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Hidden Lake Observatory
Warm Room on Next Page  scroll down to see telescopes
click on image for video
At an elevation of 1500 feet, the observatory enjoys sweeping southwestern views over a secluded lake.
The roof rolls back over the heated warm room to expose two piers.  One mounts both a TEC 140 mm refractor, and a 90 mm Takahashi Sky90 refractor, and the other carries a 12" Meade L200R modified RC scope and a 70 mm Televue Ranger refractor.  I like to image using the scopes on one pier while I observe with the scopes on the second pier.
Day after day alone on the hill,
The man with the foolish grin
           is keeping perfectly still,
But nobody wants to know him,
They can see that he's just a fool,
And he never gives an answer,
But the fool on the hill
Sees the sun going down,
And the eyes in his head,
See the world spinning around.
The tool chest between the scopes serves both as a desk and as convenient storage for myriad accessories.  The floor is interlocking 2'x2' foam pads purchased at Sam's club, designed for playrooms; this protects eyepieces and cameras from breakage when dropped, and is easy on the knees when viewing at a steep overhead object.  A drop-down wall (left) allows me to image down to 10 degrees.  A gutter on the moving roof edge (right) keeps dew and snow-melt from dripping into the observatory. 
Music:  Fool on the Hill, the Beatles
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