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Bernard Sanden | profile | all galleries >> Galleries >> Harqua Hala Hike Nov04 tree view | thumbnails | slideshow

Harqua Hala Hike Nov04

We parked the truck halfway up the road to the top of Harqua Hala Mtn, then hiked the rest of the way on the well-kept 4WD trail. At the top sits the remains of the Smithsonian Solar Observatory circa early 1920s. The building has been recently restored (given structural support) but the decks and outbuildings have all disappeared. The important thing, though, is that I believe we figured out the location of their croquet lawn. The B&W shots at the beginning were scanned and cropped from Pieter Burggraaf's publication "Harqua Hala Letters. The Story of Arizona's Forgotten Smithsonian Observatory" Bureau of Land Management, Cultural Resources Series, no. 9, 1996. These scans give some idea of the observatory and it's living conditions during peak operation. I also included a few shots displaying the late autumn afternoon Sonoran desert and flora during the hike back down to the truck.
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Early shot of Observatory building showing deterioration due to harsh conditions
Early shot of Observatory building showing deterioration due to harsh conditions
Observatory instruments
Observatory instruments
Addition of outbuilding and balcony attached to main structure
Addition of outbuilding and balcony attached to main structure
The croquet lawn
The croquet lawn
Truck parked here, approx 5 miles and 2500 ft from summit
Truck parked here, approx 5 miles and 2500 ft from summit
Photographing the duplicate GPS units
Photographing the duplicate GPS units
One second off (accounting for Namibian time)
One second off (accounting for Namibian time)
The remains of the Observatory
The remains of the Observatory
u49/bsanden/medium/36593408.proc_compr05PB140021_proc_compr.jpg
u49/bsanden/medium/36593409.proc_compr05PB140109_proc_compr.jpg Main entrance
Main entrance
Restoration support structure dominates
Restoration support structure dominates
Likely some artifacts from the 20s
Likely some artifacts from the 20s
Some of the period building blocks
Some of the period building blocks
Old wall behind the modern aluminum reinforcement
Old wall behind the modern aluminum reinforcement
Upstairs bunks
Upstairs bunks
More period trash on display
More period trash on display
Entrance
Entrance
Cement water storage basin and foundation of outbuilding
Cement water storage basin and foundation of outbuilding
View southeast on trail down the mountain
View southeast on trail down the mountain
This means something
This means something
Recent pavement
Recent pavement
Backlit saguaro
Backlit saguaro
Huckleberry Hound emerges from behind saguaro
Huckleberry Hound emerges from behind saguaro
Saguaro slope
Saguaro slope
Vista looking southeast
Vista looking southeast
Me and the shadow guy
Me and the shadow guy
Last sunlight on the saguaro
Last sunlight on the saguaro
Last shot before dusk
Last shot before dusk
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