I had thought about editing my previous post, but decided to just add a post with images of my sites I used. Anyway, here are some pictures and videos. Again, the pictures are better if you click on them to enlarge them in my opinion.
February 16th 2025
This is the Pony Express Road. It follows the route of the old Pony Express through the West Desert of Utah. The road was paved when I first started coming out here in 2006 and then the county it is in, tore up the road because of maintenance costs. Then it was repaved about 8 years ago for this segment. After this segment, it is a dirt road that leads far out into the West Desert of Utah. This LINK gives you more information about this trial and there are many wonderful observing locations located off of it!
This is the road of Hwy 36 that leads out on the Wasatch Forest Land. Those are the Sheeprock Mountains and the road is very dusty in the spring, summer and fall. In the winter, it is fine unless it is wet or muddy. I once took my Pathfinder out here and got up to FR006 and the mud went up to where the bottom of the rims are. I backed out and left as I wasn't setting up in those conditions and I didn't want to get stuck.
More of the main road leading out. It gets less bumpy as you get farther out.
Well, kind of. It gets a little bumpy again as you approach the end of the road.
These are the signs at the end of this road. You either turn left and head out to the Vernon Reservoir where their are Forest Service toilets and campsites. Turning left leads one to disperse areas. I prefer the disperse areas, little to no people.
This is the road after turning left. You can see Forest Road 006 near the top on the left, that is where you turn left. It had a few slight ruts but nothing major. My Subaru Ascent was perfect out here.
This is about 2 miles up Forest Road 006 approaching the mountains. Road looks wet but it wasn't, it was dry!
Approaching the observing spot which is about 1/4 mile up this road. The fence is for a disperse camping area.
This is the 17.5 dob which is set up but not collimated or aligned. The skies here are wonderful, though the Salt Lake light dome to the northeast has increased from about 5 degrees above the horizon to about 10 to 15 degrees now. I won't observe to the northeast or if I do, the object has to be above about 20-25 degrees above the horizon, a fist to an open hands width.
The 17.5 after I have collimated it. I am getting a shroud for it, but I have found at my dark sites I really have never used one. I find it keeps my mirror cooler and I don't have a problem with the image. However as I age now, I think a shroud will help as my eyes begin to deteriorate.
My 14" strut dob with Zambuto mirror is in the background here. I let my friend Shane use it for these sessions since he has a 8 inch dob. Both scopes are wonderful and like with anything I own, I have made them mine by making adjustments.
17.5 ready to go, collimated using Catseye Tools and aligned. My homemade observing chair is seen off to the left. Love my Ascent. When temps get just a tad warmer and with daylight savings coming on this Sunday, March 9th, 2025, I will start bringing my backpacking air mattress and 2 inch memory foam mattress that is rolled up and sleep in the back after observing. I have a wonderful cover for both scopes.
The 17.5 facing the Sheeprock Mountains. I LOVE this location. I do fear in about 20-30 years it will degrade from the 21.7 down to 21.5 or so. When I first started coming here I use to get readings in the 21.8 to 21.9 but alas, we bring "more people, more stars upon the land."
This is my 14" that has a Zambuto mirror in it. I let my friend Shane use it since I stick mainly with the 17.5". I know some may not like the strut but Shane can share that this scope with the strings holds its collimation and the views it gives, well, they are simply spectacular! Both scopes have incredible mirrors in them and give off great views.
I use the 14" when I do a quick trip to the Desert when I need to be quick in my observing, say 2 to 3 hours because I was either working the next day or now, I have appointments or such I need to be here for. I love that you can stand flat footed with this scope and never really need a chair. The only time I use a chair is with this scope is when I am sketching on it.
The back view of the 14". I believe as I get older, I will use this scope more and more and the 17.5" may become less used. We'll see how my health holds up.
Me with the 17.5 as she is ready to go. I call the 17.5 Star Catcher and the 14" Star Viewer. Anyway, I am bundled up here. I have a merino wool base layer on, long pants and long shirt in merino wool. That is followed on the legs with a wool pant, followed by a polyester pant. Then the hunting bibs go over that. My feet have Keen Boots which I use for snow shoeing and are really warm. On my feet is a base polyester sock with a merino wool sock over that.
On tope I have the merino wool shirt, a merino wool sweater, a polyester sweat shirt. Then I have a hunting parka that goes over that. Basically I take what a friend says he does when he bows hunt in a stand and dress like Him and I honestly can say I NEVER got cold on my feet, legs, torso, arms or head. On the head is a merino wool balaclava and my favorite observing hat is on above that. For my hands I usually use a merino wool mitten and I place a hand warmer in them. My hands come out when I sketch, so sometimes I use a wool mitten with open ends for the fingertips and sometimes my hands get cold. I have an electric hand warmer that I keep charged (two of them) and I keep them in my pockets for when I need to warm my hands up. I hate pictures of myself but oh well, I look like the Pillsbury Dough Boy but I am WARM!
Come spring and summer, some of the layers come off. I think some may be surprised but the merino wool layer stays on, even in the summer. I go from my winter merino wool layer to a summer merino wool layer, which isn't quite as thick. I found both in the Uinta's Mountains and in the West Desert of Utah, nights, even in the summer get cold! Come summer I will wear the merino wool base layer, then a wool shirt and a polyester shirt. Legs have the merino wool base, a wool pant and then a polyester pant. That is usually enough to keep me warm. I can always remove a layer which I do as needed based on the temperature.
For me, the earth seems to let out a sigh, a sigh of relief. Gone is the hustle and bustle of the day and soon comes the smoothing calm of the night. This time speaks to my soul. There are only three other times or places on this planet that I feel so peaceful, so calm. I love this time and I hope these images capture my emotions, my feelings and my passion.
I guess what I love is everything is set up, and the calm and silence of this moment is exactly what I need to refocus and re-energize myself. Don't get me wrong. I love people, and love being around others, especially my family. However, there is that spot in me that just loves being out in nature and enjoying this moment. My hope is one day one if not both my grandchildren find the same thing and come along with me, or take me as they go out.
Looking north from my observing area off FR006.
Looking east at a really magnified Mt. Timpanogos in my camera. If I didn't zoom in, the picture would be very tiny and faint.
Mount Timpanogos at about 1/4 zoom, not full zoom. Gives you a perspective of how far out we are and how great this mountain is!
Looking north to slightly northeast from the observing spot.
Looking southwest toward the Sheeprocks!
Looking southwest to more westerly at the Sheeprocks from the observing site.
Looking west at the Sheeprocks.
February 27th, 2025
Well, I didn't spend the night out at the Sheeprocks, probably should have as I got home about 3:40 a.m. in the early morning of February 28th, 2025. I slept in, got up and unloaded food and drink, and then did my daily hour long swim. I ran a few errands and spent a couple of hours working on stuff for a client. By 2:00 p.m. I was finished so I loaded up dinner and drinks, and drove back out to the West Desert, missing most of the late afternoon commute.
Ten years ago it would take me only an hour and fifteen to twenty minutes to get out to my dark sites. Now, with all the increase housing and traffic on the first part of my drive out, it takes an hour and forty five minutes to over two hours sometimes or more to get out to these sites. I fear besides the increase of light pollution, the drive out could eventually become a hinderance for those seeking a visual astronomical experience.
As I was driving out to observing this night, I snapped a shot of the desert where I was heading. It is different then Forest Road 006. Still a good ways out but it cuts about 45 off the trip. The site is up on a ridge and that is good as my old site was about 25 minutes further east, and that site has become a shooting area and shooters leave their targets and old TV's, computer monitors there so I won't use it anymore. That site also sits on a old lakebed so dew is a problem there and it is usually 5-6 degrees colder there.
This is the sign on the left off the Pony Express Road that I turn to to head out.
The road leading out, winding its way along. A tidbit of information here. If you see the mountain in the middle of the image, you can see a low spot just to the right. In the spring, when conditions are right, you can actually observe Omega Centauri there. Your dob will be almost vertical but you can see it. Even that low that globular is magnificent!
Nice shot of how wide open the skies are here.
Ok, a corny shot but I took it for my wife and to show that the temperature when I got to the site was in the low 60's! I was over dressed at this point! I ended up taking off the merino wool sweater until after the sun set. Just a gorgeous day!
17.5 set up.
17.5 set up, not collimated or aligned. You can tell because I still have the secondary covered.
Front of the 17.5. The sunlight really brought out the wood here.
17.5 with mirror cover off, collimated with Catseye tools and aligned. Ready to o. You can see the step ladder, my observing chair and table I would use this night.
I love how the 17.5 is ready in this image, baffle is on and she is ready. I also love how the setting sun set off the color of the Baltic Birch wood here.
A good view of the scope, the back of the Ascent where I keep my eyepieces in the field and the back of the chair. On the step ladder are my bibs and parka as I wasn't anywhere near ready to put them on. It was just so clear, so transparent (see those mountains in the back ground!) and incredible!
The 17.5 with the observing chair I made over 10 years ago, still going strong.
Sun has set and all is ready except for me!
I LOVE this shot. I think it came out so well with Venus in the sky, the 17.5 in the twilight and the colors in the sky are just magical! Love this time of night.
Again, a great shot looking west as the sun is setting, night approaches. Love the hues picked up here. This is natural, I didn't change a thing in this shot, no processing.
Another angle that I thought I would share.
I hope it is evident that when I observe, I love the entire experience. Shawn came out a little bit latter and I had to walk down the road to guide him in to the observing site, and then help him set up the 14". It was such a great night! Both nights were incredible and I truly love this hobby. I hope that for a LONG time I can continue to go out to dark sites in Utah's West Desert. I love the mountains, I love the ocean, but I fell in love with the desert many years ago and am captured and moved by all the beauty that is out there. Both the beauty here on this earth and the wonders and beauties found in the sky above. I am a very lucky man.
