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dsefcik Administrator Posts: 2609
11/28/2011
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http://www.sefcik.com/2011/11/starfish-cove-night-sky-stars.html
Alma Wash was more work than I anticipated, it was almost 6 miles each way and an elevation gain of around 1500' with lots of boulder wash once you got into the canyon area. My son and I saw a lot of different scat, coyote, cat, sheep and many tracks, human and animal. This hike is more popular than I thought given all of the foot prints we saw.
The night sky was filled with stars, I think this is the Milky Way, Orion's Belt and Sirius and probably many more, pretty sure the big huge planet that hung out (not pictured) was Jupiter. Here are two different exposures.
ISO 3200, Exposure 30 seconds, Aperture f4, Focal Length 10mm
ISO 12800, Exposure 15 seconds, Aperture f4, Focal Length 10mm
Alma Wash is known for it's Elephant Trees
The Trailhead, check out the difference in what a zoom lens vs a wide angle lens will do with the distant landscape (entrance to Alma Wash) in this picture and the next one below.
My son is ready to hike out
Number #9 on the trail, "the" Elephant Tree. There are many more Elephant trees in the canyon up on the ridges.
Starting up the wash towards the entrance to the canyon
The entrance to the canyon
The next couple of photos show the canyon and if you look closely you can see the many Elephant Trees up in the ridges
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My son found a dead lamb
My sons hand for size reference
Multiple scat droppings in a single footprint
Mandatory scat with bones photograph
Total Mylar balloons this trip - 1
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<em>edited by dsefcik on 11/28/2011</em>
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http://www.sefcik.com
http://www.darensefcik.com
http://www.carrizogorge.com
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hikerdmb Posts: 423
11/28/2011
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Why did you make your son carry all his stuff and all of your gear too in that huge pack? How much climbing/scrambling to get up to Starfish Cove? How much hiking/walking?
You are getting good at the night sky pics. The stars and constellations are, from top right to lower middle; the Pleiades or Seven Sisters, then Taurus, looks like a V on its side, with the star Aldebaran, then comes Orion the Hunter, with the 3 stars in the belt, you can make out the Great Nebula of Orion just below the belt, and finally there is Canis Major with the star Sirius, the brightest star (not counting the sun) in the sky, it is just above the branch and a little to the left in the lower middle of the photo. The second picture really shows these objects better even though it is a shorter exposure. And you are right about Jupiter being the planet you saw all night.
David
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dsefcik Administrator Posts: 2609
11/28/2011
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He insisted on bringing his big, monstrous orthopedic pillow...it basically filled the pack. So then I had to attach the green side packs so he could bring his pencils, notepads and way too much food. I just let him..he was carrying it..not me. In the end he figured it out, bring simple stuff. I still carried my regular 3 gallons of water though..can't have too much water right?
Thanks for the info on the stars, I am gonna research that some more. I am also pretty sure (because my google sky maps app told me) that Mars was out later in the night until dawn in the eastern skies.
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http://www.sefcik.com
http://www.darensefcik.com
http://www.carrizogorge.com
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dsefcik Administrator Posts: 2609
11/28/2011
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Check out his pillow inside the sleeping bag....
<em>edited by dsefcik on 11/30/2011</em>
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http://www.sefcik.com
http://www.darensefcik.com
http://www.carrizogorge.com
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epolomsk Posts: 17
11/28/2011
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Lovely pix,
You might enjoy these links about the stars:
http://earthsky.org/tonight/summer-triangle-in-fall-and-winter-sky
http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/ataglance
http://www.skymaps.com/downloads.html
I'm looking forward to a trip out there in almost exactly a month!
-Elisha, Desert Rat and Astronomy Professor at U. Wisconsin
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"Except you are kindred with those who have speech with great spaces,
and the Four Winds of the Earth, and the infinite arch of God's sky,
you shall not have understanding of the Desert's lure. ...
If you love the Desert and live in it, and lie awake at night under its
low-hanging stars, you know you are a part of the pulse-beat of the Universe,
and you feel the swing of the spheres through space, and you hear through
the silence the voice of God speaking".
Idah Meacham Strobridge in Sagebrush Trilogy
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dsefcik Administrator Posts: 2609
11/28/2011
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How much climbing/scrambling to get up to Starfish Cove? How much hiking/walking?
David, sorry..didn't answer these..there were a few small dry falls but mostly just stepping on or around lots of small boulders so no real climbing but a few small scrambles up over dry falls. My GPS tracked 5.85 miles from the trail head to where we camped and it took us 4.5 hours to hike out and 3 hours to go back.
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http://www.sefcik.com
http://www.darensefcik.com
http://www.carrizogorge.com
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dsefcik Administrator Posts: 2609
11/28/2011
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Great websites..thanks! I like the map download one. I have also been looking at this website http://astrobob.areavoices.com/
Still trying to wrap my head around how to identify all of them...I just don't see the triangle 
epolomsk wrote:
Lovely pix,
You might enjoy these links about the stars:
http://earthsky.org/tonight/summer-triangle-in-fall-and-winter-sky
http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/ataglance
http://www.skymaps.com/downloads.html
I'm looking forward to a trip out there in almost exactly a month!
-Elisha, Desert Rat and Astronomy Professor at U. Wisconsin
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http://www.sefcik.com
http://www.darensefcik.com
http://www.carrizogorge.com
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surfponto Administrator Posts: 1362
11/29/2011
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That looks like a great trip with your son Daren,
Wonder what the story with the lamb was?
I agree with David that your night pictures are getting really good.
Hoping to get out again in a couple weeks
Bob
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https://www.anzaborrego.net/
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dsefcik Administrator Posts: 2609
11/30/2011
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Here are a few more pics from the hike
The lowest ISO picture I took of the stars
ISO 800, Exposure 30 seconds, Aperture f4, Focal Length 10mm
View of the Elephant Tree parking area from peak 646. You can see my red truck down the left'ish middle
View of Alma Wash and the distant entrance to the canyon that leads to Starfish Cove
I forgot I found a Mylar Balloon on Peak 646 AND in Starfish Cove, total Mylar balloon counted updated to (2) for this trip
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http://www.sefcik.com
http://www.darensefcik.com
http://www.carrizogorge.com
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