[AZ-Observing] Re: 5 Mile Meadow
- From: "Steve Coe" <stevecoe@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: "Tejera, Rick" <rtejera@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 14 Aug 2003 04:48:38 -0700
Rick, et al;
I thought about the Beeline Hwy method of getting up to this site. I suppose
if you lived in Scottsdale or Tempe it might be easier. I would be interested
in a scientific trial. Two folks headed for "5 mile meadow" leave at the same
time, take the two differing routes and see who gets there first. I have a
guess that the difference is less than 15 minutes. This is assuming that one
of the people is me or AJ using I-17 from the west side and the other is
leaving from the east side of the Valley and going up the Beeline to Payson,
Pine, Clint's Well, Happy Jack and then the site. I would be interested in the
results of that experiment.
For those folks who are not members of a club, here is the original posted
information about this site and its debut star party. Any other thoughts about
the easiest way to get there?
Steve Coe
Dark Site near Happy Jack, Arizona
Star Party for Sept. 26 and 27 at "Five Mile Meadow"
Take I-17 north to the Verde Valley turnoff and go east on Hwy. 260, the
General Crook Trail, for about 30 miles east of the town of Camp Verde. The
road ends in a "T" with Hwy. 87. Turn left (generally north) and drive about
12 miles, through the little town of Clint's Well. This is the gas station,
restaurant and ranger station on your left. After you pass through Clint's
Well, there is a left turn lane that will allow you to turn left onto Forest
Highway 3, aka Lake Mary Rd. As you drive north on Lake Mary Road you will
pass the Happy Jack RV park on the left and pass through a large area of trees
where there has been a forest fire.
After about 12 miles on Lake Mary Road, look for mile marker 301 and slow down
to look for a dirt road on your left. The sign for this road says "Bar D
Ranch". You will know you are on the correct forestry road by two brown signs,
a small one with number 229 and another, larger, with Bar D Ranch distance.
You will pass under high voltage power lines at about 1.5 miles and there is a
cattle guard at about 3 miles. If you make no turns off the well maintained
road then you will reach a cross road marked 305, on a brown sign. The meadow
is straight ahead, past the cross road and just to the left. The meadow is
elongated in an easterly direction and, if you stay on the original road 229 it
will take you just to the north side, where it is best to set up. About 1/10
of a mile past the cross road is an opening in the trees to your left that
leads to an opening where you can set up. I called this site "Five Mile
Meadow" because it is about 5 miles from the pavement on the forestry road.
I have marked the turn off from FR 229 with my usual white rocks.
Important: the one major restriction from the ranger station is "do not drive
into the middle of the meadow"!
Stay near the tree line.
Hope to see you there;
Steve Coe
Author "Deep Sky Observing--The Astronomical Tourist"
Saguaro Astronomy Club website
www.saguaroastro.org
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