Any plans for the April 8, 2024 solar eclipse?

[recped]

I saw my first solar eclipse in Maine, not quite total, on Saturday, July 20, 1963, as I was climbing Mt. Katahdin alone from Abol Campground to Roaring Brook campground, where my father met me. I climbed through rain, hiding out in caves near Thoreau Spring, started but retreated along the Knife Edge, which was above the clouds, and then the sky cleared enough to see the eclipse when I was jogging down past Chimney Pond at about 5:45 pm.

On that day I was onboard the train from Cochrane to Moose River Crossing, a "special eclipse train", there was a large group of people from all over Ontario/Quebec and the US. A mix of academic types and amateur sky watchers. We were lucky enough to have reasonably clear skies.

This link https://lowbrows.club/2017/06/reflections-june-2017 has an article about the 1963 group with a few pictures. Moose River Crossing was right on the line of totality and pretty much the only place on the line that could be reached by ground transport.

Generally speaking, for me, a total lunar eclipse offers a better viewing opportunity although they lack the sound/wind effects that sometimes you get with a total solar.

Here in Toronto we are close to the line (99.67%), if the weather is guaranteed clear skies I may venture a little closer, I have a friend with a clear view 90 minutes away (99.85%), the few areas that are closer still AND publicly accessible are going to packed with people. Not much of the totality path is in Canada, the small amount that is has a population of almost 10 Million idiots people.

 

[yknpdlr]

recped, there are eclipse chasers who purposely put themselves on the edge of totality line so they get extended photographic time with the diamond ring effect. Personally, I have seen enough parial an even annular eclipses to not want to miss seeing the whole real thing if at all possible.

 

[MrPoling]

To keep it canoe related, here is totality from Congaree National Park, 2017.



First, if you can see the eclipse I recommend it.

Second, if you can paddle Congaree National Park, I recommend it. It is a special place. The trees are amazing. The park staff is always super helpful.

I don't think we'll be able to make the eclipse this year, it is just too far to anywhere with reliable viewing conditions.

 

[Nick Pending]

I can only imagine the emotional horror that ancient peoples must have felt at the sight of the daytime sun disappearing for no appareant (factual) reason known to them. Who gets sacrificed?

Them Connecticut Yankees? < huge grin >

 

[billconner]

If you're coming to the Adirondacks, you might want to bring some extra gasoline.

Fueling the eclipse: In the Adirondacks, a gas station scarcity

Ahead of the April 8 solar eclipse, learn about the challenges of finding gas stations in the Adirondack's remote areas.

www.adirondackexplorer.org

 

[Boatman53]

My daughter lives in Saranac Lake and some of the things she tells me about what they (the ADK’s) are expecting and man oh man gas is only one of the issues.
Jim

 

[yknpdlr]

Just imagine trying to ttravel through the area if you unfortunately have an EV.

 

[Boatman53]

Now that is a nightmare.
Jim

 

[Alan Gage]

I've never seen a solar eclipse and while it seems kinda neat it wasn't something I felt like I had to do. We had one a few years back that was near totality but there was cloud cover.

Then I read the short story "Total Eclipse" by Annie Dillard and it made me realize there might be more to it than it just getting dark in the middle of the day. So while I'm not doing anything for this eclipse it is something that's now on my radar. Hopefully the story didn't set my expectations beyond what reality can deliver.

Alan

 

[yknpdlr]

Total Eclipse" by Annie Dillard

i just read (really skimmed through) this story to look for the familiar parts that I remember of eclipses I have witnessed. This passage below brought back the most dramatic of my initial first total eclipse experience of seeing the 1800 mph shadow approach my location in 1970. But in my case, I saw the dark shadow rushing toward me over the open water of the Chesapeake Bay. It sent a chill up my spine as I almost expected the sound of giant steel doors closing over me as I almost ducked down when the tsumami-like dark line hit me. But of course there was no sound like that, only the exclaims of excitement and wonder by my traveling friends and people around me.

"The deepest, and most terrifying, was this: I have said that I heard screams. (I have since read that screaming, with hysteria, is a common reaction even to expected total eclipses.) People on all the hillsides, including, I think, myself, screamed when the black body of the moon detached from the sky and rolled over the sun. But something else was happening at that same instant, and it was this, I believe, that made us scream."

"The second before the sun went out we saw a wall of dark shadow come speeding at us. We no sooner saw it than it was upon us, like thunder. It roared up the valley. It slammed our hill and knocked us out. It was the monstrous swift shadow cone of the moon. I have since read that this wave of shadow moves at 1,800 miles an hour. Language can give no sense of this sort of speed—1,800 miles an hour. It was 195 miles wide. No end was in sight—you saw only the edge. It rolled at you across the land at 1,800 miles an hour, hauling darkness like plague behind it. Seeing it, and knowing it was coming straight for you, was like feeling a slug of anesthetic shoot up your arm. If you think very fast, you may have time to think, “Soon it will hit my brain.” You can feel the deadness race up your arm; you can feel the appalling, inhuman speed of your own blood. We saw the wall of shadow coming, and screamed before it hit."

 

[clemency]

Was in upstate SC at a hippie dippy festival/wedding for the 2017 one. Wore a Hawaiian shirt with rockets on it, a straw cowboy hat with a peacock feather, and had made a pinhole camera out of an empty PBR 12-pack box. Only person I knew walking in was my wife (who arrived several hours after me), so I had a good time meeting complete strangers. This one I'm heading to some friends' house over near Lake Champlain south of Burlington. Still have the shirt and hat, so we'll see if I get really festive or not.

 

[Robin]

If you're coming to the Adirondacks, you might want to bring some extra gasoline.

Fueling the eclipse: In the Adirondacks, a gas station scarcity

Ahead of the April 8 solar eclipse, learn about the challenges of finding gas stations in the Adirondack's remote areas.

www.adirondackexplorer.org

My daughter lives in Saranac Lake and some of the things she tells me about what they (the ADK’s) are expecting and man oh man gas is only one of the issues.
Jim

Just imagine trying to ttravel through the area if you unfortunately have an EV.

Now that is a nightmare.
Jim

Careful folks, any negative thoughts gets you labeled as a doom and gloomer by a certain member from Portland (no, not the real Portland in Maine), this one’s on the left coast. (Even bigger grin)

 

[Glenn MacGrady]

Was in upstate SC at a hippie dippy festival/wedding for the 2017 one. Wore a Hawaiian shirt with rockets on it, a straw cowboy hat with a peacock feather

Astronomers say that wearing read or green will enhance the eclipse experience. So Maggie wants a red or green eclipse shirt. Perhaps like one of these:

 

[billconner]

Now that is a nightmare.
Jim

That's a problem without an eclipse.

 

[Nick Pending]

Went out of bounds, sorry about that Glenn.

 

[Glenn MacGrady]

This thread is about the eclipse. Let's not darken it with personal or political comments. Please stay on topic of this off topic. Thank you.

 

[snapper]

If all goes well, we're heading north up Rt. 12 out of Utica and heading towards Old Forge on Rt. 28. If the traffic gets crazy there are places to pull off on the way north that will still give you a good view. Our son-in-law and grandsons will be coming to our house from the Boston area to join us in our travels northward. The solar glasses are already secured and we have extras in case we run into folks who need them. I'm sure it will be hectic that day but where we live isn't in scheduled to be under totality so that's why we'll deal with the crowds. Hope everyone gets to enjoy their day.

That's all for now. Take care and until next time...be well.

snapper

 

[MrPoling]

If you're coming to the Adirondacks, you might want to bring some extra gasoline.

Fueling the eclipse: In the Adirondacks, a gas station scarcity

Ahead of the April 8 solar eclipse, learn about the challenges of finding gas stations in the Adirondack's remote areas.

www.adirondackexplorer.org

One minor reason I'm not considering a trip is because my 20 gallon transfer tank rusted out. We took it last time and did not need it. But I'm wary of getting stuck out in the middle of nowhere with no gas.

 

[yknpdlr]

If all goes well, we're heading north up Rt. 12 out of Utica and heading towards Old Forge on Rt. 28. If the traffic gets crazy there are places to pull off on the way north that will still give you a good view. Our son-in-law and grandsons will be coming to our house from the Boston area to join us in our travels northward. The solar glasses are already secured and we have extras in case we run into folks who need them. I'm sure it will be hectic that day but where we live isn't in scheduled to be under totality so that's why we'll deal with the crowds. Hope everyone gets to enjoy their day.

snapper

Snappper, if you are not locked into an Adirondack viewing site, you might consider staying on Rte 12 heading further north to Boonville and beyond. There are plenty of rural side roads that will offer good open viewing locations, likely without crowds. Any of the west heading side roads as you are going north to Lowville and as far as staying short of Watertown should not be overly crowded. Rt 177 out of Lowville toward Barnes Corners with many side roads across the Tug Hill Plateau will get you closer to the center line and give you many more valuable seconds of totality as well. Note, Watertown is a city of 23,000 residents, expecting up to 175,0000 visitors, so stay south and west of that area - where there are lots of rural road choices.

 

[snapper]

@yknpdlr - Thanks for your suggestions. I had thought about sticking closer to Rt. 12 so that may be a better alternative. Thanks for sharing some places to check out on a map. Appreciate your input.

That's all for now. Take care and until next time...be well.

snapper