[Lvas] Sawmill Trailhead Report

[Fred Rayworth]

All,

 

Just got back from Sawmill Trailhead after being kicked out by a hostile park ranger.

 

Just after dark, around 9 pm, a truck drove into the area and a couple of people yelled for the driver to turn off the lights. We had no idea it was a park ranger. There was a statement attributed to her that we had no right to ask anyone to dim their lights. Then I heard the ranger yelling something. Someone later said she told us to get out as she was closing the park in 45 minutes. I also heard someone say that she was just some lady and not a real park ranger.

 

Well... at 10:00, the truck returned and the park ranger turned on her brights and aimed them at all the telescopes. Then I heard her yelling that she'd told us to get out and was locking the gate. Someone, I don't know who, approached her to ask why we were being kicked out, and next thing I heard was the lady screaming and threatening to taser the individual.

 

No doubt she wanted us out. I packed up and was out of there by 10:15.

 

I am sending in an official complaint to the Toyabe National Forest Park Service. Though whoever talked to her maybe should have just agreed with her, she did not in the least act professional.

 

Now, on to the observing, what little we were able to do.

 

The sky was clearly (ha ha) hazy from the smoke in Calee' fornia. There was a mild breeze that got cold really quick, but it was not enough to make my eyes water. I took an early look at Jupiter but it was just a blurry gas bag. However, I caught M-57 and it looked pretty nice, being straight up. Didn't see the central star, but the conditions were not really ideal for that. Then I went to M-27, our observing goal for the month, and saw quite the bit of detail, which I'll put in my observing report.

 

I found a few other things but just as I was getting going, the whole ranger thing started and I had to give up early. Wish the night hadn't been spoiled by what transpired, but it did.

 

So, I guess we can cross Sawmill off the list unless we can get special permission to be there after hours. Funny, we went there several times last year with no problems, and even as late as this May, and never even saw a park ranger. All of a sudden, it's closed at  10PM. The policy might have changed, but I never heard an explanation from that park ranger. In fact, I didn't want to get anywhere near her!

 

I hope the Red Rocks thing went better than our little excursion!

 

Fred

 

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