Camping Trip Between US Independence Day and Bastille Day

With the dire warnings of the plastic hairdo, grinning television “meteorologists” of ark building rains for the SunTree camping trip to the Beaverhead area of the Gila National Forest , it was a surprisingly pleasant weekend. Those who showed up early had a couple of wet days, but the sun made a grand entrance on Friday. The only rain after that was conveniently timed for late night/early morning when the more stodgy of our group was dryly snoozing away.

The days did not get too hot for those who when exploring, or for those with their noses in books either.

The campsite had a few visitors who were a bit shy. Elk and Pronghorn Antelope were nosing around fully aware that hunting season was not yet in session.

If you remember my writing from our trip three weeks earlier (at a site a couple of miles from this campsite), I told you about my greeting upon leaving by a half dozen javelinas as I arrived at the Poverty Creek Metropolitan financial center. I did not see them this time, but the greeting responsibilities had been passed on.

As I was driving home on Sunday, I met the greeting party about four miles east of Poverty Creek on the rolling grassland. I topped a small hill and had to stop rather fast because just over the hill, standing right in the middle of the road were ten pronghorn antelopes. I had been driving slowly since that is an open-range road (as most roads in New Mexico are) and I was aware of cattle on that road often.

The pronghorns were startled and moved off of the road. By that time I had gotten stopped. They looked at me and I looked at them while I fumbled to find an unhandy camera. Those cameras tend to hide for just such occasions as this. Sigh.

A fun weekend which was too short.

What’s Happening in August?

We have once again reserved the entire Wildwood Camping Resort for SunTree on the last weekend of August (27 - 29). For those who do not know, Wildwood is a clothed required private campground surrounded by the Gila Wilderness Area of Gila National Forest.

Wildwood has bathrooms with showers and full kitchens, but the camping is somewhat primitive. People with small campers can be accommodated, but there are no RV hookups at the site. Since we are renting the entire facility (if we get enough participants), the resort will be a clothing optional resort for “SunTree weekend”. Wilderness hiking trailheads are on the border of the property.

After last month’s newsletter, SunTree was contacted by several interested parties. We have not quite met our minimum number yet, but we are close. Thanks to those who have sent in checks to pay early. That gives me a good feeling that these people are serious about participating. If we get close to the maximum number of people set by the resort, those who have paid early will get priority. Every person over the minimum number who signs up will result in the cost to drop for all participants.

If you have not made up your mind to participate yet, go ahead and contact SunTree to let us know that you are interested. We have a “campers” e-mail address list which we will use to let would-be campers know the latest situation on this event. That way, we do not have to fill this newsletter with all of the particulars.

Celestial News for August

In Spite of Her Brightness, Venus is Replaced by Jupiter As Planetary Celebrity This Month – There be Meteors in Yon Sky 

Evening: That bright light on the top of the tent pole of the sky is the star Vega. As you know, the dome of the sky rotates through the month. Vega is at the top of the tent pole around midnight early in the month, but moves into that spot earlier and earlier as the month progresses. By the end of the month Vega will be taking that seat around sunset.

This is a great time of the year when the Milky Way is especially bright, so go out and look at your home galaxy.

About an hour after sunset, Mars sets up a position just below Saturn on 1 August. Venus is just below and to the right of the pair. The following week, Venus drives her chariot below Saturn from 6 to 8 August, then catches Mars from 15 to 22 August. All of this activity is happening in the southwest at nightfall. The trio form interesting triangles during the first half of the month, with the crescent Moon hanging below them on 12 August.

One of the favorite meteor showers for the SunTree gang comes along this month. Perfect moonless conditions prevail for the great Perseid meteor shower (made up of the luncheon crumbs of Comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle). This shower starts on 23 July and lasts until 23 August, but the peak will probably be on the night of 11 – 12 August. The action intensifies after midnight, with one meteor per minute, on average.

Jupiter, in an attempt to outdo Venus will put on a dazzling magnitude -2.8 display this month. Jupiter rises by 10 PM at midmonth and is well up at midnight, dominating the sky.

Venus, in a counter move to Jupiter's attempt at upstaging, closely meets Virgo’s blue star Spica on 30 and 31 August.