The Papoose Lake Primer

Why should anyone care about Papoose Lake? Aliens, of course!! According to some, it's where our beloved government has stashed all the extraterrestrial debris that has rained down upon our planet in the last 50 years or so, the result of intergalactic student drivers. There are even some folks who'll take the story further and suggest that ET and his buddies themselves have taken up residence there (talk about a lousy neighborhood!). Are these people nuts?! Are they just mislead? Or are they right? (or some very strange combination of all three!)

What I'm going to do is lay out all the stories I'm aware of regarding Papoose Lake, covering both sides of the issue. As you'll see, there are points to be made for either case, some points stronger than others. Whichever side you come down on, you need to be aware of and explain these opposing points.

The Pros and Cons of a saucer facility at Papoose Lake. A very schizophrenic look at both sides of the argument. Make up your own damn minds! Not exhaustive, but a start.
- Yes there is!!
- No there's not!!
Map of Papoose Lake and Groom area: (93k jpg) This map is a general location map to give you a feel for the area. It's been compiled from a number of public sources, including various public land records, USGS maps, aerial photos, satellite photos, and the "Cammo Dude Handbook".
Rendered aerial view of Papoose Lake: (55k jpg) I got some new software, Vistapro, so indulge me. This is a quicky rendering it spit out (and I'm still climbing the learning curve!) based upon a USGS digital elevation model. It's reasonably accurate, pretty, but not perfect. Background mountains aren't shown.

Photographs of the elusive quarry:

Papoose Lake from Mt. Stirling. A contribution of the ever subversive Swiss Mountain Bat.
USGS B&W aerial photo, taken 10-09-52 (25k jpg). An overall view of the lake from a time long ago...
USGS B&W aerial photo, taken 9-21-59 (42k jpg). This is a close-up of the east edge of the lake, covering the tongue area. Per Lazar's story, S-4 would have to be in the low hills just east (right) of the tongue. Still an old photo.
Satellite Photos
- Circa 1991 photo, pedigree unknown (59k) Courtesy of the Area 51 Research Center which sells a much larger, better quality version of this image, extending further to the north, including Groom Lake and the adjacent base. On this image the hill on the east side of the lake, near the tongue, is clearly visible.
- 8/15/68 US spy satellite photo (86k). This nice shot of Papoose is from a declassified KH-4B reconnaissance satellite (part of the CORONA program). Here's a close up look (55k) at the area east of the tongue.
- August, 1993 Landsat Thematic Mapper photo (19k) of all but the northernmost portion of Papoose Lake. Not as high a resolution as the others, but still pretty.

Peeping at Papoose: You say you have too much free time on your hands? You lack a life? Well then, this is for you, a lurker's guide to observational opportunities of the Papoose area. Skulk to your heart's content.

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Send comments to: Tom Mahood, tmahood@ibm.net