hiking trip

Hi folks,

nights are short - maybe one reason finding so few reports? ;-) So i´ll try to contribute a little bit... Report from end of May. Have fun!
...


Sun is shining from a dazzling blue sky. I am shooting a pic of my destination of desire.

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I am really looking forward to visit my favorite observing site completely by foot: The eastern peak of the „Wendelstein“ in the bavarian alpes – 5400 ft high. A little board at the hiking trail is saying – 3,5 hours to go. Just as i remember – when i walked this trail a couple of years ago.
Since quite a while i was waiting for an occasion making a hiking trip in the alpes. Weather was predicted to become just awsome next three days – an nights. Now we had new moon – so i just combined these things resulting in a hiking trip with my new little 72mm Lacerta Apo in my backback.
The little refraktor with eyepieces, tripod and stuff sums up to around 8 kg. But total weight at my back – no real idea yet.
First steps have been horrible – all the weight shot into my a** with each step - not into the legs as one may assume... Every 10 steps i had to wait to recover...However, after some time my body adapted somehow and the ascend kept on. I walked at panoamic trails, through refreshing fragments of old forests and over nice flower fields.

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For a little break i put my backback on the ground and walked a few steps without... i can FLY!!!! Folks – i can FLY! WOW! ;-))) Strange feeling.. i tell ya...
I reached top of the cable car station under last rays of sunlight. Still 100 metres higher to go...

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As always i was quite excited to finally see my observing spot. During the last metres i threw my hands in the air as you might guess... finally there!! After 5 hours of ascending...

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View with observatory in the background.


Within a few minutes i was prepared – the big advantage of a little refractor in comparison to bigger instruments. Moon was reaching the horizon – just together with nightfall.

I started out with some views at Jupiter – a moon was just leaving from the planets surface and became visible at its rim. Next stop where two comets – Johnson and another one. Nice views in this little scope - perfectly framed, with little tail (Johnson as far as i can remember).

During the night i just roamed around the wellknown objects for i had no chart with me at all – too much weight. Night was expected to deliver around 2 hours of darkness. For it was the very first night with this instrument there where enough goals in my mind to aim at within this time. Night was crystal clear and air humidity was around 50%.


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M 104, first hints of dustlane, ends seamed to be curved a litte bit (at 90x)
M 4 suprisingly nice – not much weaker than the views i remember with 12“, also visible NGC 6144 as little gem
M 13, suprinsingly brilliant; but with 4,7mm eyepeace weaknesses in comparision to 12“ becam obvious of course; later i made out nearby galaxy NGC 6207 too as little longish patch without knowing exact position before
M 22 with M 28 and a very weak GC 6642 above_ M 22 really beautiful, almost impressive – at least with given aperture. NGC 6642 as bigger patch was almost at the edge of visibility.
Lagoon (M 8) and Trifid-Nebula (M 20) „Woah!“; what a sight having thes showpieces so nicely in one field of view! Trifid at 90x with dark tubes, but not that easy – even with 8 mm-Eyepiece both still in one field of view. With medium power also NGC 6544 (GC) in the same field. Lagoon as bright nebula with prominent starcluster beneath.
NGC 4565 – the needle – had some trouble finding it at first without any chart but then it appeared quite easys as fine needle on velvetblack sky – a little condensed in the middle
one of my favorite sights that night: M 17 together with a prominent starcloud and two longish dark nebula within one field of the 26mm Nagler – really cool and new sight for me with this surroundings!
M 56 usually one of my favorites – but with 72 mm a little too weak in order to convince me.
M 71 as always a truly nice sight
M 11 one of the best objects for this size of scope, even better than in my 12“ because of the condensed – less resolved brilliant globular-like look.
The Veil Nebula was nicely framed in my 26mm eyepiece – wow. But a little weak without OIII filter.


Night was vanishing. Pegasus was rising already. Surprinsingly night kept on to around 4 hours! Strange. It was 4 o´clock in the morning when i tried to get a wink of sleep. It worked for somethin around one hour... I made breakfast: chocolate milke with some cookies. Coming hours i spent with relishing the sun and at 10 o´clock i left. I was suprised – even with that little „sleep“ i felt very good and descended on a little different way – i nice landscape as well – here some further impressions...

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It was a very nice trip -and have a guess what my backpack really was in weight... at home i checked – it still had 16,5 kg (here without the 4,5 litres i had already drank)...

However, this was a trip i really relished and i will repeat the one or other time.

CS!
Norman

Norman,
Thanks for sharing. Sounds like a great experience. In your case it was the destination and the journey that were memorable, and that's unique combination. There is no doubt that a beautiful observing site (and you certainly have one here) is a large part of what makes for a wonderful observing experience.

Hi Skyraider,

thanks for your nice reply - nice observing site plays a big role indeed. An attractive place you feel comfortable enhances the experience in many ways. Especially during short nights the "site-factor" is even bigger.

CS!
Norman