Walker Ranch Science Annex

CSC has established an annex on the Walker Ranch to house the magnetometer, meteor camera, and Radio JOVE systems. The remote CSC location, now called the Walker Ranch Science Annex has been cleaned and prepared for equipment installation. Needless to say, a field location abandoned for 22 years had its share of minor damage (but they built them good them days) and dust. Cleaned of cobwebs, mice droppings and such it now smells like Clorox and disinfectant along with the sweet fragrance of a large extra helping of cow pies from outside the security fence. Yeeha.

The facility is accessible by a dirt road but still distant enough to permit unobstructed and dark sky observations necessary for the meteor camera to image the entire area from north to Pikes Peak, south to almost Walsenberg, west to beyond Canon City, and east to La Junta. It’s a good swath of area. It is perfectly suited for Dark Nights.

Power has been installed, the satellite internet system from WildBlue is functional, the phone line is working, and the electrical system is working. Although DSL isn’t available, the satellite internet should provide sufficient bandwidth for the data exchange with UCLA.

CSC thanks Mr Gary Walker, Ms Joan Armstrong, Ms Carol and Ms Jane Howard, and Mr Chris Varenhorst and the many others for their help and assistance in making this project come together. Carol and Jane cleaned and scrubbed the annex till it sparkled and then some, all the while cheerful and helpful under the most distressing and dusty environment. And of course, nothing would have been possible without the intervention and assistance of two Pueblo County Commissioners, Mr Jeff Chostner and Mr John Cordova. A special thanks to them for their encouragement. And, of course, thank you for your continued support.