Hey y'all, If you don't make it to Binopalooza tomorrow night (or just don't get enough of a astronomy fix) a few of us will be heading up to Wolf Creek on Friday the 14th. Right now we've got Don Colton and a few of his friends, Kim Hyatt, Jo and Alan Grahn, Dave Bernson, and myself, but would love to have anyone else who's interested join us. The moon should be nearly set at the end of twilight so I think we'll have some nice dark sky. Kim and I took an excursion up to the site on the way back from The Wedge via Duchesne this last weekend and found the roads to be nice and dry right up to the observing site. For those who have been to Elizabeth Mountain you'll know what great skies the Uinta's can have during a dry week like this one. The main difference between the two is the ease of access to Wolf Creek. An hour and 15 minutes out of Salt Lake and you're there at nearly 9,900 ft without all the washboard and ruts that the road to Elizabeth is known for. There are great spots in the forest to the West of the site for camping as well. It's really a premier site and you'll be doing yourself a favor if you check it out at least once this summer/fall observing season. I've included a link below to a website that has two maps that I have compiled to and of the site. The 1st shows the site in relation to Salt Lake (my apologies for the Sugarhousecentric view) and the 2nd shows the site in relation to the Wolf Creek Summit/Campground. The 2.5 mile dirt road is not bad at all. I've driven it often in my Saturn sedan without any worries. If you have any questions feel free to email me direct at dlbennett@mac.com. http://homepage.mac.com/dlbennett/PhotoAlbum3.html Hope to see some of you there! Regards, Dave Bennett P.S. Here is a written description to the site that was supplied by Jo Grahn in a much earlier email....(Thanks Jo, see you Friday!) P.P.S. Be sure to come prepared for a night at 10,00 feet!!!! It can get chilly but if it's any consolation this is one of the sites (Elizabeth included...that was for you Brent) that many of us have seen M81 with the unaided eye. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Take I-80 East (past Park City exit) to Exit 148. (Rt. 40 East). Stay to the right on the exit, as it splits. Head East on Rt. 40 to Exit 4. At the bottom of the exit ramp, go left towards Kamas. (I think this is Rt. 248, but I won't swear to it.) Follow this road as it winds through the hills to Kamas. In Kamas there is a stop sign at the intersection of this road and Rt. 32. Go right (South) on Rt. 32. Take Rt. 32 several miles to the intersection with Rt. 35 in Francis. Go left (East) on 35. You will go through Francis and Woodland and up past the Mill Hollow reservoir turnoff. Towards the top of the pass, you will see a sign for the Wolf Creek campground on your right. Go to and through the campground on a dirt rd, and continue on about two miles heading south, until you reach the edge of the world (ormaybe it just looks that way). The road comes to an abrupt "T". Go left, past the dead end sign, .8 miles. There is a beautiful wide grassy area to the right that Dave Bernson and Dave Bennett found several years ago. The sky is dark enough that the milky way casts a definite shadow.
Thanks, Dave. I have been camping at Wolf Creek, but that was a VERY long time ago. I'm looking forward to getting up there this year, but not this weekend. I'm leaving Phoenix Sat morning and leaving for Wyoming Sun. Maybe next lunation. Brent --- David L Bennett <dlbennett@mac.com> wrote:
Hey y'all,
If you don't make it to Binopalooza tomorrow night (or just don't get enough of a astronomy fix) a few of us will be heading up to Wolf Creek on Friday the 14th. Right now we've got Don Colton and a few of his friends, Kim Hyatt, Jo and Alan Grahn, Dave Bernson, and myself, but would love to have anyone else who's interested join us. The moon should be nearly set at the end of twilight so I think we'll have some nice dark sky. Kim and I took an excursion up to the site on the way back from The Wedge via Duchesne this last weekend and found the roads to be nice and dry right up to the observing site.
For those who have been to Elizabeth Mountain you'll know what great skies the Uinta's can have during a dry week like this one. The main difference between the two is the ease of access to Wolf Creek. An hour and 15 minutes out of Salt Lake and you're there at nearly 9,900 ft without all the washboard and ruts that the road to Elizabeth is known for. There are great spots in the forest to the West of the site for camping as well. It's really a premier site and you'll be doing yourself a favor if you check it out at least once this summer/fall observing season.
I've included a link below to a website that has two maps that I have compiled to and of the site. The 1st shows the site in relation to Salt Lake (my apologies for the Sugarhousecentric view) and the 2nd shows the site in relation to the Wolf Creek Summit/Campground. The 2.5 mile dirt road is not bad at all. I've driven it often in my Saturn sedan without any worries. If you have any questions feel free to email me direct at dlbennett@mac.com.
http://homepage.mac.com/dlbennett/PhotoAlbum3.html
Hope to see some of you there! Regards, Dave Bennett
P.S. Here is a written description to the site that was supplied by Jo Grahn in a much earlier email....(Thanks Jo, see you Friday!)
P.P.S. Be sure to come prepared for a night at 10,00 feet!!!! It can get chilly but if it's any consolation this is one of the sites (Elizabeth included...that was for you Brent) that many of us have seen M81 with the unaided eye.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Take I-80 East (past Park City exit) to Exit 148. (Rt. 40 East). Stay to the right on the exit, as it splits. Head East on Rt. 40 to Exit 4. At the bottom of the exit ramp, go left towards Kamas. (I think this is Rt. 248, but I won't swear to it.) Follow this road as it winds through the hills to Kamas. In Kamas there is a stop sign at the intersection of this road and Rt. 32. Go right (South) on Rt. 32. Take Rt. 32 several miles to the intersection with Rt. 35 in Francis. Go left (East) on 35. You will go through Francis and Woodland and up past the Mill Hollow reservoir turnoff. Towards the top of the pass, you will see a sign for the Wolf Creek campground on your right. Go to and through the campground on a dirt rd, and continue on about two miles heading south, until you reach the edge of the world (ormaybe it just looks that way). The road comes to an abrupt "T". Go left, past the dead end sign, .8 miles. There is a beautiful wide grassy area to the right that Dave Bernson and Dave Bennett found several years ago. The sky is dark enough that the milky way casts a definite shadow.
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participants (2)
-
Brent Watson -
David L Bennett