Author Topic: Eclipse Chasers 2017  (Read 36298 times)

Kris

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Re: Eclipse Chasers 2017
« Reply #150 on: August 25, 2017, 08:15:28 AM »
You know how in the movies, when a character is shocked, or awed, they drop whatever they are holding? Yeah, I did that.

I had my eclipse glasses on, and took them off for totality. It was amazing! After looking for a bit, I turned and looked at the 360 degree sunset. And then I realized that I was no longer holding my glasses! I had dropped them at some point without knowing it.

Yeah, it was amazing. I'm hooked! I want to see another one. I guess now I need to travel hack to get to Chile/Argentina. :)

I started laughing and crying at the same time. As did a few of the people I came with. It really was that amazing.

HPstache

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Re: Eclipse Chasers 2017
« Reply #151 on: August 25, 2017, 09:43:03 AM »
My wife and I both got goosebumps... partially because it was about 20 degrees cooler, mostly because totality was that awesome.

FinallyAwake

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Re: Eclipse Chasers 2017
« Reply #152 on: August 25, 2017, 09:57:28 AM »



We got home at midnight. I can't say enough how amazing it was, and to spend time with my Dad... I will remember this for the rest of my life.

Your pics are amazing!  Thanks for sharing.

Loved the story, too.  Despite the cloud cover for us in Nebraska, it was still an amazing and memorable experience.

Hash Brown

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Re: Eclipse Chasers 2017
« Reply #153 on: August 25, 2017, 11:01:26 AM »
Whew!!!   Glad to hear your eyesight is 95% back!    Hopefully the recovery continues.    You should (if you haven't already) ask your eye health professional about year round protective actions (special sun glasses, any vitamins that might be beneficial??)

Thanks to the various anonymous people out there for caring.  Everyone in my real life wants to joke about it but it's not funny at all if it happens to you.  It's Friday and my vision is 99-99.5% good but psychologically I am still a bit wounded!  Luckily I got to wake up from that nightmare but what was seen cannot be unseen, so to speak.  Today I had to wait for someone to pick me up from a tire shop while I got a new set of tires and I just kind of sat there looking out at the typical suburban landscape -- a recently repainted 1980s hotel, some power lines, a freeway in the distance, some formulated landscaping around a McDonald's.  As dumb as it is, it was all new again. 

I'm a red panda

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Re: Eclipse Chasers 2017
« Reply #154 on: August 25, 2017, 11:22:12 AM »
Really glad you vision is doing better!  I imagine that was terrifying.

JoJo

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Re: Eclipse Chasers 2017
« Reply #155 on: August 25, 2017, 01:43:13 PM »
jmeck, wow.  Glad it's getting better.

It's weird how people can be insensitive about things that are hurting you... a couple of us had mild frostbite in college and others were teasing us about it, calling our one friend "rudolf"  it wasn't cool.

robartsd

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Re: Eclipse Chasers 2017
« Reply #156 on: August 28, 2017, 10:48:38 AM »
Traffic getting to the eclipse does not seem to have been much of a problem for most people. We noticed very little delays getting into Madras, OR the night before and there were plenty of people who reported very little issues arriving early in the morning the day of. A neighbor in the field we parked in brought a telescope and set up a projection - no special filters, just point the telescope at the sun (use the shadow for alightment) and point the eyepiece at a blank sheet of paper (requires frequent adjustment). This turned out to be a much better way of observing the partial phase of the eclipse than eclipse glasses. Views of Mt. Jefferson made Madras a special place to see the eclipse. Before the eclipse clouds obscured the top of the mountain. As totality approached, the mountain got dark and the sunset effect provided a clear view of the mountain's profile. Before totality ended for us we could see the light returning to the mountain.

After the eclipse, traffic was horrendous. We visited the Ericson Aircraft Collection (with air conditioning and flush toliets, the groupon $12 admission for 2 was worth it before seeing the museum) after the eclipse while the street in fromt of the museum moved very little over several hours (I estimate less than a quarter mile in 2+ hours). When we returned to our car, we realized there must be annother way out of the field, as many more cars had vacated the field then had passed the museum. After eating supper (canned soup warmed in the back window of the car all afternoon), we exited through the other end of the field and explored some backroads which got us several miles further out of town before joining the congested highways. After about 4.5 hours in the car we arrived in Vancouver, WA to visit my sister. They had stayed put with 99.2% eclipse and were able to observe many of the prelude signs (including shadow bands).

Advice for future eclipse chasers:
  • Plan to stay put the night after the eclipse to avoid traffic
  • Don't plan on there being enough portapotties - we're told that Madras would have brought in more, but could not get them

I tell people that our trip was to visit family and friends but timed to catch the eclipse (7 days visiting family and friends, 1 day chasing the eclipse, 1 day just for touristy things on our own). The eclipse chasing cost us about $20 in gas, $28 for parking, $24 for 25 eclipse glasses (mostly given away to family that stayed home and friends that hosted us on our trip, sold three pair for $2 each), $12 for museum entry to wait out some of the traffic (net $78 for the day). DW's oldest sister lives in the path of totality for 8 April 2024, we're lobbying for a family reunion there (we'll visit even if the other siblings don't make plans to come).

JoJo

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Re: Eclipse Chasers 2017
« Reply #157 on: August 28, 2017, 01:43:23 PM »

    • Don't plan on there being enough portapotties - we're told that Madras would have brought in more, but could not get them

    I tell people that our trip was to visit family and friends but timed to catch the eclipse (7 days visiting family and friends, 1 day chasing the eclipse, 1 day just for touristy things on our own). The eclipse chasing cost us about $20 in gas, $28 for parking, $24 for 25 eclipse glasses (mostly given away to family that stayed home and friends that hosted us on our trip, sold three pair for $2 each), $12 for museum entry to wait out some of the traffic (net $78 for the day). DW's oldest sister lives in the path of totality for 8 April 2024, we're lobbying for a family reunion there (we'll visit even if the other siblings don't make plans to come).

    Your porta-pottie comment is interesting...it was the opposite in Spray, OR just 97 miles away... loads of porta-potties, about 2 per block, rarely being used.  They even came on Sunday to empty out mostly empty toilets.

    and yes, it can be a cheap endeavor.  We spent a little more but the camping came to $39 per person.  Most of us stayed 2 nights but could have stayed for 4 nights for the same fee.  Had loads of toilets, 2 showers, 2 sinks with running water, and the greatest swimming hole on the John Day river for swimming and tubing.

    Our traffic wasn't bad until we had to get onto US 97 for the last 7 miles to the border (most of this traffic coming from Madras & surrounds).

    dougules

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    Re: Eclipse Chasers 2017
    « Reply #158 on: August 28, 2017, 04:23:56 PM »
    Traffic getting to the eclipse does not seem to have been much of a problem for most people. We noticed very little delays getting into Madras, OR the night before and there were plenty of people who reported very little issues arriving early in the morning the day of. A neighbor in the field we parked in brought a telescope and set up a projection - no special filters, just point the telescope at the sun (use the shadow for alightment) and point the eyepiece at a blank sheet of paper (requires frequent adjustment). This turned out to be a much better way of observing the partial phase of the eclipse than eclipse glasses. Views of Mt. Jefferson made Madras a special place to see the eclipse. Before the eclipse clouds obscured the top of the mountain. As totality approached, the mountain got dark and the sunset effect provided a clear view of the mountain's profile. Before totality ended for us we could see the light returning to the mountain.

    After the eclipse, traffic was horrendous. We visited the Ericson Aircraft Collection (with air conditioning and flush toliets, the groupon $12 admission for 2 was worth it before seeing the museum) after the eclipse while the street in fromt of the museum moved very little over several hours (I estimate less than a quarter mile in 2+ hours). When we returned to our car, we realized there must be annother way out of the field, as many more cars had vacated the field then had passed the museum. After eating supper (canned soup warmed in the back window of the car all afternoon), we exited through the other end of the field and explored some backroads which got us several miles further out of town before joining the congested highways. After about 4.5 hours in the car we arrived in Vancouver, WA to visit my sister. They had stayed put with 99.2% eclipse and were able to observe many of the prelude signs (including shadow bands).

    Advice for future eclipse chasers:
    • Plan to stay put the night after the eclipse to avoid traffic
    • Don't plan on there being enough portapotties - we're told that Madras would have brought in more, but could not get them

    I tell people that our trip was to visit family and friends but timed to catch the eclipse (7 days visiting family and friends, 1 day chasing the eclipse, 1 day just for touristy things on our own). The eclipse chasing cost us about $20 in gas, $28 for parking, $24 for 25 eclipse glasses (mostly given away to family that stayed home and friends that hosted us on our trip, sold three pair for $2 each), $12 for museum entry to wait out some of the traffic (net $78 for the day). DW's oldest sister lives in the path of totality for 8 April 2024, we're lobbying for a family reunion there (we'll visit even if the other siblings don't make plans to come).

    The traffic in rural TN was non-existent on the way in, and added less than an hour to a 2 1/2 hour trip on the way back.  This after having packed the car like we going into the traffic-pocalypse.  A friend also said that traffic wasn't that much more than normal in Nashville, either.  (Horrible is normal.) 

    The overlook I went to was really crowded, but it was a particularly good spot to watch the shadow coming at you.  There were plenty of places on flat land where you could have had most of a parking lot to yourself.   

    HPstache

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    Re: Eclipse Chasers 2017
    « Reply #159 on: August 28, 2017, 04:29:54 PM »
    Traffic getting to the eclipse does not seem to have been much of a problem for most people. We noticed very little delays getting into Madras, OR the night before and there were plenty of people who reported very little issues arriving early in the morning the day of. A neighbor in the field we parked in brought a telescope and set up a projection - no special filters, just point the telescope at the sun (use the shadow for alightment) and point the eyepiece at a blank sheet of paper (requires frequent adjustment). This turned out to be a much better way of observing the partial phase of the eclipse than eclipse glasses. Views of Mt. Jefferson made Madras a special place to see the eclipse. Before the eclipse clouds obscured the top of the mountain. As totality approached, the mountain got dark and the sunset effect provided a clear view of the mountain's profile. Before totality ended for us we could see the light returning to the mountain.

    After the eclipse, traffic was horrendous. We visited the Ericson Aircraft Collection (with air conditioning and flush toliets, the groupon $12 admission for 2 was worth it before seeing the museum) after the eclipse while the street in fromt of the museum moved very little over several hours (I estimate less than a quarter mile in 2+ hours). When we returned to our car, we realized there must be annother way out of the field, as many more cars had vacated the field then had passed the museum. After eating supper (canned soup warmed in the back window of the car all afternoon), we exited through the other end of the field and explored some backroads which got us several miles further out of town before joining the congested highways. After about 4.5 hours in the car we arrived in Vancouver, WA to visit my sister. They had stayed put with 99.2% eclipse and were able to observe many of the prelude signs (including shadow bands).

    Advice for future eclipse chasers:
    • Plan to stay put the night after the eclipse to avoid traffic
    • Don't plan on there being enough portapotties - we're told that Madras would have brought in more, but could not get them

    I tell people that our trip was to visit family and friends but timed to catch the eclipse (7 days visiting family and friends, 1 day chasing the eclipse, 1 day just for touristy things on our own). The eclipse chasing cost us about $20 in gas, $28 for parking, $24 for 25 eclipse glasses (mostly given away to family that stayed home and friends that hosted us on our trip, sold three pair for $2 each), $12 for museum entry to wait out some of the traffic (net $78 for the day). DW's oldest sister lives in the path of totality for 8 April 2024, we're lobbying for a family reunion there (we'll visit even if the other siblings don't make plans to come).

    We may have bumped into eachother without even knowing it... we were in Madras as well and had similar experiences.  Very much worth it, but terrible getting home!

    Hash Brown

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    Re: Eclipse Chasers 2017
    « Reply #160 on: August 28, 2017, 05:29:47 PM »
    This event was like a hurricane evacuation through Kentucky.  I-65 and I-75 each have significant sections widened to 3 lanes but I-71 is 2 lanes for the entire distance between Louisville and Cincinnati.  By all accounts this caused a significant bottleneck for those heading back to Ohio from Nashville and western Kentucky.  The worst I heard about was a coworker who left Nashville at 2:30 and didn't get back to Cincinnati until 3:00am.  There was also a huge wreck on I-40 that shut it down coming off the Cumberland Plateau approaching Oak Ridge. 

    I took Google Maps directions north out of Cookeveille, TN to I-75 and I along with a string of about 100 cars with license plates from all over the union (I saw Virginia, New Jersey, etc.) were sent down a wild series of extremely hilly country roads near Lake Cumberland.  These roads didn't even have painted markings on them (looked like they were gravel up until 10-20 years ago) and then all of the sudden hundreds of cars came along.  I saw one guy standing out by his mailbox just taking it all in. 

    I'm not quite sure how Google Maps works but it was clearly sending hundreds of cars onto less-than-ideal roads in order to miss the many backups on the state routes and interstate highways.  It unfortunately put a lot of people at risk because those roads were truly insane. 



    dougules

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    Re: Eclipse Chasers 2017
    « Reply #161 on: August 29, 2017, 03:53:07 PM »
    This event was like a hurricane evacuation through Kentucky.  I-65 and I-75 each have significant sections widened to 3 lanes but I-71 is 2 lanes for the entire distance between Louisville and Cincinnati.  By all accounts this caused a significant bottleneck for those heading back to Ohio from Nashville and western Kentucky.  The worst I heard about was a coworker who left Nashville at 2:30 and didn't get back to Cincinnati until 3:00am.  There was also a huge wreck on I-40 that shut it down coming off the Cumberland Plateau approaching Oak Ridge. 

    I took Google Maps directions north out of Cookeveille, TN to I-75 and I along with a string of about 100 cars with license plates from all over the union (I saw Virginia, New Jersey, etc.) were sent down a wild series of extremely hilly country roads near Lake Cumberland.  These roads didn't even have painted markings on them (looked like they were gravel up until 10-20 years ago) and then all of the sudden hundreds of cars came along.  I saw one guy standing out by his mailbox just taking it all in. 

    I'm not quite sure how Google Maps works but it was clearly sending hundreds of cars onto less-than-ideal roads in order to miss the many backups on the state routes and interstate highways.  It unfortunately put a lot of people at risk because those roads were truly insane.

    How was it that bad?  Everybody I've talked to that went to TN said there were very few problems.  I guess everybody was just headed back north, so heading south was easy. 

    BlueMR2

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    Re: Eclipse Chasers 2017
    « Reply #162 on: August 29, 2017, 04:58:57 PM »
    Heard all kinds of travel nightmares from people coming back up North from it.

    The next one's coming to me, won't even have to leave home.  :-)

    Got some nice pictures of the partial we got.  I think that's the most I've used my telescope at one time, and probably more time on that solar filter than I had in all the years I've owned it!

    homestead neohio

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    Re: Eclipse Chasers 2017
    « Reply #163 on: August 30, 2017, 01:53:35 PM »
    This event was like a hurricane evacuation through Kentucky.  I-65 and I-75 each have significant sections widened to 3 lanes but I-71 is 2 lanes for the entire distance between Louisville and Cincinnati.  By all accounts this caused a significant bottleneck for those heading back to Ohio from Nashville and western Kentucky.  The worst I heard about was a coworker who left Nashville at 2:30 and didn't get back to Cincinnati until 3:00am.  There was also a huge wreck on I-40 that shut it down coming off the Cumberland Plateau approaching Oak Ridge. 

    I took Google Maps directions north out of Cookeveille, TN to I-75 and I along with a string of about 100 cars with license plates from all over the union (I saw Virginia, New Jersey, etc.) were sent down a wild series of extremely hilly country roads near Lake Cumberland.  These roads didn't even have painted markings on them (looked like they were gravel up until 10-20 years ago) and then all of the sudden hundreds of cars came along.  I saw one guy standing out by his mailbox just taking it all in. 

    I'm not quite sure how Google Maps works but it was clearly sending hundreds of cars onto less-than-ideal roads in order to miss the many backups on the state routes and interstate highways.  It unfortunately put a lot of people at risk because those roads were truly insane.

    How was it that bad?  Everybody I've talked to that went to TN said there were very few problems.  I guess everybody was just headed back north, so heading south was easy.

    I went this way, we stopped in Cincinnati at 1am, leaving northern TN just after totality around 2:30pm with a 1.5 hour stop for dinner.  We took some back roads, and some were a little better for part of the way, but at every cross street that had an entrance to I-65 or I-71 there were huge back-ups which made them just as bad.  Maybe saved an hour total.  There are not many paths through KY and TN for lots of traffic.  We were just happy to find a place to eat that had only a 30 min wait for dinner.  With all that traffic we thought everything would be totally overwhelmed or excessive wait. 

    I've never been through a hurricane evacuation, so I can't compare.   At the time I compared it to leaving a concert parking lot for 10 hours, but that was a bit dramatic.  The same distance took us about 5 hours heading South before totality.

    MsPeacock

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    Re: Eclipse Chasers 2017
    « Reply #164 on: August 30, 2017, 09:22:49 PM »
    I was amazed by the eclipse and felt quite overcome and was surprised by feeling overcome.

    Drove what should have been 8 hours - turned into 13 hours - from DC to Charleston. Crushing traffics all the way down Saturday morning. Met up w/ my uncle who flew in from the Netherlands to Atlanta and drove to Charleston. Had a great two days in Charleston eating wonderful food and soaking up good company.

    Monday morning we headed a bit west and stopped in Orangeburg for better skies. Turned out to be clear for the eclipse. We found a really lovely large park. My uncle is very outgoing to made friends with all the other eclipse chasers around us by comparing notes w/ them about who has traveled where to see what and when did they do it. As a result we got a look through some amazing telescopes at the sun before and during the eclipse. So awesome.

    Drive back was a horrible trek. Everyone piled onto I-95N at the same time and crept slowly up the eastern shoreboard. It took 13 hours to get home - we arrived slightly after 3am. Nerves were completely shot by the drive. I had to be at work at 7am. Managed with a big cup of coffee

    It was totally worth it and we have all agreed to do the 2024 eclipse together  - likely in San Antonio. Will NOT drive and will stay a day before and a day after, at minimum, to avoid the travel challenges.

    robartsd

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    Re: Eclipse Chasers 2017
    « Reply #165 on: August 31, 2017, 09:41:01 AM »
    It was totally worth it and we have all agreed to do the 2024 eclipse together  - likely in San Antonio. Will NOT drive and will stay a day before and a day after, at minimum, to avoid the travel challenges.
    San Antonio is on the edge of totality (city center is outside the path, only the NW side of town gets totality), so be sure you plan accordingly.