RNAPO said....
>Thanks very much, Peter for all you checking and follow through.
>
>Please correct me if I'm wrong, but it sounds as if we are in the
>same boat, that is, our access is at the whim of the Ranger.
>
>I would think the park system has written policies about camping, hiking,
>etc in the park. Other than a temporary maintenance situations, I'm sure
>the Ranger doesn't just decide to close one or all of the campsites.
>Or, close half or the park's trails. I would like to see the activity of
>amateur astronomy brought up to the level of "normal" park use such
>as hiking and camping.
>
>Thanks again,
>Rich
>ps I'll be happy to get involved again where it would help.
Rich,
Yes, it is back to what things were during Ranger Rick's tenure.
Ranger CL Price may be a great guy, willing to accommodate amateur
astronomy to the fullest of his abilities. That's great.
But you are correct, it leaves everyone subject to the same drastic policy
swings as were experienced over the past five years.
One remark during this discussion crystalized the situation for me. Peter
mentioned that the same conditions exist at Coe. That a friendly ranger
allows us to do astronomy there. While there may be some validity to the
remark, I think there is something much more basic at play.
Fremont Peak closes 1/2 hour after dark. Coe is open 24 hours.
This point was tacitly made by, if I am not mistaken, Lynne Rhodes at the
1999 meeting you arranged at Houge Park, between the CDPR, FPOA and amateur
astronomers (referred to as TAC). She made the point that Fremont Peak
closes. Then she asked about opening it 24 hours. The discussion was that
opening it 24 hours might yield both positive and negative results. I
think the lack of a ranger on site was the reason at that time for not
having the park open 24 hours. It seems that now, with CL on site, the
lack of a resident ranger is no longer an obstacle. Of course, CL may not
want to have 24 hour responsibilities... although with campers in the park
it seems he already does.
But at Coe, none of these issues exist. The park is open 24 hours. People
are allowed to hike past 1/2 hour after dark. People are allowed to enter
the park past 1/2 hour after dark. There is no cessation to park user
activities at all based on sunset and sunrise.
It is a much more simple and friendly situation at Coe.
It appears it is the Peak's "business hours" that creates the problem.
So, perhaps it is time to ask Monterey to open the Peak 24 hours, as they,
the CDPR, had previously suggested. Otherwise, the only time we can do
astronomy up there without some form of special dispensation is, as was
humorously suggested by the well remembered previous Supervising Ranger
Mary Pass, during the daytime. Otherwise, all that is needed to return to
Ms. Pass' sort of park use guidelines is, a change in ranger.
Trivia question....
How many rangers has Fremont Peak had in the past 5 years?
I'll stay at Coe. :-)
Mark