Palomar Mountain Observatory Field Trip
The Palomar Observatory field trip occurred on 9 23 17. There was an early muster at 0600 at the Yuma CAP hangar. After the mandatory safety brief 9 cadets and 3 senior members climbed into the van and we hit the road before sunrise. The trip west crossed the Yuma sand dunes then the Imperial Valley in California. We continued on into Borrego Springs State Park. The numerous Ocotillo bushes were unusually leafy and green. They weathered the dry summer looking very healthy. The road narrowed and we entered a series of steep gorges and tight turns. As we climbed out of the desert, the flora changed and we saw our first trees. Next it was over a ridge line and we entered a beautiful meadow, grasslands, and the Lake Henshaw Reservoir. There were many comments about the beauty of the area. Finally, we made our final assault to Palomar Mountain. Fortunately the traffic was light as we climbed a 2 lane road that was almost endlessly curvy. There was quite a bit of excitement among the passengers as we crossed first 5,000 feet, then one mile, ending at last at about 5,500 ft. The first glimpse of the 200 inch telescope dome elicited some gasps of disbelief. The magnitude of the structure just grew as we drove closer.
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| 200 inch Hale telescope Dome |
The arrival at the telescope parking lot was just about on schedule. After a quick group photo everyone clamored into the Visitor's Center.
We were first in line for tour tickets. Good thing we got there early because the 11 o'clock tour quickly sold out.
The displays in the visitor center were well-done but there just did not seem to be time to check out everything.
We hiked up a short pathway to the gathering area for the tour. Scattered cumulus clouds and a mild breeze made us wish we had brought our winter coats (not regulation uniform for the cadets who were in their BDUs with the sleeves rolled up. Some impromptu PT got the blood flowing.
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| 508 Group at base of the dome. |
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| Keeping warm |
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| Glorious sunshine |
Then the cadets put their backs into trying to lift the 15 ton dummy mirror that was used to check the telescope mount, bearings, and balance when the telescope was built in the 1930s and 1940s. I didn't see it budge but it was a good team activity and helped keep everyone warm.
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| 1-2-3 LIFT |
The tour of the 3 levels we visited inside the telescope dome during the tour promised to be warmer because there would be no wind--NOT! The temperature that day was about 40 degrees F inside the closed dome and stressed us Yuma desert rats.
The docents provided a nice overview of the history of the telescope and discussed current and past achievements. One of the cadets volunteered to steer the telescope (model) and she did a credible job.
Frankly, I was so cold that I was glad when the one hour tour ended and sunshine outside the building provided some much needed warmth. A nice group photo op provided the telescope dome as a backdrop as everyone headed out for lunch.
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| Tour Over |
I think the highlight here for the cadets was the chance to climb around on the huge granite boulders in the picnic area. As safety officer, I drew the line when they tried to climb the healthy oak trees that presented almost irresistible temptation.
A respite with a return to the visitor's center and purchases in the gift shop ended our enjoyable visit to one of the largest telescopes in the world. The trip back to Yuma was uneventful, almost. One of the senior members had never been to Julian so we headed back on a route to pass through the mountain-side town. We ran into unbelievable traffic from the city that was up to visit the area for the fall apple season and the famous Julian pies. I made and executive decision and made a u-turn instead of waiting the miles long bumper-to-bumper traffic heading up the hill towards Julian. It was worth a try, right?
See the attached images from the trip.
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| Appreciation to these senior members who made the trip possible! |
