MOON

	Base Camp & Swift Trail: Prior to your arrival / Dec 19, 2019 / P Gabor	✔✘
home	booking their observers' rooms at VATT with Gary Gray <garyg1 [at] email.arizona.edu>
home	check road conditions; best call Base Camp, working hours: 7:30 AM – 4:00 PM, Monday through Friday except holidays; phone number (928) 428-2739
home	reacquaint yourself with instructions at http://mgio.arizona.edu, especially, the Orienatation Package but note that some of the information is out of date, namely,
1	As of April 17, 2015, the US Forest Service no longer issues “secondary entry letters” into the Red Squirrel Refugium to anybody who is conducting routine work at the observatories either as a service provider or an observer, incl. people from outside the University of Arizona family.
2	Radio System Units Assignment (p. 18): the latest can be found here.
Base Camp	VATT stuff is in the “Exterior Lock Box (p. 5): pick up one small brass key for the road gate “Master” padlock and one VATT two-way radio unit.
Base Camp	Turn on the two-way radio unit and make sure you are on “MGIO RPT”. Your call sign will be “66” (which is “VATT visitor observer” - see the list linked above).
Base Camp	Also pick up one of the two VATT Emergency Car packages from shelves in the loading dock area (behind the office building at Base Camp, just before the outside bathroom). They contain: 1-Blanket; 1-Survival blanket; 1-Folding Shovel; 1-Pliers; 1-Screwdriver; 1-Emergency rain poncho; 1-First Aid Kit; 1-Roll of shop towels; 1-Flashlight; 1-Pair of gloves; 1-Pack of hothands; 1-Pack of emergency snow chains; Some Nitrile gloves. We hope you will never need to use it but good to have if you do.
Swift Trail	Driving up, monitor the radio traffic. It will give you an idea of who may be coming down from the summit. This is especially interesting in winter months when the dirt part of Swift Trail is closed to the general public.
Swift Trail	In winter the barrier is at the end of the paved part of Swift Trail. In summer it is at the bottom of the Access Road. Unlock the “Master” padlock. The other padlock belongs to the USFS.
Swift Trail	Once on the dirt portion of the Swift Trail, beware that the turnoff for the Access Road can be overlooked easily in summer time when there is a lot of public traffic on Swift Trail. In winter it tends to be obvious because there is hardly any traffic going straight, and the vast majority of vehicles at this time of the year makes a right turn and goes to the telescopes, rather than going further on to Riggs Lake. Consult the attached map. At one switchback there will be a stunning view and a small protective wall. It's the only switchback on the dirt road with a wall. Once you get to that point be aware that you are very close to the turnoff for the Access Rd.
Access Rd	At the bottom of the Access Rd there are signs asking you to perform the radio call (p. 17). You should say, “Downhill traffic on the Access Rd, please advise.” (This means you are addressing “downhill traffic” and asking them to tell you where they are.) Repeat after 20 seconds. Wait another 20 seconds. If there is no contact say, “Negative contact. Be advised, one vehicle proceeding up the Access Rd. 66 clear.” If there is contact, just speak freely, using normal English rather than this pseudo-military jargon.
	If you get stuck in a ditch, you may want to call Gary Gray. His call sign is 63. You could say something like, “63. 66 calling 63. Come in 63. 66 over.” Or, you can try calling Gary's cell phone number (his cell phone is connected at the VATT via wifi): 928-965-8634. Or, you can try calling the VATT landline (it rings in several places in the building simultaneously): 520-626-6365.

MOON

User Tools

Site Tools

Page Tools