Racing up the rail...

the Bull Pup model rocket heads skyward at the Ken’s Lake Proving Ground this morning on an Aerotech F20-7W engine. It’s a very menacing scale replica of a short-range air-to-ground missile used by the US Navy during the 1960s and 1970s, but without the ordinance onboard, of course.

Hundreds of launches...

of low-, mid- and high-powered rockets occurred over four days at the National Sports Launch West event, bringing together more than 250 rocketeers from across the country for the Memorial Day weekend near Alamosa, Colorado. Here’s one of the first high-power rockets heading to 44,000 feet (13,400 meters) to kick off the event!

The high altitude launch site lies at 7,600 feet above sea level in the San Luis Valley with 80 launch pads/rods/rails/towers on the firing range. There’s nary a tree for miles and miles in any direction.

All launch pads and rockets on the range are fired by the Launch Control Officer and their staff of assistants, pad managers and spotters.

All rockets to be flown are first inspected by Range Safety Officers for flight worthiness prior to launch, no matter the size, both large and small.

GPS radio tracking frequencies must be managed so as to avoid conflicts during flights.

Basic kits were generously donated by Estes and the rocket engines by Chris’ Rocket Supplies for the kids.

Many vendors were represented at the event and a lot of business was conducted on the site.

Like a liquid buzz saw...

the Gunnison River has deeply incised the Black Canyon, exposing the ~1.7 billion year-old Precambrian metamorphic rock that comprises the enormous Painted Wall, caught at sunrise and the moment of first light.

Wide pre-dawn view of the 2,250 foot (686 meter) high Painted Wall, showing pegmatite dikes intruding the foliated gneiss and schist creating a natural abstract mural nearly a half-mile high.

Bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) enjoying sunset near Cedar Point the evening before.

Busy bees harvesting pollen...

from opening globemallow blossoms. I’ll have to go prospecting for the entrances to their underground hives, given away by their tiny sedimentary turrets.

Desert globemallow (Sphaeralcea ambigua). The fully open blossoms are about 15 mm wide.

Fully loaded mallow bee with a large pollen pellet on its hind legs, weighing up to 30% of the bee’s weight.

An early morning start...

on a once-weekly ritual commences from Lions Park, then a six mile (10 km) uphill climb on the Moab Canyon Pathway to the Moab Brands trail network where one can play on the singletrack until near exhaustion, then a nice and long downhill return.

Pedestrian/bicycle bridge across the Colorado River on the Moab Canyon Pathway.

A GPS radio tracker is tucked away...

in the payload bay of my high power model rockets that allows for accurate flight telemetry in real time, and also assists in locating the rocket after touchdown by transmitting its location. Today’s first test flight with the device went exceptionally well and provided a wealth of interesting flight data.

The Arreaux at liftoff on an Aerotech F20-7W engine, soaring to an apogee of 936 feet (285 meters).

The Featherweight GPS radio tracker mounted on a sled inside the payload bay. A small LiPo battery is secured beneath the circuit board and will not budge under high G forces at liftoff.

GPS track of flight at the Round Mountain Proving Ground rendered on Google Earth. L = launch site, A = apogee, and T = touchdown point.

Distance between launch and touchdown points is about 100 yards/meters.