Star party in Braggs!
Astronomy lovers unite! In Braggs! (This was in Piedmont in '08)
This one’s for all you star-gazers out there. Picked this up from The Associated Press:
BRAGGS — A star party, where the wonders of the nighttime sky, including nebula, star clusters and planets, are viewed through a large telescope, will be held, Friday and Saturday, at dark, Greenleaf State Park, three miles south of Braggs on State Highway10. Information: Steve Evans, 918-487-7125, or naturehut@onenet.net
Ski conditions!
Should have been doing this a long time ago. I figured I’d post some stuff on area ski conditions.
One note before I post the links: You can now snowboard at Taos. Some resorts have been slow to accept snowboarders. Can’t say why, except they might have the mistaken thought that boarders are some kind of riff-raff. But most know that inclusive is good when it comes to winter sports. This season, Taos joied that group. Yea Taos!
I’ll keep updating as Spring Break approaches. If you’re dying for another state, holler at me and I’ll include it. Here’s some links to Colorado, New Mexico and Utah resorts:
http://www.skireport.com/colorado/
http://www.skireport.com/newmexico/
http://www.skireport.com/utah/
If you’re planning on doing backcountry skiing in Colorado, I’d suggest checking this site for avalanche forecasts. Don’t get buried under an avy!
http://avalanche.state.co.us/pub_bc.php
Bob Doucette
Sad, gut-wrenching avalanche survivor story
This is about as gut-wrenching an interview that I’ve seen. It deals with a British Columbia, Canada, avalanche that claimed a number of snowmobilers. Avalanche dangers also lurk for backcountry skiers/snowboarders, and is a real risk in any high mountain or big snow area. I feel for this guy. It’s also a grim reminder that nature, wherever you are, is wild and unpredictable.
http://www.14ers.com/videos/avyinterview1.html
Bob Doucette
Beat the heat at the lake
After I got over the shock of my electric bill last month, I’ve decided to beat the heat in a different way. I’m setting that air conditioner on 83 and heading for the lake.
Last weekend we went to Arcadia Lake in Edmond. There was a cloudless sky and the temperatures were already in the 90s, it wasn’t even noon yet. Our cooler was packed with hotdogs, water and the making for smores. Getting there that early you don’t have to fight for a shady picnic spot, and we got one within walking distance to the beach.
It was a great day to be at the beach. Hot as blazes. Boats whizzed around the lake. With the aid of SPF 45 (that’s right! I’m fair.) I was able to lay on the beach and read a little bit. Relaxing, and knowing that my electric meter wasn’t running like crazy. It was great.
But if you’re heading out to Arcadia Lake with children under 12, don’t forget the life jacket. It’s required and Edmond Police won’t hesitate to give you a ticket if your child isn’t wearing a life jacket on the beach. In the time I was there on Sunday, I saw two families get tickets both complete with fines.
For more information go to the city’s Web site.
If you’re wanting to leave the metro area, there are always state parks with lakes. Lake Thunderbird is a favorite, and usually crowded on the weekends. Lakes Texoma and Murray are also top picks.
But what about Keystone Lake or Fort Cobb? There’s plenty see and still lots of water. For more information on state parks and lakes go to http://www.oklahomaparks.com/
Julie Bisbee
state writer
Don’t ride the lightning!
I can remember it vividly. On a hot July day last year, me and two friends went hiking in the Wichitas. Clouds began to roll in, giving us a nice respite from the blistering heat. But then those clouds began to darken.
I was still pretty high on Elk Mountain, on an exposed bare granite face. Distant rumbles carried a simple message.
Get down. Now.
I’ve had plenty of similar warnings. On Mount Elbert in Colorado three years ago, dark clouds to the east began spitting bolts of lightning 10 miles away as I began my descent from the summit. Despite leaving early enough to avoid normal weather patterns for that time of year, we got a little surprised by this early storm.
A year before that, storms raked a group of us winding our way up Mount Belford’s lower flanks. The instantaneous “FLASH-BANG!” of thunderbolts right overhead was a harrowing ordeal. Inspecting our campsite, my group could tell how brutal such storms could be. Many of the trees were stunted and blackened at their tops by similar events.
I bring this up just to emphasize the danger of lightning this time of year. On Friday, USA Today reported that five young people died this week from lightning strikes. According to the National Weather Service, 62 people die each year in the U.S. from lightning strikes. Forty-five died last year, and hundreds were injured. Sixteen have died so far this year.
When hitting the rocks or heading to the high country, it’s always wise to watch the weather. Here’s some tips from the National Weather Service:
Watch for Developing Thunderstorms: Thunderstorms are most likely to develop on spring or summer days but can occur year round. As the sun heats the air, pockets of warmer air start to rise and cumulus clouds form. Continued heating can cause these clouds to grow vertically into towering cumulus clouds, often the first sign of a developing thunderstorm.
An Approaching Thunderstorm: When to Seek Safe Shelter: Lightning can strike as far as 10 miles from area where it is raining. That’s about the distance you can hear thunder. If you can hear thunder, you are within striking distance. Seek safe shelter immediately.
Outdoor Activities: Minimize the Risk of Being Struck: Most lightning deaths and injuries occur in the summer. Where organized outdoor sports activities take place, coaches, camp counselors and other adults must stop activities at the first roar of thunder to ensure everyone time to get a large building or enclosed vehicle. Leaders of outdoors events should have a written plan that all staff are aware of and enforce.
So there you go. Let’s be safe out there. Get that mountaintop experience (Elk Mountain or otherwise!) and live to tell about it.
Bob Doucette
