Solar Eclipse August 21, 2017

[Ruthe]

Next summer on August 21 there will be a solar eclipse stretching in a narrow swath from Oregon to South Carolina. That day also happens to be my birthday and it is my hope to see it with Terry and our grown kids and grandkids.

One of the best places (weather wise) to view it will be the Grand Tetons in Wyoming, which has an RV park and cabins at Colter Bay Village, which coincidentally we got to check out last summer. Yesterday was the first day possible to make reservations and it wasn't easy. Reservations for next August opened online the night before, but they had blocked out the days around the eclipse so that people had to call, starting at 8:00 Mountain time. To be fair to all, one reservation per person was all that was allowed (and only one person was allowed for each phone call.

We and every one of our five kids started calling at 8:00 -- it seemed like it would be impossible to get through but we kept on pushing redial and amazingly we ended up with two cabins and two RV sites.

The first come first served campground is huge -- I think well over 300 sites -- so that will be an option for anyone who wants to see the eclipse in the Tetons.

Now all we have to worry about is the weather.

[Steve Clark]

Ruthe, Congratulations! We did the same for years with summer camping in Yosemite NP, and were only successful about half the time. We finally gave up on summer and go in the spring. What a great plan you have! Family, birthday, Tetons, the eclipse! What an adventure and 12 months to anticipate

[Ruthe]

Our honeymoon, 43 years ago, was a cruise to see a solar eclipse and we were successful, after being clouded out in in Nova Scotia a couple years before. Terry's already figuring out an escape route, should the weather cloud up in the Tetons and be better a couple hours away.

[cpaharley2008]

Interesting how events repeat themselves as do celebrations coincide. I believe Mark
Twain came into and out of this world on the same day during the Halley's Comet passing every 75-76 years.

[Mike Lewis]

If all goes according to plan, I intend to have my trailer parked on BLM land somewhere in eastern Oregon in the path of totality for the eclipse next August. Or maybe on beautiful US 93 in Idaho.

[Ruthe]

Mike, the weather predictions for eastern Oregon are slightly better than the Tetons -- we had thought about that, but the logistics of family made the Tetons a better destination for us. You just never know with the weather.

[Mike Lewis]

Long ago I read that there was a theory that solar eclipses create their own weather. The advancing penumbra suddenly cools the air, causing moisture to condense into clouds, so that when the umbra arrives it is cloudy. I don't know if this theory has been accepted or not.

I was in the path of totality of the March 1970 eclipse that went up the east coast. I was in the "big bend" area of Florida, and it was overcast. Nevertheless it was interesting: I could see the shadow coming rapidly from the horizon, then it got pitch black at my location with light glowing on the horizon, then I could see the advancing light from the trailing edge of the umbra.

I sure would like a good view of the sun during an eclipse, though. Maybe we'll get lucky.

[Ruthe]

Terry was just telling me the same thing about the eclipses creating their own weather.

[dfandrews]

Originally Posted by Mike Lewis

If all goes according to plan, I intend to have my trailer parked on BLM land somewhere in eastern Oregon in the path of totality for the eclipse next August. Or maybe on beautiful US 93 in Idaho.

According to someone I just talked with from that area, they are preparing for and expecting a solid line of RV's, trailers, etc. on every road in the eclipse totality area, from the coast north of Newport, to the southern part of the Grande Valley.
We are now think of camping north of the line, then early morning taking I-84 to about half way between La Grande and Boise. It may be the world's biggest traffic jam, though!

[NW Cat Owner]

There's been a few threads on the upcoming eclipse, so I'm posting this on the ones that popped up during a search. I'm about 15 mins into the almost hour long video in the link.

This year's solar eclipse could cause interstate gridlock. Here's how to beat the traffic. | Circa News - Learn. Think. Do.