As soon as you know the date and time of your arrival, call Ginnee Larson at 520-670-5701 to request a dorm-room reservation. Also check with Ginnee as to: the taxi service that we use to get from the airport to the Mt. Hopkins base camp; the present value of the combination that opens the locks on all the building doors and on the road gate; the departure time of the late-afternoon shuttle trip from the base camp to the mountain.The observatory has no food service, so you must buy provisions before arriving at the Base Camp. Fully equipped kitchens will be at your command, and staples such as coffee, flour, margarine and condiments are supplied. Soft drink machines are available, too. Be advised that dishwashing and kitchen clean up are the responsibility of kitchen users.
A vehicle is provided for people to go up the mountain about an hour before sunset, seven days a week, and at 11:00 AM on week days. If one of these shuttle times happens to fit with your arrival time, use the shuttle vehicle at (but not before) the nominal hour. If not, make an arrangement for a vehicle by calling in advance to Danny West or Cesar Lopez (the motor-pool staffers) at 520-670-5710. Do this for sure if you will be arriving out of working hours, and also find out how to deal with the alarm system at the base camp. Talk a bit about the mountain road and about access to the buildings, if it will be your first time up. You may drive the observatory vehicles if (and only if) you have a license valid for driving in the U.S. See below for more about vehicles.