Northwest Unknown Star Party July 4 - 7 2013
Started by
Stacy
, Apr 08 2013 06:59 PM
129 replies to this topic
#51
Stacy
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Posted 22 June 2013 - 08:10 PM
Some more heavily damaged trees (and Robert in the foreground - NOT damaged) looking from the traditional photographers area of the scope field towards Ellensburg in the south.
#52
Stacy
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Posted 22 June 2013 - 08:14 PM
Let's not forget my Lincoln Hybrid. Looking north from the scope field. 
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#53
Stacy
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Posted 22 June 2013 - 08:21 PM
Robert has some much better quality shots I'm sure he'll post soon. 
My opinion was that while some areas have suffered greatly, most of the traditional viewing area is still quite enjoyable to visit. The magic is still there and although many areas are burned, they are still quite beautiful and calming. Birds are chirping and lots of signs of other wildlife.
I am looking forward to my early July visit and hopefully we will enjoy some calm winds and clear skies.
Stacy
My opinion was that while some areas have suffered greatly, most of the traditional viewing area is still quite enjoyable to visit. The magic is still there and although many areas are burned, they are still quite beautiful and calming. Birds are chirping and lots of signs of other wildlife.
I am looking forward to my early July visit and hopefully we will enjoy some calm winds and clear skies.
Stacy
#54
zerro1
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Posted 22 June 2013 - 08:29 PM
Well I wanted to start with a shot heading up the road as we entered the area near the end of the pavement.
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#55
zerro1
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Posted 22 June 2013 - 08:42 PM
#2
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#56
zerro1
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Posted 22 June 2013 - 08:49 PM
Anyone who has attended the Table Mountain Star Party location should recognize this view
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#57
zerro1
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Posted 22 June 2013 - 09:03 PM
just for effect
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#58
zerro1
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Posted 22 June 2013 - 09:04 PM
all is not lost
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#59
zerro1
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Posted 22 June 2013 - 09:11 PM
more
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#60
zerro1
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Posted 22 June 2013 - 09:14 PM
make no mistake, there are zones that are more or less sanitized
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#61
zerro1
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Posted 22 June 2013 - 09:27 PM
but much more is not devoid of life. The entire viewing field was completely untouched and the vast amount of meadow lands on Table mountain sustained little damage from the fire. It's all part of the process that takes place in the life up there. I don't think we should shy away from it and leave the location unused. There is no "healing" that needs to take place or "rest" that is required. Table Mountain will recover whether we use the observing field or not...
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#62
zerro1
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Posted 22 June 2013 - 09:29 PM
+1
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#63
zerro1
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Posted 22 June 2013 - 09:37 PM
last one for now
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#64
zerro1
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Posted 22 June 2013 - 09:47 PM
So... I'll be going to the "dis-organized-unknown-star-party". I'll be bringing a chainsaw in case any trees drop accross the road while we're up there. Most of the truly questionable snags have been dropped already either by the fire, wind or the USFS. But if conditions got relly windy I wouldn't be shocked to see a few down. NOT reccomended that anyone camps or sets up near the burn area's
#65
astronomania
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Posted 23 June 2013 - 03:04 AM
Wow, thanks guys for the scouting report!!
I look forward to meeting you on the mountain!!
I look forward to meeting you on the mountain!!
#66
csa/montana
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Posted 23 June 2013 - 07:45 AM
Thanks guys for some great photos. Very sad to see the damage, but glad some parts escaped the fire.
#67
zerro1
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Posted 23 June 2013 - 01:41 PM
thanks Ron and Carol!
It's certainly better than I expected in some aspects.. The burn pattern reminds my a lot of the yellowstone fire. it will be a few more years bfore the full impact on the remaining trees will be known. Some will not survive, some will come back very strong. As charred black bark begins to shed from the stands, it'll take on a bleached white look as the exposed wood weathers.
In doing some research it appears that there is some salvage logging going on, but much of what we saw up there is beyond salvage and clearly rot is setting in quickly. Pine doesn't keep, so the only stuff that might be usable in a comercial sense is fir tree's. There were quite a few firewood harvesters up there, as there are every year.
It's certainly better than I expected in some aspects.. The burn pattern reminds my a lot of the yellowstone fire. it will be a few more years bfore the full impact on the remaining trees will be known. Some will not survive, some will come back very strong. As charred black bark begins to shed from the stands, it'll take on a bleached white look as the exposed wood weathers.
In doing some research it appears that there is some salvage logging going on, but much of what we saw up there is beyond salvage and clearly rot is setting in quickly. Pine doesn't keep, so the only stuff that might be usable in a comercial sense is fir tree's. There were quite a few firewood harvesters up there, as there are every year.
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#68
zerro1
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Posted 23 June 2013 - 05:35 PM
A Panoramic eastern view. 1620 pixels wide
http://img22.imagesh...2/8471/veiu.jpg
A little wider lens setting 3000 pixels wide intersects with the previous pano but different scale
http://img841.images...1/6787/r14t.jpg
Lets not forget what it looked like last September
Iconic Photo of the Plume reaching 42,000 feet
http://img22.imagesh...2/8471/veiu.jpg
A little wider lens setting 3000 pixels wide intersects with the previous pano but different scale
http://img841.images...1/6787/r14t.jpg
Lets not forget what it looked like last September
Iconic Photo of the Plume reaching 42,000 feet
#69
svtdoug
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Posted 24 June 2013 - 02:29 AM
Stacy and Robert, thanks much for the report and photos. I am heartened by the photos, yes damage and the forest will take years to recover, but the Table Mountain site looks great, and the grass, sage and heather is thriving.
Any interest in making an August trip there?
Thanks again!
Doug
Any interest in making an August trip there?
Thanks again!
Doug
#70
Spaced
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Posted 24 June 2013 - 10:58 AM
Thanks for the tour, guys. That was a fine little piece of photojournalism.
I expected wider incidence of the "totally sanitized" areas, based on my one previous trip up there. I did a fair amount of wandering through the woods then, and there was a tremendous amount of dead wood "fuel" lying around virtually everywhere. It looks though, as if a few trees survived in most areas and the long term results of the fire in those areas will be typical forest fire house cleaning regeneration. In about 2002, 2 or 3 years after the epic north Cascades fire that swept from south of Leavenworth up to Lake Chelan, I took a carload of kids camping up the Entiat River. When departing we took forest service roads overland to Lake Chelan and it was many square miles of Robert's "totally sanitized" shot -- areas that will require decades, rather than years, to regenerate.
It's still looking as if I'll be able to sneak up there for a night the weekend of July 6, even though I'll start a drive to North Dakota in the middle of the following week.
I expected wider incidence of the "totally sanitized" areas, based on my one previous trip up there. I did a fair amount of wandering through the woods then, and there was a tremendous amount of dead wood "fuel" lying around virtually everywhere. It looks though, as if a few trees survived in most areas and the long term results of the fire in those areas will be typical forest fire house cleaning regeneration. In about 2002, 2 or 3 years after the epic north Cascades fire that swept from south of Leavenworth up to Lake Chelan, I took a carload of kids camping up the Entiat River. When departing we took forest service roads overland to Lake Chelan and it was many square miles of Robert's "totally sanitized" shot -- areas that will require decades, rather than years, to regenerate.
It's still looking as if I'll be able to sneak up there for a night the weekend of July 6, even though I'll start a drive to North Dakota in the middle of the following week.
#71
Stacy
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Posted 24 June 2013 - 04:04 PM
Any interest in making an August trip there?
Thanks again!
Doug
As a matter of fact, depending on how the July trip works out, I may forgo OSP in favor of Table. It's such a *BLEEP*-shoot for the seeing at OSP that I am considering trading the darker skies (and the new chef!) for the closer proximity of Table.
Have to see how it goes.
#72
zerro1
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Posted 24 June 2013 - 09:09 PM
Thanks for the tour, guys. That was a fine little piece of photojournalism.
I expected wider incidence of the "totally sanitized" areas, based on my one previous trip up there. I did a fair amount of wandering through the woods then, and there was a tremendous amount of dead wood "fuel" lying around virtually everywhere. It looks though, as if a few trees survived in most areas and the long term results of the fire in those areas will be typical forest fire house cleaning regeneration. In about 2002, 2 or 3 years after the epic north Cascades fire that swept from south of Leavenworth up to Lake Chelan, I took a carload of kids camping up the Entiat River. When departing we took forest service roads overland to Lake Chelan and it was many square miles of Robert's "totally sanitized" shot -- areas that will require decades, rather than years, to regenerate.
It's still looking as if I'll be able to sneak up there for a night the weekend of July 6, even though I'll start a drive to North Dakota in the middle of the following week.
That was the Tyee Creek Fire. I think there was a second fire in the Icicle River and into the Tumater Canyon at the same time. I had a photo of a helicopter dipping water out of the Wenatchee River; you could just see the main rotor blades peeking above the guardrail along Highway 2...
#73
Spaced
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Posted 25 June 2013 - 10:32 AM
As a matter of fact, depending on how the July trip works out, I may forgo OSP in favor of Table.
My one trip to Table was, I think, in 2006. I haven't gone back, mostly because of the disappointing level of light pollution to the south. If I go up for a night in July and (fingers crossed!) hit a good night I'll reevaluate. My $.02 US.
That was the Tyee Creek Fire. I think there was a second fire in the Icicle River and into the Tumater Canyon at the same time.
Hmmmm, Maybe we're talking about two different events, or the two separate burns you mentioned merged. When the woods are that dry there's usually more than one fire. I remember the fire jumping US 2 west of L/worth and continuing north.
#74
bluedandelion
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Posted 25 June 2013 - 12:52 PM
So what's needed to go up there for the upcoming NUSP? A Discover Pass?
I've been called up for jury duty. Let's see how things go.
I've been called up for jury duty. Let's see how things go.
#75
Stacy
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Posted 25 June 2013 - 02:39 PM
So what's needed to go up there for the upcoming NUSP? A Discover Pass?
I've been called up for jury duty. Let's see how things go.
No passes or permits are required. Just drive safe and if high winds are present, be extra careful driving through the "hot spots".
Stacy
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