10/7 Trinity, White Sands and Big Nuts
Late on 10/6 I received a Facebook Message for a Friend in the Orlando area. She is originally from the part of New Mexico where we currently are. She sent a link to the White Sands Missle Range informing us the Trinity Site would be open to the public on 10/7. This is one of two days a year the Trinity Site Ground Zero is open to the public. Well, when in New Mexico, one better go to this special opportunity. So we set the alarms for 0500 as we knew it would be about a two hour drive.
We were up and at um at 0430 getting ourselves and The Boys together. We were out the door and arrived at the Stallion Gate at 0815, where the traffic was backed up about 2.5 miles. We waited for about 30 minutes before the traffic started to move. One must present a government issued photo ID and the Security folks had this down to a science. After clearing the gate check point it was smooth driving to the parking lot where we arrived at about 0930. We grabbed our packs, cameras, and The Boys and water and started the 1/4 mile walk to Ground Zero. The Boys got to socialize with several people and other dogs. The site is surrounded by a chainlink fence with radioactive warning signs well posted. Yes it is still radioactive and one is exposed (more on this later). Within the fenced area is the monument marking Ground Zero, part of the base from the tower which held the bomb, and a covered structure which covers an exposed area of the blast crater. Along the fence they had posted several photos of those involved with the project and photos of the blast.
Ground Zero
Ground Zero
Ground Zero
Foundation for the steel tower
Fat Boy
Trinitite, yes decon your hands.
Jumbo
Also, outside the area there were T-Shirt sales, Trinitite display, (removal of Trinitite is prohibited), near the parking lot there was information available, food sales, water, and public information, and medical support. This event is very well organized. Trinitite was created from the blast when the radioactive elements were infused into the sand. It created a very pretty green sparkling rock. It made very nice jewelry but for it’s radioactive nature. Many of the scientists took the rocks and made pendants for their wives, then wonder why they later developed cancer. ( the geologists provided us with this information)
Yes we bought t-shirts, hey it is a twice a year event, took photos and talked to some visiting geologists and they pointed out some of the Trinitite to us. They collected three pieces and placed them into Lynn's hand for all of us to photo. They strongly suggested washing of the hands especially before eating. This we did after returning the Trinitite to where it was found. We were ready to leave at about 1130 and continued our day.
For those not familiar with the Trinity Site here is a brief synopsis. -
The Trinity Site is where the first atomic bomb was detonated. The detonation took place on July 16, 1945, at 0529 and 45 seconds. The bomb was suspended from a 100 foot steel tower and the plutonium was contained in a shield named Jumbo. As the scientists knew the ignition charge of TNT would not fail, it was the chain reaction of the plutonium which was in question. Hence the shield, Jumbo was there to contain the plutonium in the event the chain reaction did not occur. Jumbo was 25 feet long and 10 foot in diameter, and weighed in at 214 tons. It had been transported to the site from a rail head 25 miles away in Pope, New Mexico, on a special 64 wheel trailer.
Those who witnessed the test described the light, and the heat. Brig. Gen. Thomas Ferrell said “The effects could well be called unprecedented, magnificent, beautiful, stupendous, and terrifying. No man-made phenomenon of such tremendous power had ever occurred before. The lighting effects beggared description. The whole country was lighted by a searing light with the intensity many times that of the mid day sun.”
The events of the Trinity Site did not come to light until after the second atomic bomb was exploded over Hiroshima, Japan on August 6, 1945. It was on that day President Truman announced the events of the Trinity Site. The third atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki on August 9, 1945, and on August 14, 1945 the Japanese surrendered.
Yes, the site is still radioactive and ones exposure from a one hour visit will result in a whole body exposure of one-half to one millirem. For reference one is exposed to about 2 millirems from a cross country airplane flight. The radioactive elements can be found in the Trinitite.
Off to White Sand National Monument, a three hour drive.
White Sands National Monument is surreal and stunning. My first tip to any one is go early in the cool of the day. We arrived late and although the temps were in the 70’s, it felt much warmer due to the reflected sun. The white sands are actually gypsum crystals created by the evaporation of Lake Lucero and Alkali Flats. The dunes continue to move about as the winds drive them westerly. A fun activity is to bring a sled and slide down the dunes, they even sell the sleds at the visitors center.
We hiked the Dune Life Nature Trail, which provided great information about the wildlife of the area. As it was mid day there was no wildlife about for us to observe. The Dunes are pretty and would be best photographed in the morning or evening. The Boys, I am sure, were wondering what this white stuff was, as it looked like snow but was not cold. We carried plenty of water and drank more when we returned to the truck. We then drove about the monument as The Boys quickly crashed and went to sleep.
Hey this snow is not cold
Nope not cold here
More water please as we can’t eat this warm snow
Leaving the monument, we made a stop at a Roadside Attraction at Tularosa to see the Worlds Largest Pistachio, a fun place and also a vineyard. They had a couple interesting wines, great ice cream, and of course nuts. Definitely worth the stop.
We made our way back to the campground, cooked up some soup, built a fire and had s’mores. It was a long interesting day.
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