My telescope mount fell over in Big Bend and I learned a hard lesson about sandbags

I drove all the way to Big Bend National Park last month, you know, because it's one of the darkest spots in Texas. Set up my 8-inch Dobsonian on this pretty little ridge near the Rio Grande, got everything perfectly aligned around 10 PM. Then a gust of wind came out of nowhere and just tipped the whole thing over, smashed my finder scope into a rock. The mirror was fine, thank goodness, but I spent the next hour trying to recalibrate in the pitch black while getting eaten by mosquitos. Now I always bring two 20-pound sandbags to hang off the base, even on calm nights. Has anyone else had a similar disaster at a dark site, or am I just unlucky here?

2 comments

2 Comments

alex5241d ago

Oh man, that's brutal. I feel your pain, I had a similar thing happen at Joshua Tree a few years back and it still makes me cringe thinking about it.

baker.ben1d ago

Respectfully, I kind of see it different. Getting skunked on a climb is just part of the game, especially at a place like Joshua Tree where the rock can be so unpredictable. The cringe factor is real for a minute, but that memory usually turns into a good lesson for next time. Plus, coming home with a story about a rough day outside beats sitting on the couch every time.