Public Observing at Notchview - 5/3

IF Mother Nature cooperates, Arunah Hill's first outreach event for 2008 will take place at Notchview (Windsor, MA) on Saturday, May 3.

Notchview is a great site for public observing -- it's right off Route 9, has an excellent Visitor's Center, and the staff is very accommodating.

More information on the facility is posted to the Internet.

djc

Springtime at Arunah Hill

Warm weather has cleared away the snow. Barry visited Arunah on 4/22 and found dry ground, cleared roads and NO washouts.

djc

Winter in April

It might have been 50 degrees and sunny down in the valley, but it was still definitely winter up on the hill. I parked by the mailbox, I didn't dare test the driveway. Dan Carnevale was able to drive up past the barn, but had his 4 wheel drive pickup pretty well covered in mud and slush by the time he had parked.
Dan and I walked part of the property (following in some of Ray Burk's footsteps). The roadway was a mix of 2 foot ice ruts, slush, and a bit of mud and some flowing water. A robust flow of water seemed to be under much of the roadway.

The picture at right tells the story... Dan was walking along the road just fine when one step burst through the snow crust and suddenly put him knee deep in heavy snow.

After walking less than half way up the hill both of us decided it wasn't worth risking our creaking knees, and we turned around. No work to be done on the top of the hill today anyway.

Dan and I strategized about the upcoming work days of pouring the telescope pads, then called it a day. With luck and some sunshine we'll have the pads ready to pour on the May workday.

-Ed