>
> I've been starting to receive private e-mails almost quivering with
> excitement over the approaching dark sky trip. The first timers are the
> best... having been observing primarily in bay area skies for their entire
> astronomy experience, this will be a mind blower. Be aware that at high
> altitude the UV exposure is more intense. A lotion with an SPF of at
> least 10 should be considered to avoid star-burn from the intensity of the
> Milky Way. ;-)
>
> Really though, this will be a wonderful trip, my 7th year going up. IIRC,
> the first trip was an exploratory with just a handful of us... Ed Erbeck,
> John Kulkewicz, John Hales, Dean Linebarger and myself. Perhaps Richard
> Navarrete was there, it was a long time ago so memory is fuzzy. We were
> all so taken with the dark sky, it was difficult to identify some of the
> constellations through all the stars. I've come to have somewhat of a
> ritual at the observing location... setting up perhaps an hour before
> sunset, I'll watch the activity around me, take in the surroundings, relax
> and wait for the sun to drop below the western horizon. A sharp
> purple-gray line rises over the eastern horizon, the earth's shadow, like
> the edge of a blanket being pulled up and over, growing increasingly
> darker at the horizon as the "egde" gets higher in the sky. You can
> literally watch night happen. Then the stars come out, first Arcturus and
> Vega, then suddenly about a dozen, then within about 1/2 an hour, you
> can't count them. The whole scene is a real-life National Geographic
> documentary happening all around you. A symphony for the senses.
>
> I can't wait, and finally, I feel like I don't have to!
>
> One other somewhat more serious note, about being out at night. Last
> year, on the first trip, as I was leaving the observing site, weary but
> happy after the drive from home, setting up camp, and being at my
> telescope for hours, I saw one member of the group still observing. Randy
> Muller was not ready to quit. I asked him if he was going to be out there
> by himself, and he replied yes he was staying longer. As an experienced
> night visitor to the park, I knew of the dangers. I warned Randy of the
> Great Northern California Hairy Chupacabra. He laughed. Others have
> laughed in the past, but have shied away from returning to Lassen. Perhaps
> they had a close call? Stories of the Lemurians living underground at Mt.
> Shasta and down through the flatlands in the wilds around the Sacramento
> River abound. Strange happenings... these stories persist despite such
> skepticism as was shown by first timer Randy Muller. I warned Randy to not
> stay alone, or really, even in a small group in places as remote as the
> Bumpass Hell parking lot. The chupacabra are stealthy, and are upon their
> victims with almost no warning... and this is so easily accomplished when
> the quarry is "star struck" by the exquisitely seductive skies. Be
> warned.
>
> Randy, upon returning home, and having successfully avoided becoming an
> unwitting blood donor that night while observing alone, sent me a URL for
> information about the chupacabra. I'm sure he thinks it funny, but this
> is not to be taken lightly! The URL is:
>
> http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Vault1259/chupacabra.html
>
> Note in the description, the beast is known to smell like sulpher.
>
> Anyone notice that smell at Lassen before? Perhaps around Bumpass Hell?
> Reading carefully, you will also find there *have* been sightings in
> California....
>
> Coincidence?
>
> You be the judge....
>
> See you all at Lassen... be careful this year. If you note the smell of
> sulpher behind you, run for your life!
>
> Mark Wagner
> mgw@No-Spam-intl.com
>
>