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| Hiking | 2.00 Miles |
1,000 AEG |
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| no partners | | After getting a look at the situation on the top of the mountain Thursday afternoon, I went back to my motel room in Socorro and hung out in town for a couple of days. I also gave NM Tech a call to see about the locked gate and access to the Langmuir Lab. They informed me the gate stays locked almost all the time, but that the area beyond was open to hiking. So that meant I was going to drive back up Saturday morning to check things out before heading home. I parked at the small lot for the Crest Trail and walked the road past the new observatory over to the lightning lab. I have a good memory from my first visit to the lab back in 1993. I walked in, signed the visitor log, and began talking with the receptionist. She said she was from Wyoming and was working there for the summer. I told her that a friend, David Shaul, back in Tucson was associated with the Shaul and Grams ranching families in Wyoming. Imagine my surprise when she informed me that David is her uncle!  Small world indeed. 
On this day, there were people inside the lab, but I didn't go in, just content walking around. I first found out about this place from a NOVA TV special on lightning research that was partly filmed here. Being a weather geek I of course had to visit, plus being on a high mountain made it even better! 
After walking to the lab, I headed back down the road to finally hike to the top of South Baldy. You wouldn't want to be doing that if thunderstorms were around! Then it was back to the car and a short drive down the road to do a small portion of the Timber Peak Trail. Thus ended four days in the Socorro area, one of my favorite places in New Mexico.
Back in 1942, a B-17 bomber crashed into North Baldy Peak just short of the top, while on a training flight.
B-17 Crash http://www.caminorealheritage.org/PH/0107_b17.pdf
Langmuir Laboratory http://langmuir.nmt.edu/
Magdalena Ridge Observatory http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magdalena_Ridge_Observatory_Interferometer |
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Wildflowers Observation Moderate
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