NEOWISE overnight hike

I had not paid any attention to the comet NEOWISE until I heard time to see it was running out. So we did not hesitate and went out to the mountains to see it.

There is a spot we like where one has a good chance for seeing a nice sunset and the lights of LA. As we hiked up we saw some clouds forming in the direction we needed clear for our comet viewing. Once at our spot we set up camp and had dinner. At sunset a big, dark cloud was obscuring our viewing area. We focused on the moon and lights of LA appearing while hoping for the cloud to move along. Soon we saw some of the stars of the big dipper. A good sign since the comet was in that area. Then it cleared up and we got a great view of the comet. With naked eyes it was just fuzzy and faint, with binoculars the core and tail where very clear. I then played around a little with my phone and got some shots even without any magnification.

In the morning we hiked back down and arrived at the truck by 9 am. Too early to head home already. So I took the opportunity to visit some peaks and points in the area in 3 little hikes:

• Winston Peak and Winston Ridge. This hike was along some use trails, the PCT and a dirt road. 4.4 miles, 1100 ft elevation gain. Not much of a view from tree covered Winston Peak. Nice views from Winston Ridge
• Kratka Ridge. 1.4 miles, 600 ft gain from a pull out along S2. Nice views to the south and east. There is an abandoned ski lift just below the high point.
• Mount Lewis. 0.9 miles, 500 ft gain from Dawson Saddle. The bottom 3rd is very steep. Not much to see from the top since it’s covered in trees

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