Under A Pristine, Star-Filled Sky At Top Of The Pines

Sitting under a clear night sky instills a deep, mystical sense of wonder; it engages the imagination like no other natural phenomenon. For eons, humans have been humbled by the vast stretches of the universe, forging a personal connection with its larger dimension through stories and myths. But, modern nightlife and distractions have removed us from the age-old tradition of stargazing, which is why the International Dark-Sky Association’s (IDA) work is so essential. 

IDA founded the International Dark Sky Places program in 2001 to encourage communities, parks and other regions to preserve dark sites through responsible lighting and public education. In November 2021, IDA certified Top of the Pines (TOP), a 175-acre wilderness recreation area at the foot of Sneffels Range in Southwest Colorado, as a dark sky park. It is the sixth IDA-certified dark sky park in Southwestern Colorado and the 10th in the state. Located near the IDA-certified dark sky communities of Ridgway and Norwood, TOP offers a stunning place to learn, explore and cross-country ski or hike in the San Juan Mountains by day and experience the awe of a truly pristine star-filled sky at night. 

Photos courtesy of Top of the Pines

TOP’s dark sky is among the darkest in Colorado, according to its sky brightness measurements. Visitors can easily see the Milky Way year-round, though summer (through September) is the best time for viewing, since its brightest core emerges a few hours after summer sunsets. From late August through winter, the Milky Way’s sister galaxy, the Andromeda galaxy, is visible through binoculars, which highlight a fuzzy oval. TOP’s open meadow offers great views of meteor showers, from the Perseids in August to the Geminids in December. Best viewings occur on cloudless, moonless nights

“Viewing the nightscape from a pristine dark location like TOP is a magical experience of unparalleled beauty and awe that the Ute Native Americans and early pioneers of this area had as a part of their lives,” according to IDA’s website.

The Importance of Dark Skies

Dark skies don’t just connect us to a more expansive realm; they’re also important to our health. Artificial light, particularly blue light (including LED and compact fluorescents) can disrupt circadian rhythms, which regulate sleep. It also suppresses melatonin, which helps boost the immune system and regulate sleep, cholesterol and the thyroid, pancreas, ovaries, testes and adrenal glands.

“Light pollution is another form of pollution, but only in the last few decades has it been recognized as an issue,” explains Valentine Szwarc, a member of TOP’s board of directors and co-chair of the ROCC’s Dark Sky Committee who led TOP’s dark-sky designation application process

Artificial light also disrupts the ecosystem, from wildlife to plants. It can draw baby sea turtles away from the ocean, make migrating birds wander off course, alter nocturnal animals’ cycles, diminish cover for prey and significantly reduce insects (including bees), which species rely on for food and plants rely on for pollination.

“Near cities, cloudy skies are now hundreds, or even thousands of times brighter than they were 200 years ago,” states research scientist Christopher Kyba. “We are only beginning to learn what a drastic effect this has had on nocturnal ecology.”

And, unfortunately, it’s getting worse.

“The dark sky is a rapidly-escaping resource,” says Bryan Cashion, president of the Black Canyon Astronomical Society. “Not many places in developed countries have dark skies, so it’s important to maintain that asset.”

That’s why Szwarc and his team spent two years applying for the dark sky designation. They filled out about 75 pages of paperwork, which included stringent criteria for interior and exterior light management, public outreach regarding dark sky education and support letters from quality organizations like county commissioners, Black Canyon Astronomical Society and neighboring towns.

Dark sky parks like TOP are subject to more rigorous criteria than communities, like Ridgway. They must present specific dark sky brightness measurements averaged over a year or more and include astrophotographs showing light domes from nearby towns. Once certified, IDA requires annual documentation of how TOPS continues to protect the dark sky through lighting ordinance compliance, at least four major outreach activities and sky brightness monitoring.

The Wow Factor

Cashion refers to the most common reaction people have when they view a dark sky as “the wow factor.”

“People are just awed at all of the stars and the meteors,” Szwarc says. “As they become more aware of the dark sky, they make more trips and bring their cameras, binoculars or telescopes. But, you don’t need a lot of fancy equipment. That’s one of the advantages of TOP; you can just use binoculars to see (clusters of stars like the Pleiades). And, the gaseous nebula in Orion is pretty spectacular.”

“TOP is an exceptional educational and recreational asset to Ouray County and its surrounding areas,” he shares, adding that it hosts events, schools and other organizations. “It’s an excellent location for astrophotography and simply appreciating the starry night sky in Southwestern Colorado.”

Learn more about TOP: topofthepines.org

Learn more about protecting our dark sky: darksky.org

TOPS is about six miles from Ridgway. For stargazing events (late spring through late fall), visit: RidgwayColorado.com

Get started with these astronomy apps: Starwalk, Google Sky Map, Exoplanet, Skyview, Skeye Astronomy, Nightly Star Charts

Originally published in the Spring 2022 of Spoke+Blossom.