– 8 MILE HIKE TO MT PINOS / SAWMILL PEAK / NOMINAL ELEVATION GAIN
( optional 4 mile hike for those of you who may be outta shape these days )
⭐️⭐️ HIKE / FOOD / METEOR SHOWER !! ⭐️⭐️
⭐️ optional camping at Chula Vista Campground; 120 yards east of the parking lot… first come, first served…
( in that order – we’ll do the hike… then return to the parking lot for food and then meteor stuff!! )
there will be SEVERAL telescopes (possibly less these days cuz of that flu thing) in the parking lot set up by a local astronomy club… at an elevation of 8,300 ft, no CITY LIGHTS…
it should be PRIMO STAR-GAZING that evening
🌜
RED LED HEADLAMPS STRONGLY URGED!!!
GOOGLE MAPS / SMARTPHONE LINK
https://goo.gl/maps/4F5Ge9RaCyx
http://www.astro-tom.com/avac/observing_sites/mount_pinos.htm
***NO ADVENTURE PASS REQUIRED IN PARKING LOT
IT WILL TAKE approx 2 hours travel time from the west side. I’m gonna take off at 10:30AM so I don’t have to stress about being late. the last 45 minutes is a GORGEOUS drive!!!
(people camping should get there prior to noon to find and set up a camping spot, so leave the west side around 10AM)
DIRECTIONS
1. From the west side, Take the 405 Freeway north for about 19.1 miles and merge with the 5 Freeway north.
2. Continue north on the 5 Freeway for about 46.1 miles.
3. Take the Frazier Mountain Park Road exit going west toward Frazier Mountain. Watch carefully for the signs indicating the Frazier Mountain Road exit. (The exit is about 35 miles past Magic Mountain, and about 3 miles past a small town called Gorman.)
4. Continue on road for about 21 miles following the signs to Mt. Pinos. (After about 7 miles along Frazier Mountain road, the name of the road will change to Cuddy Valley road. About 4 miles past this point, the road will reach a fork. To the right is Mil Portrero Hwy, and to the left is Mt. Pinos road. Stay to the left and continue on Mt. Pinos road for another 10 miles and you’ll reach the Mt. Pinos parking lot!
5. The star party will take place in the large open parking lot at the end of the road. Park along the left hand side as you drive in!
(borrowed from the astronomy club) Parking and Headlights:
If you drive up to Mt. Pinos on your own, please try to arrive at the star party site before the sun sets so that we don’t have our headlights on as we drive in. Headlights and other bright lights ruin the night vision of the observers at the site. For this reason it is strongly recommended to use your parking lights and not to turn your headlights on when leaving the site until you are out of the parking area. There may be limited parking at the site, so that is another reason to arrive early and ensure a space. RED LED flashlights strongly encouraged!!!
GOOD CARPOOLING LOCATIONS ARE THE WHOLE FOODS OFF THE 405 AND SEPULVEDA IN SHERMAN OAKS AND THE McDONALDS ON ROXFORD STREET ABOUT A MILE NORTH OF WHERE THE 405 AND THE 5 FREEWAYS INTERSECT.
🛑 BRING CHAIRS / BLANKETS / WARM CLOTHES!!! GETS SURPRISINGLY CHILLY THERE AT NIGHT!! 🛑
GREAT video of this event a couple years ago!!
