Service Under the Stars at Historic Mt. Wilson Observatory, California

The Trip

This is the third Sierra Club service trip to Mt. Wilson Observatory (MWO) on the top of Mt. Wilson (5,713 feet) above Pasadena in the San Gabriel National Monument. Surrounded by the 700,000-acre Angeles National Forest, MWO has outstanding hiking trails, wilderness areas, and amazing views of the Los Angeles basin below and the universe above.

During most of the 20th Century, Mt. Wilson Observatory played a central role in astronomy's scientific progress. MWO's telescopes (60”, 100” 150’ solar) peered deeper into space than any human had before, revealing secrets of our universe and our place in the cosmos. Famous scientists like Hale, Hubbel, Einstein, and Hawking have all contributed to MWO's history and prestige. California and the Los Angeles area were perfect for this endeavor, with climate and atmospheric conditions tailor-made for this exploration into space and astronomical science. MWO has, on average, the best environmental conditions for astronomical viewing of any location in North America. MWO has fundamentally transformed our understanding of the cosmos.

We will work five days at MWO providing service in a variety of projects, to be determined by MWO. We can likely expect to clear debris around telescopes/structures and perform trail maintenance nearby. Our orientation meeting will be on Sunday afternoon, followed by dinner (our first trip meal); our last trip meal will be breakfast on Saturday. Midweek, a local Angeles Chapter hike leader will lead us on a day hike along nearby trails in the Angeles National Forest. The 2019 service trip was lucky to have one evening with weather conditions dry enough to open one of the telescope domes to an amazing nighttime view, through the 100-inch Hooker telescope. For this year's trip, we have moved the dates back a couple weeks hoping for drier weather and less fog. Weather and staffing availability permitting, we hope to get one or two nights to look through both the 100- and the 60-inch scopes. We will also schedule daylight sessions to observe the sun at the 150-foot solar tower and explore the MWO museum.

Getting There

There is no public transportation to MWO and each participant is responsible for their own transportation to MWO. Once you are accepted, detailed instructions to MWO will be provided and participants’ contact information will be shared to facilitate carpooling. The nearest airport is Hollywood/Burbank about 20 miles away and LAX is about 40 miles away. The work project is scheduled for Monday-Friday to provide weekends for travel before/after the trip.

Please do not make non-refundable travel arrangements until notified to do so by the trip leader.

Accommodations and Food

The group participants will stay in the Monastery, a dormitory originally built in 1905 to house the staff and visiting scientists. After being destroyed by fire in 1908, the monastery was rebuilt by California architect Myron Hunt to be fireproof. The rooms have a variety of single and double beds and there are two bathrooms with showers, a kitchen, dining hall, and library. Some areas are still in need of restoration and may not be available to our group. Participants will each have their own room and some rooms can accommodate couples.

We consider food to be part of the adventure on our Sierra Club trips, so please join us with an open mind. Our meals are planned to satisfy your appetite and to be a social gathering occasion after a day's work or play in the outdoors. The menu will be healthy, nutritious, high-energy front-country cuisine with a concerted effort toward local and sustainable resources. Meals will be vegetarian-friendly with opportunities for including meat, but always well balanced. Protein alternatives may include dairy, quinoa, nuts, or soy products. Consistent with our group approach to the project and trip, participants will take turns assisting with meal preparation and clean up.

If you have food allergies, dietary restrictions or special food preferences, please contact the leader and cook before applying for the trip to determine if reasonable accommodations will be possible within the limits of our commissary set-up and trip location.

Trip Difficulty

Our plan is to work on a variety of projects, from invasive plant removal, to nature trail work, to structure maintenance, repair and restoration. Expect moderate-to-hard physical labor, though participants will have some choice in the work projects. You may be expected to dig, bend, crawl, lift, saw, and hike to complete projects. Your Sierra Club trip leader and Observatory Superintendent will provide tool training, directions, and support to insure your safety. Our specific work project(s) will be determined by the agency closer to our arrival date and may be subject to weather and available resources. Plan ahead and prepare for the work by conditioning yourself for outdoor labor, which is only part of the trip's fun since you'll also have the opportunity to meet and work with a variety of like-minded individuals who also care about this fragile and special environment.

Equipment and Clothing

Tools will be furnished by the agency, but bring thick work gloves, sturdy boots, long pants, and long-sleeved shirts due to sun, insects, and poison oak. The Sierra Club trip leader will furnish you with a list of things to bring, have an emergency first aid kit, and provide you with a list of personal first aid items you should bring.

References

• Robinson, John W., The San Gabriels. The Big Santa Anita Historical Society, Arcadia, CA, 1991.
• www.mtwilson.edu
• Sierra Club Angeles Chapter: angeles.sierraclub.org/cleanaircampaign

Conservation

Mt. Wilson Observatory is at the forefront of water conservation in the Los Angeles basin. After years of drought and dangerous forest fires, MWO received a grant from the Los County Supervisors to completely restore their largest water tank, a 530,000 gallon reservoir. This was completed in 2018. They are now seeking funding to rehabilitate their two smaller tanks. The Observatory is working toward net-zero water usage and site comprehensive water self-sufficiency. Additional environmental issues that will be addressed are global warming, increased drought and forest fire risk, and light/air pollution in the Los Angeles basin.

Since its founding in 1892, The Sierra Club has worked to preserve and restore the natural environment we all share on this planet. Thousands of grassroots-level volunteers spearhead our efforts to conserve and sustain resources, both in our own backyards and on a global scale. Through direct experience in the outdoors, Sierra Club outings enable participants to better understand, advocate, and participate in the environmental conservation goals of the Club.

Service outings, in particular, stand out as one of the Sierra Club’s most important “boots on the ground” conservation efforts. The work done by service trip participants in our nation’s public lands is a way of practicing conservation in the most direct way possible, whether it’s improving access while preserving wilderness values, restoring wildlife habitat, or repairing human-caused damage to a natural area. Service trips are a great way to pitch in and do something tangible to make the world a better place; they’re a way to go beyond just talking about conservation; a way to get out there and experience conservation with your whole being.

All Sierra Club domestic trips, in the past/present, have been/are conducted on originally Native American lands. Native Americans were removed from most of these lands by genocide (disease and violence) and government actions which attempted to eradicate their culture, such as kidnapping their children to be sent to schools where their language and culture were forbidden. Sierra Club Outings has made a commitment to acknowledge this racism in our domestic trip brochures. The Sierra Club has always embraced, and continues to embrace, the traditional Native values of honoring and protecting our Mother Earth.

Our Sierra Club Mt. Wilson Observatory service trip will be held on Native Lands. When the first Europeans (Spanish) arrived in southern California in 1769, the Chumash tribes had lived here for 5,000-10,000 years. They had villages in the valleys below the San Gabriel Mountains, and had established trails across Mt. Wilson between Little Santa Anita Canyon and the West Fork of San Gabriel Canyon.

Sierra Club National Outings is an equal-opportunity provider and when applicable will operate under permits obtained from U.S. federal land agencies.