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It came to a sky near you...Leonids 2002!

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Leonids 2001

     Our crew consisted of three...


"Light Wrangler"
Mark Egan

"Jedi Ann"
Carrie Ponder

"Star"
Christie Ponder (me!)

 

     Faint whispers in the night called me to a far off place where friends, mountains, and meteors waited. I had dreamed of this moment since I was captivated by the Leonids of 2001 and finally the dream was upon me.

     Our crew consisted of three: Carrie Ponder, Mark Egan, and myself:) Our journey began on Friday night as we were treated to Po-boys at Mark's parents house. The sandwiches were delicious and gave us the needed energy to begin our travels.

 

     Once on the road we followed Mark for sometime before stopping for gas. Our hearts were flying high, but the long day at work had taken its toll and our eyes grew tired and heavy. Mark suggested stopping in Uvalde, Tx. Carrie and I were glad to be so close to a warm hotel room.

     Mark's excitement about the Leonids had reached such a peak that it overflowed in every word he said. Every person he spoke to, came to learn of the Leonids:)

     We stopped at a Best Western and enjoyed a nice peaceful rest...four hours closer to our destination.

On the Road Again...

      After enjoying a nice breakfast and each other's company we were back on the road. Traveling to the West we encountered border patrol where a charming officer asked us a few questions, gave us a smile, and sent us on our way.

     

     At about 4:10pm we arrived to the outskirts of Big Bend. Nearby Marathon Uplift was quite a sight and the hills were fascinating where the softer rock had weathered away leaving interesting designs of the more resistant rock. markleo.jpg (29261 bytes)

 

     We drove up to the station and paid our $10 to get into the park. The attendant was extremely friendly and helpful. Wishing us a wonderful time he send us into the park. Our first encounter with wildlife was not long after that, as a roadrunner ran across the road in front of us. Driving on we were once again treated by a neat sight...a dust devil!

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     The Chisos Mountains rose into view, as relics of the past hiding  treasures that could only be imagined. Driving towards the basin we passed a sign alerting us that this was bear and mountain lion country.  Further in we hit switchbacks at a 15% grade as we sank into the basin. Entering the camp we found the perfect site for us...#14. bbchisos1.jpg (52319 bytes)
Immediately I noticed deer tracks by our camp and smiled. We set up camp rather quickly then I took a walk around the campgrounds to gain a better understanding of the area. I noticed signs of rabbit and skunk. I went back to camp and watched as the last light of the sun disappeared behind the mountains. The colors of the sunset caused the surrounding mountains to glow like fire. The sight was breathtaking.

 

     The moon rose into the sky next to a glowing peak and we watched as shadows crept into the basin. Mark and I prepared our camera equipment. One of our goals was to capture the mountains lit by the moon light. 

bbmoon.jpg (18886 bytes)       We drove out and went to work. A chill began to work its way through all my layers of clothes and I couldn't seem to get warm. 

 

moonlitbb.jpg (18573 bytes)      Using the notes that Mark brought and what I had learned I took my shots...bracketing of course. My equipment consisted of a 28mm lens, Manuel Minolta X700, cable 

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shutter release and a tripod. I was terribly cold and without any complaints Mark took me back to camp so that I could warm up. He then ventured back into the night.  

   While Mark was gone I went into the tent we had set up. Carrie had a propane heater going inside the tent and it was nice and toasty. Afraid of leaving the heater on with us sleeping we turned it off. One hour later, with three comforters, two coats, blue jeans, and two pairs of socks on...I was cold again. I was born and raised in Southern Texas. My parents brought me up teaching me to love camping and fishing, but I was not prepared to deal with such cold weather. We turned the heater back on and warmed up the tent to 49 degrees Fahrenheit. It was too late...I had hit a temperature and was so cold and chilled to the bone I couldn't breathe. I was not a 'happy camper'.

     Everything seems worse at night and I was worried about what to do about being so cold, in my tired mind I saw our wonderful plans changing. The tent, being terribly old, wouldn't zip up anymore so Carrie and I sat in the Jimmy trying to warm up. We watched the campgrounds and realized that there were four skunks walking around. We watched as the skunks went around our tent and then investigated the restrooms. A small distraction but, I was still miserable and couldn't think straight. When Mark got back he talked to me and I realized everything would be fine:)

     Carrie and I moved all our bedding into the back of her Jimmy and were pleasantly surprised to find that camping in the back of her Jimmy was comfortably warm! (Warning: GMC Jimmy advertisement!) We looked up through the back window of the Jimmy and saw a bright meteor which made us smile, then sleep came to us. 

     At 4:30am I woke up to the sound of music coming from Mark's car. He was up and ready to go. We had about a one hour window to see the stars without the moon's light washing them away. Mark and I gathered our camera gear and coats once again to take some astrophotography. We went to a sight we had spotted earlier and setup. 

Starry Dreams

     After the moon set, the stars came alive with brilliance, although not as bright as I would have imagined, still I had been apart from those starry guests far too long... I stood there for a minute, in heaven. With my best friend, the stars above me, mountains surrounding me; I breathed in the feeling. I closed my eyes and relished the moment sensing all the sounds, smells and sights around me...I was truly happy. Mark and I spotted several shooting stars and satellites gracing those starry skies as we took our photographs.

 

 

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     When twilight began we packed up our things and headed out. I wondered as we drove back to camp, if Mark even realized the tear of joy that slid down my cheek as even then I cherished the moment that had just past. Is it even possible to love the starry skies that much? That with each meeting, me and the stars, tears of joy and the feeling of peace is with me. Such am I, the sentimental woman when viewing natures glory. 

     Arriving back to camp Mark told me of a few trails he wanted to take the next day. One he was really interested in was Emery Peak. I wished him sweet dreams then crawled back into the Jimmy and fell back to sleep.

Continue to the Leonid page 2 report...

 

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