1.1 About the Site

Capilla Peak Observatory is located near the center of the Manzano Mountains, 70 miles by road from Albuquerque. The last 9 miles are a Forest Service road that may be impassable due to snow or mud, especially in the spring. The living quarters are not extravagant; four people can sleep comfortably, and there is a modern kitchen and sound system.
Please keep the doors closed at all times (even in summer) to keep rodents out.
Clean up any mess which is made while you are on the site and take trash home with you after each visit.
Please use as little water as possible.

• Keys:
  Gate: D. Please open both sides of the gate inward.
  Padlocks:B & C
  Main doors:Long key, cut teeth upward. Clockwise unlocks. It is easy to break the key off in this lock! Pull the door toward you as you unlock it.

• Propane Appliances:
  Please make sure the propane heaters in the living room and kitchen are turned all the way down when you leave. They are controlled by a dial on the right hand side at the rear of the heater. The warm room heater does not work, but the electronics in that room give off plenty of heat. Feel free to keep is as warm as you wish, but remember we only get one delivery of propane per year, so conserve when possible.
  Occasionally, the pilot lights on the stove go out. They can be relit by lifting the top of the stove and lighting in the obvious place.
  You should never have to adjust the electric heaters.

• Lights: Make sure all outside lights are off during observing. The switch for the red "running" lights on the stairs in dome is under the floor of the dome. Keep them low during observing. The warm room light dimmer is on the west wall. The lights on the warm room work bench are turned on using the APC locally stored web page.

• Phones: The cellular phone and charger will travel up and down the mountain with you. The phone number is 263-0427.
  To get good reception inside the building, hook the phone to the antenna cable. Plug the phone into the charger and the charger into the wall when you arrive.
  The FCN button + the 4 button will show you the battery level. The phone will drain faster than the charger can charge if you leave the phone on, but there are two batteries so you can keep the phone on all the time.
  The regular phones in the warm room and kitchen are currently operational.
  Warm room: 272-7939
  Kitchen: 272-7907
  

• Water: The water valve is located by the east door in the living room, by the stairs. Please use as little water as possible (about 10 gallons/person/day). The system we have is a 3800 gallon underground tank which cannot be filled when the roads are bad. The water in the tank must last all winter and most of spring. When leaving the site, be sure to turn the water value OFF and leave the water switch ON. Please note the water meter reading in the logbook.

• Emergencies: All saftey concerns and technical problems should be directed to the Observatory Manager, Randy Grashuis, any time, day or night (REALLY!). Home and work numbers are posted in the warm room.
  Capilla peak is a remote location. Any and all accidents are serious, especially in winter. Always bring much warmer clothes and foot gear than you expect to need. Consider the worst case scenario you could find yourself in (stuck in the snow in the middle of the night on a dirt road) and prepare for it.

  Serious Emergencies:
  Torrance county sheriff: 384-2704
  Alternate contacts:
  Elliot at home 281-3025
  P&A department 277-2616