There's a lot of atmospheric disturbance on the mountain. Even looking through one of Steve Kennedy's famous 22" mirrors (portable, no doubt) you could still pick up a lot of disturbance.

At the Carrizo Plain, the air is still and settled with zero light pollution. It's also pretty dry.

I had no idea about the solar project.

I miss my telescope; an 11" Cassegrain on a Losmondy G-11. It was once part of a research facility.