Shingletown Star Party?

Hello,

I'm trying to decide whether to go to the Shingletown Star Party this year.
Each year, I go to Table Mountain and Oregon Star Party. The weather as
Table Mountain is not particularly reliable, but it's usually fun with all
the people and events. Also Table Mountain is only a two hour drive from
home in the Seattle area, so it's a no-brainer. Oregon is a 400 mile drive,
and it's really dusty, but the skies are spectacular, so I usually look
forward to OSP a bit more than TMSP.

What are the skies like at Shingletown? Is the weather usually favorable?
Is it motorhome-friendly (I always take my wife, kids and our small dog in a
34 foot motorhome)? The schedule for Singletown is perfect. TMSP is during
new moon in July, and OSP is August, so June fits in perfectly. It's a bit
of a long drive, though, so I'm not sure that I can talk my wife into it as
a third star party, unless it's likely to be a very good experience.

Thanks,
-Wade

Hi Wade,

On Sun, 21 Mar 2004 14:37:29 -0800, "Wade A. Hilmo" wrote:

The weather as Table Mountain is not particularly reliable

We have held star parties in the Shigletown / Mt. Lassen area for over ten years
now. Like any place, there are variances, but overall we've had very good
success with the weather, and particularly earlier in the year to avoid fire
season (August) as much as possible. This year we are in mid-June, and hope
that will cool some of our temps. We had a once-in-century heat wave two years
ago - so hot I'm hesitant to post the numbers, but that was extremely unusual.
Last year temps were in the mid 90's during the day, and shirtsleeve pretty much
all night. We're hoping for mid-80's this year.

Oregon is a 400 mile drive, and it's really dusty, but the skies are spectacular, so I usually look
forward to OSP a bit more than TMSP.

What are the skies like at Shingletown? Is the weather usually favorable?

I went to OPS for my first time last year. 13 hour drive from the SF bay area.
It was a bad year for OSP as there were clouds and smoke. But one night we had
some very good skies. I think OSP may have darker skies than Shingletown, but
not a lot. I think there's more to a big star party than simply the darkest
skies (especially when we're talking tenths of a magnitude). Look at the Clear
Sky Clocks for both sites if you can, and compare the light pollution maps.

http://66.78.6.237/~cleardar/c/ShingleCAkey.html
http://cleardarksky.com/c/OrgnSpORkey.html?1

When we used to hold the Lassen Star Party, we'd go to 8250 feet at Bumpass Hell
parking lot in the National Park. I have good eyes, and was at about mag 7.1
naked eye doing star counts in Bootes/CoronaB. At Shingletown, I'm at 7.0. We
like Shingletown - it is at almost 4,000 feet - which, believe me, makes a
difference in your stamina.

We moved to Shingletown three years ago after outgrowing the observing sites in
Lassen Park, and it is of course nice to be able to leave equipment set up
during the day at SSP, which was not allowed at Lassen. And there good
conveniences at Shingletown.

Also nice about Shingletown is that we have a hard surface to set equipment up
on - it is an airport runway - 7/10ths fo a mile long. Plenty of room. We
have a successful dust control program - with a water truck coming through
several times a day and we've spread hay over the dirt off the tarmac a few
weeks before the event - it is very good at keeping dust to a minimum. At RTMC
and OSP I found the dust very annoying, and the surface not to my liking, but I
had a great time at both events.

The other nice thing at Shingletown is that there are ameneties within 2 to 3
miles of the observing site - restaurants, grocery stores, gas stations, and 30
miles downhill is Reddig, where you can get whatever you want.

17 miles uphill is Mt. Lassen Volcanic National Park, the most southern of the
Cascades. It is a beautiful park and the geology is amazing.

Hat Creek, nearby, is one of America's great trout streams. There's plenty to
do *outside* of the star party during the day, or you can comfortably hang out
with other amateur astronomers on-site too.

Is it motorhome-friendly

Yes.

If you have other question, post here, or e-mail me.

Regards

Mark Wagner
Shingletown Star Party 2004 http://www.shingletownstarparty.org

Thanks for the information Mark.

I agree that last year was a bit disappointing due to all the smoke.
Thursday night was awesome. It was my first night out with my CGE-1400, and
it's totally spoiled me for what the C14 can do. The skies anywhere near
the Seattle area are pretty bad by comparison. We did get some spectacular
views of Mars at opposition through the smoke, though. On one of the nights
where the smoke was particularly bad, nothing was visible except Mars. The
sky was steady, though, and the smoke made a very nice natural filter.

I spoke to my wife about Shingletown, and she and I both think it sounds
like fun. We're looking forward to it. I've just filled out the
registration page on the web.

I also sent a followup question about the generator policy in the rules via
email, specifically about whether we can use the generator in our motorhome
or not.

Thanks again,
-Wade

"Mark Wagner" wrote in message
.. .

Hi Wade,

On Sun, 21 Mar 2004 14:37:29 -0800, "Wade A. Hilmo"
wrote:

The weather as Table Mountain is not particularly reliable

We have held star parties in the Shigletown / Mt. Lassen area for over ten
years
now. Like any place, there are variances, but overall we've had very good
success with the weather, and particularly earlier in the year to avoid
fire
season (August) as much as possible. This year we are in mid-June, and
hope
that will cool some of our temps. We had a once-in-century heat wave two
years
ago - so hot I'm hesitant to post the numbers, but that was extremely
unusual.
Last year temps were in the mid 90's during the day, and shirtsleeve
pretty much
all night. We're hoping for mid-80's this year.

Oregon is a 400 mile drive, and it's really dusty, but the skies are
spectacular, so I usually look
forward to OSP a bit more than TMSP.

What are the skies like at Shingletown? Is the weather usually
favorable?

I went to OPS for my first time last year. 13 hour drive from the SF bay
area.
It was a bad year for OSP as there were clouds and smoke. But one night
we had
some very good skies. I think OSP may have darker skies than Shingletown,
but
not a lot. I think there's more to a big star party than simply the
darkest
skies (especially when we're talking tenths of a magnitude). Look at the
Clear
Sky Clocks for both sites if you can, and compare the light pollution
maps.

http://66.78.6.237/~cleardar/c/ShingleCAkey.html
http://cleardarksky.com/c/OrgnSpORkey.html?1

When we used to hold the Lassen Star Party, we'd go to 8250 feet at
Bumpass Hell
parking lot in the National Park. I have good eyes, and was at about mag
7.1
naked eye doing star counts in Bootes/CoronaB. At Shingletown, I'm at
7.0. We
like Shingletown - it is at almost 4,000 feet - which, believe me, makes a
difference in your stamina.

We moved to Shingletown three years ago after outgrowing the observing
sites in
Lassen Park, and it is of course nice to be able to leave equipment set up
during the day at SSP, which was not allowed at Lassen. And there good
conveniences at Shingletown.

Also nice about Shingletown is that we have a hard surface to set
equipment up
on - it is an airport runway - 7/10ths fo a mile long. Plenty of room.
We
have a successful dust control program - with a water truck coming through
several times a day and we've spread hay over the dirt off the tarmac a
few
weeks before the event - it is very good at keeping dust to a minimum. At
RTMC
and OSP I found the dust very annoying, and the surface not to my liking,
but I
had a great time at both events.

The other nice thing at Shingletown is that there are ameneties within 2
to 3
miles of the observing site - restaurants, grocery stores, gas stations,
and 30
miles downhill is Reddig, where you can get whatever you want.

17 miles uphill is Mt. Lassen Volcanic National Park, the most southern of
the
Cascades. It is a beautiful park and the geology is amazing.

Hat Creek, nearby, is one of America's great trout streams. There's
plenty to
do *outside* of the star party during the day, or you can comfortably hang
out
with other amateur astronomers on-site too.

Is it motorhome-friendly

Yes.

If you have other question, post here, or e-mail me.

Regards

Mark Wagner
Shingletown Star Party 2004 http://www.shingletownstarparty.org