Saturday, May 12, 2018

2018.5.12 Memaloose + Eve Star Show at Maryhill Stonehenge.

5/12, Saturday. I've been thinking about coming to Maryhill's evening star program even since my last visit. Today is sunny and no moon in early evening. A good time for that.

But first, I have time to visit Memaloose Hill for a short hike. I'm a week too late for the peak flower show. Lupines are seeding and balsomroots are withering. Lots of grass (possibly Bulbous Bluegrass blocking the view of smaller flowers. Vetch is deep purple here. I follow the obvious trail from the Memaloose Rest Area (eastbound). You can cut a mile off by parking at the Memaloose Lookout. The trail is sparse forest with lots of poison oak at the moment. Once you get to the open, you'll see a hill with a lone tree and the obvious trail. Get there for a good view of Mt Hood and balsamroot. Return as I came, I took a side track (less obvious) west and scaled a higher hill, with views to both Hood and Adams (in opposite directions), and a better view of the river. Flower is past the prime. More paintbrushes here. I met some guy coming up from a different direction. Not sure where that leads to. As the sun is setting, I didn't explore his option.

I arrived at the Stonehenge just after sun set. People were driving leaving after taking their sunset photos. A crowd was gathered around the same guy, Goldendale Observatory director, Troy Carpenter, a bigger crowd than my last visit. We took turns to look through the two telescopes, one pointed to Venus, and one to Jupiter (I saw 4 moons! 3 on one side, and 1 on the other). Carpenter is very entertaining. I didn't feel bored waiting for my turn, as he was talking all along. We went into the visitor center for a short lecture, and then returned to the outside, where he adjust the telescopes to 2 deep sky objects: a nubula, and a cluster (in Hercules?), which I promptly forgot the name. We also saw a satellite flare - timed to the second. Amazing how the prediction is. I left after 11pm, getting chilly and sleepy (already after 11pm).

I have to return to see the moons of Saturn, as it only would rise around midnight now, and this temp site would be closed then. Maybe in the fall.