I use to write down my observation descriptions on the back of my sketches and how I decide what objects to go after and where I keep the list I am working off of.
Here is Star Catcher, my 17.5" dobsonian collimated and aligned and ready to go for the evening! The view here is to the south southeast.
Here you can see Star Catcher with my table set up and my step ladder I use when I go up high on my f/4.4 and my parka. It was such a gorgeous night!
Something I don't touch on much but here it is, dinner. Yep, I usually always bring my dinner with me. Sometimes you'll see a nice salad, sometimes like tonight two gluten-free bagels with low sodium turkey and a piece of dairy free cheese. I have Celiac Disease and gluten and I just will never agree. Celiac disease has also made me lactose intolerant and let's just say you don't want to be around me if I consume lactose unless you have several cans of Febreeze with you.
Sunset looking west from the top of the ridge.
Star Catcher my 17.5 inch dobsonian telescope looking west with the Sunset.
Star Catcher again looking south in this view.
Sunset looking west to southwest.
Twilight with Venus and Arcturus in the frame with two faint train lights in the distance. What a GORGEOUS Night!!!!!
Well after sunset fell, I was ready to go. I began observing and notice that the balance was off. I had put on an extra counterweight and had attached it with black zip ties. The counterweight needed to come, and the wire cutters I use on zip ties was in the Ascent below the back cupboard. I thought about getting it and then decided to use my hunting knife since it would be quicker, and I REALLY wanted to get observing on this gorgeous night and not open the Ascent. I wanted to keep my dark seeing adaptation that was matching the night fall.
Just then that little voice inside of me said "No, put the knife away, get the wire cutter, or you'll cut your hand." Well if you know me, I know and most who know me well know if that little voice speaks to me, I need to listen to it.
Did I? Nope. I went with a red light on and cut the first two zip ties. I moved to the third and as I cut the knife slipped and entered into my left hand just below the first knuckle on my left thumb.
Blood instantly started pouring out, literally. I dropped the knife and I had a clean towel and grabbed it and applied pressure to try and stop the bleeding. The blood began to soak into the towel and I had to get a second one I had. I also got my cell phone out and tried calling first my wife, it went to her voicemail. Next I tried my 31-year-old son and that went to voicemail. I needed help, so though Shane had stayed home to spend time with his wife and sons, I called.
Instantly his wife got an emergency first aid kit and Shane was out the door heading my way. I knew at this time of night I had a 45-minute wait. Just then my son called me back, and I told her that I had a major cut on my hand and I need to go to the emergency room and I would need him to come out and load up my scope and drive my car home. I then tried my wife again and got no answer, so I hung up and tried one more time.
This time she answered, and I explained what had happened. By now the blood was stopping as long as I kept pressure up. I had looked, and I had about a 1/8 open cut, and it was deep, I could tell that and it HURT! My wife arranged with my son to drive them both out, and he would with Shane, load my equipment and telescope up and my son would then drive my Ascent home. My wife Lynda would then drive me to the emergency room.
Well Shane showed up, and we applied some of his bandages to the would and I kept pressure up on it. As long as the pressure was kept on it wasn't bleeding. Lynda my wife and my son Nathan showed up. Nathan and Shane started unloading and Lynda took me into her Jaguar F-Pace, and we started the 35-minute drive to the nearest emergency room.
When we got there they weren't that busy, but I did have to wait about 25 minutes for the doctor to come in an examine the wound. During that time I had to remove my bibs and most of my layers of shirts leaving only one on.
The doctor came and examined the would thoroughly. As I took off my bandage the wound began to seep blood again, but nothing like out at Top View. I could move the thumb and only felt some numbness on the side of the thumb. He said I had probably nicked the nerve, and he didn't think I needed a specialist as in time, it would repair itself.
He announced he didn't think it had gone too deep but deep enough to require stitches. He had to finish up with another patient. Furthermore, he informed me and my wife that he'd be back and that the nurse would clean me up first. However first he would give me a couple of injections to numb the wound area. The first hurt a little bit, then the rest were fine. It takes a lot to numb me up so he had to give me five shots to numb the area.
She came in and sure enough, she cleaned me up. The nurse did a fantastic job. The would was thoroughly cleaned. The doctor then returned and stitched me up. I asked restrictions. He told me no swimming for 6 weeks and to be seen in 3 weeks. I asked if I could go observing again, and he said yes, in a couple of days but make sure you wear a bandage over it when you do that. Also, he gave me shower guidelines to keep the wound clean and ointment to put on it.
Here are two shots after the doctor stitched me up.
It wasn't a fun cut, and it put my weight loss on hold really through December. I returned to swimming in mid-December and that has helped as I love that hour every day I swim which is six days a week. I've lost ten of the 20 lbs I put on from my vacation in September and then after this incident.
I just took this picture of the scar area today. I had pain in the area for most of December and the area above the wound and on the left side of my thumb were really numb. That numbness is fading, and I have to actually rub the area to feel it. My doctor predicts in about four to six more months I'll be totally healed. Nerves just take time to regrow!
What did I learn from this incident? Well, it is the first major accident I have had in 25 plus years of observing here in Utah. I learned to make sure to let people know where I am going and for that purpose I have share my location on with my wife, my son and Shane. That way if I am alone and observing alone I can reach out, and they can either come and assist or direct emergency response where to go.
Second, I know when I hear that little voice in me speak to me, I must heed it. I know better. Also, I need to if I need to make a field repair make sure I have the right equipment to make the repair or adjust until I can make the repair I need. I need to use the right tool for the right task also.
Anyway, sometimes observing is a new adventure in ways we never expect. Here's hoping you learn from my experience. I was back out there two days later and tomorrow I'll post of my observing session on October 20th, 2025. See, I could go, and so I went more because I wasn't going to let my stupidity stop me, and I was determined to overcome the wound without aggravating it. I accomplished that as you'll see in the next post.
Clear skies to you and remember to look and be amazed.
