Apoc-Eclipse!

[PSM]

I'm at our staging area at Pole Mountain WY west of Cheyenne. There's no indication of "hordes" yet. The traffic through Denver to FTC SUCKED! But, the locals said that that's getting to be the norm. We may be joined by G1E if he can wade though the morass.

Pat

[TOMAHAWK9521]

Originally Posted by PSM

I'm at our staging area at Pole Mountain WY west of Cheyenne. There's no indication of "hordes" yet. The traffic through Denver to FTC SUCKED! But, the locals said that that's getting to be the norm. We may be joined by G1E if he can wade though the morass.

Pat

That's why I moved away from the Colorado Front Range to Idaho.

[Flagg]

I'm currently visiting the Bay Area.

I've got a bit of free time and looking at my eclipse viewing options.

Rather than leg it way north, it looks like it should be pretty good in the Bay Area.

80% of the bang for only 2.0% of the travel buck(driving all the way up the coast to Oregon).

I checked out the Chabot Space Center & Observatory today.

Pretty rough ingress/egress traffic wise.

But they've got some pretty awesome tools for this eclipse

Popped into Berkeley to check out the enemy.

What a strange place.......the number of homeless people is off the charts.

The bookstores(2 that I went into) have a broad selection of books on Che Guevara.

All of the local businesses I checked out have key codes for their toilets due to the homeless problem.

Back here at Stanford/Palo Alto it's downright right wing reactionary by comparison.

Stopped by the world's largest user generated for profit intelligence gathering and information operations shop in the world, Facebook.

What a massive outfit, the construction of the new Apple HQ in the media has far overshadowed the massive ramp up in infrastructure Facebook is undergoing.

It looks like billions in HQ buildings being built in Menlo Park.

[Pete]

I-95 south in NC was pretty much bumper to bumper going south today.

[Badger52]

Photo ops should be good for some... bet the ISS gets some interesting shots without the traffic hassle.

[PSM]

Originally Posted by Badger52

Photo ops should be good for some... bet the ISS gets some interesting shots without the traffic hassle.

Doesn't quite work that way. The likelihood of them crossing the path during totality is miniscule and would be only a second or two. Besides, they can make their own total eclipse any time the sun is visible to them. A U-2 pilot probably could too with a little effort. In fact, this is the aircraft that can do what you suggested.

Pat

[Badger52]

Originally Posted by PSM

Doesn't quite work that way. The likelihood of them crossing the path during totality is miniscule and would be only a second or two. Besides, they can make their own total eclipse any time the sun is visible to them. A U-2 pilot probably could too with a little effort. In fact, this is the aircraft that can do what you suggested.

Pat

Understood. I was thinking of them being able to photograph the big blue marble in shadow since their cycle time is about 90 min., give or take.

[TOMAHAWK9521]

So far, I haven't seen or heard of rioting mobs, human sacrifices or cannibalism taking place yet. Although, one or two of those might be interesting.

News radio indicates traffic is piling up at the Idaho Falls off ramps. My guess is that most of the traffic is trying to get into Teton Valley. I have yet to drive out to the road to see if my valley is having traffic problems so we'll see.

I've got my paper ISO 1232-x McJohnson//$# deathray-proof glasses, so I'm set.

I've got a minicam with 8mm DVDs so I'll be able to shoot 30 minutes of video during the event.

Film at 11:00.

[Oldrotorhead]

Tell any Liberal you see binoculars will make the eclipse an even they will never forget.

[TOMAHAWK9521]

Now it's on the waning side. I looked at my video feed and it was roughly 2 minutes of complete darkness. Still, it felt like it happened a lot faster than I thought. Lots of people in the valley hooting and cheering.

Unfortunately, I occupied most of the time taking pics and looking at the LCD screen. Something I said I wouldn't do. DOH! Hopefully, the camera got what I missed.

It was a toss up for me. Sit and just watch it happen for what will likely be the only time in my life or try and record it. I did a little of the first but more of the second.

[echoes]

Originally Posted by TOMAHAWK9521

Now it's on the waning side. I looked at my video feed and it was roughly 2 minutes of complete darkness. Still, it felt like it happened a lot faster than I thought. Lots of people in the valley hooting and cheering.

Unfortunately, I occupied most of the time taking pics and looking at the LCD screen. Something I said I wouldn't do. DOH! Hopefully, the camera got what I missed.

It was a toss up for me. Sit and just watch it happen for what will likely be the only time in my life or try and record it. I did a little of the first but more of the second.

Tomahawk Sir, Wowzir!!

Great photos!!! We had a nice dimming here in OK, and it was so great to share it with a friend of our family from Ethiopia. She had never seen one, and it was awesome to get to explain what an Eclipse was.

What an amazing day...


Holly

[Pete]

Stayed in Fayetteville and had two of the viewing boxes the family made.

Everybody said it looked like Pac Man.

The sun stayed bright in the sky but the light dimmed as if you had sunglasses on - but clear. Odd.

[Divemaster]

Held a couple pairs of sunglasses in front of the camera lens. This what we got south of JBLM.

[Peregrino]

In the zone of totality near Wiles Crossroads, SC.

Not a bad reward for listening to the wife nay-say the road trip for two days because - I quote: "the weather report says it's going to be cloudy"; "the news says traffic will be horrible"; and "the news says the crowds will be overwhelming". (All this from the same people who said Hillary would be our next President!)

Conditions were perfect; we were dead center in a hole in the scattered overcast that was at least 20 miles in diameter; traffic down was routine, we parked on the side of the road next to a farmers bean field with others around us but no one encroaching and totality went way too fast. Same choices as everyone else - take pictures or observe. We got some good scenery pictures on her phone of distant sunlit clouds while we were in total darkness. It was pretty cool when all the cars that were running air conditioners had their lights come on and all the lights on the visible transmission towers came on. That happened just before the stars became visible. Venus really "popped".

Then I got to listen to her all the way home talk about "how cool it was" and "something else I don't have to put on my bucket list". I should get extra points for only doing the "ye of little faith" thing two or three times to rub it in. We did run into traffic on the way home but local knowledge and good timing helped us reduce our exposure. All in all, a worthwhile event to spend a leave day on.

[Badger52]

Originally Posted by Peregrino

In the zone of totality near Wiles Crossroads, SC.

Wow, neat. That last one looks like a football in the air in a spotlight.
"But Coach...!"

Some good pics by those here, thanks all for sharing. All I got to do was cut my grass.