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Imaging Outing to Stonyford California toward end of May

Dark Site Meetup
SF Bay Area Imagers •5 replies•114 views
Jerry Gerber avatar
Jerry Gerber avatar
Nick Grundy and I, both Bay Area astrophotographers, are planning to go to Stonyford for a night of imaging.   Nick has told me of a spot with flat horizons, Bortle 2 skies and only about 3-4 hours from San Francisco.

Anyone interested in joining us?  It will be on a weeknight, not a weekend, sometime between May 19th-May 23rd.

Let us know!
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Aris Pope avatar
Aris Pope avatar
Sat the 20th looks interesting but it's not a week-night.
kmcloughlin avatar
kmcloughlin avatar
Looks intriguing. But are you going to drive up there, stay up all night imaging, and then drive back without sleeping first? I might be too old for that…
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Jerry Gerber avatar
Jerry Gerber avatar
Looks intriguing. But are you going to drive up there, stay up all night imaging, and then drive back without sleeping first? I might be too old for that...

We're planning on  staying one night. It's a campground, I'll just bring a pad and sleeping bag and get some sleep before driving  back to San Francisco.  I'm not young either!

I don't want to put the gear in the car, go to a hotel, take the gear out of the car, sleep a bit and then go home. 

Aris Pope:
Sat the 20th looks interesting but it's not a week-night.

I can do Saturday or Sunday, but I don't think Nick can.
kmcloughlin avatar
kmcloughlin avatar
May 19 and 22 are possible for me. Which campground are you imaging from? I have to figure out the route from north Oakland.

Also let me know next time you plan a trip to Lake Sonoma. That's one of my favorite sites, but it creeps me out to be there alone when random people drive into the parking area.
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Jerry Gerber avatar
Jerry Gerber avatar
May 19 and 22 are possible for me. Which campground are you imaging from? I have to figure out the route from north Oakland.

Also let me know next time you plan a trip to Lake Sonoma. That's one of my favorite sites, but it creeps me out to be there alone when random people drive into the parking area.

May 22 may work for us too, I'll check with Nick. The moon will only be 4 days after new.  I definitely plan on taking several trips to Lake Sonoma this coming summer.  I know of a few spots at a higher altitude and darker than the parking area.  

Not sure of the campground, Nick Grundy has been there before, I haven't.  He said the horizons are excellent and the terrain is flat, Bortle 2. 

I'm sure he'll join the conversation as we get closer to that date.   Here's from Google Maps:

80 east to 505 to i5.  North to Maxwell Colusa Road.  Exit 586.  Follow Maxwell Sites road and Sites Lodoga Road to Lodoga Stonyford Road.
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