View to the South West from the observatory

In 1994, after a 10 year search, we found the perfect piece of land:

Plenty of wild life

• 30 minutes out into the country from work
• Good sky
  • Dark - a light dome is in the east (Salem, OR), but good skies N - NW - W - SW - S - SE
  • Good horizons
• No trees (it had just been logged)
• At the top of a hill (at 600' it is 400' above the valley often getting it above fog and pollens)
• The house site is North of the scope and views from the house are preserved
  

Standing on the house site looking NW

The logging company we purchased the property from took a million board feet of lumber out of here. We have replanted, but have left a good zone around the observatory and house.  Also the slope works in our favor so that when the closer trees get taller, we won't lose our view.

The approach from the North

We did have to put in 400 feet of road.

Hill top (the house site is just over the hill)

Just getting ready to start construction.

Construction begins