>
> Except that he wasn't "more accomodating"; he's always been that way. I
> see a lot of flaming about him here, but very little of it is from
> people who have personally had a conversation with him.
Hi Akkana,
Several of us (perhaps 10 to 20 of us) *did* have conversations with
Bowers last year when he was "discussing" the where and when of amatuer
astronomy at the Peak. I think had you been there, your perception would
have been very similar to what you've been reading here. FYI, it was not
just the group at the SW lot that were strongly taken aback by that
meeting, others who usually set up by the ranger's house, astro-campers on
Coulter Row, and even teachers who use the Peak were negatively affected
by both Bowers and Pass. You just weren't present.
I am guessing that you observe up by the observatory, in which case your
sitution was little affected, if at all. You might view things
differently had you been present when "the law" was laid down. Things are
obviously still not "the way they were" ... and may never get back to
that. That's the park administration's decision (as is cutting trees).
I hope things get back to what we were *all* comfortable with (including
prior rangers and supervising rangers) prior to Cameron and Mary Pass'
arrival. But still, as things stand today, there are places that are both
friendlier and better for observing. People will ultimately make their
choices based on those two criteria.
I'm glad that the Peak "works" for you. Enjoy.
Mark Wagner
mgw@No-Spam-intl.com