10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1,0 days and counting - Eclipse in Northern NH - Where you going to be ?

[Andrew]

Initially we were just going to enjoy our near totality here on the edge of the Northern Whites, but started getting excited about being in totality near-by at our local weather observatory and planetarium in St. J. I have been asking questions over the past year anytime we have been there, and started to get nervous as to whether there would be room for us. Luckily, we eventually got reservations for a solar eclipse planetarium presentation a couple hours prior so now have some legitimacy to have to be there.
Things have really shaped up for a big event at this location with all kinds of activities such as a live public media presentation, and a main street shut down with food trucks; thinking we might be able to get an eclipse maple donut. Being the type that usually avoids other human as much as possible, I 'm humored that it takes a science/nature-based event to cause us to want to be with others. If the weather is terrible, it should be a full day fully related to this celestial event and narrated by Vermont's foremost meteorologist/astronomer (well, at least maybe the most well-known).
Schools announced a noon closure in our area, but we are still very concerned about our typically 20 minute drive becoming a difficult traffic concern.

 

[Ear Drum]

Millinocket, which is halfway between the southern edge and the center of the path of totality, so maybe we'll drive a bit north.

If you don't have your eclipse eye protection, here's a list of places recommended by the American Astronomical Society. Just ordered from Halo and received a note the glasses are on the way.

https://eclipse.aas.org/eye-safety/viewers-filters

 

[Salty]

Accuweather is making a long range prediction on viewing conditions (scroll down to 2nd map). As I mentioned elsewhere, I'll be in Mazatlan where conditions are expected to be good. If not, I'll have plenty of booze available to console myself with.

 

[TwinMom+1]

What's group consensus about Mt. Pisgah in Willoughby State Forest, Westmore VT for an eclipse viewing? - I've read that Vermont closes trails for mud season falls during this time, so not sure this will work. Info says South Trail is a 3.4 mi RT/1450' gain trek - very doable starting from Bethlehem NH motel that night - which was closest we could get when booked two weeks ago. Google Maps says it's about an hour drive north from Bethlehem. Hoping parking isn't an issue. Inclement weather might suggest we stay around St. Johnsbury VT where earlier poster Andrew (thank you!) flagged the street fair and planetarium related activities. (ticketed events are already sold out though).

 

[Nessmuk]

My brother has a cottage (formerly inherited and owned by both of us) very near the centerline on the shore of Lake Ontario, not far from Watertown NY. I will have 3 telescopes set up there for family and local residents to enjoy 3m 30s of totality.

 

[peakbagger]

What's group consensus about Mt. Pisgah in Willoughby State Forest, Westmore VT for an eclipse viewing? - I've read that Vermont closes trails for mud season falls during this time, so not sure this will work. Info says South Trail is a 3.4 mi RT/1450' gain trek - very doable starting from Bethlehem NH motel that night - which was closest we could get when booked two weeks ago. Google Maps says it's about an hour drive north from Bethlehem. Hoping parking isn't an issue. Inclement weather might suggest we stay around St. Johnsbury VT where earlier poster Andrew (thank you!) flagged the street fair and planetarium related activities. (ticketed events are already sold out though).

A general FYI is that I91 has a stretch down near Fairlee VT that is only one lane heading south due to a recent rockfall into the road. Plan accordingly as I expect its going to be major backup after the event. Fairlee is North of I89 and south of I93.

Its been a few years but parking for Willoughby is limited along the narrow highway that blasted into the side of the mountain. I think the south trailhead is better than the north end. I seem to remember that the ridge is mostly in the woods but there are some limited view points that inevitably are the tops of steep cliffs. VIews will be better in three weeks and I think the ridge is mostly hardwood and the leaves will not have budded out yet.

 

[JoshandBaron]

The state and the GMC are actively discouraging people from backcountry viewing. The state has explicitly stated that trails on state land will be closed.

https://fpr.vermont.gov/about/total-solar-eclipse

 

[JToll]

The State of Vermont recommends Crystal Lake State Park in Barton. They are supplying toilets.

 

[peakbagger]

I hope to be doing a "scouting" hike to my chosen location next Thursday just to confirm the trail conditions and parking options. Given this weeks "normal forecast" I still expect wet, mud and rotten snow, maybe some minimal ice in 3 weeks.

 

[Andrew]

What's group consensus about Mt. Pisgah in Willoughby State Forest, Westmore VT for an eclipse viewing? - I've read that Vermont closes trails for mud season falls during this time, so not sure this will work. Info says South Trail is a 3.4 mi RT/1450' gain trek - very doable starting from Bethlehem NH motel that night - which was closest we could get when booked two weeks ago. Google Maps says it's about an hour drive north from Bethlehem. Hoping parking isn't an issue. Inclement weather might suggest we stay around St. Johnsbury VT where earlier poster Andrew (thank you!) flagged the street fair and planetarium related activities. (ticketed events are already sold out though).

Very near but significantly more ideal......actually did we make the best plans for this as I wasn't even trying to consider wild locations.......https://wildernesswebb.com/2020/11/01/sentinel-rock/ shhhh. Up out of the defile.

Parking area is tiny although I seem to remember a secondary parking area. Road is wide and fairly good gravel so maybe ok to park along roadway, but ditches will be soft. May want to stay off route 5A as the geology of the road location magnifies the heavy traffic with no escape options. We have come in there from Rte 105 at times, but I think that's all gravel, so will be iffy. It is possible we have already seen the worse of mud season as much sub-layer freezing is worked out and never got all that deep. We are back into some freezing even in the day over the next week.

I wouldn't want to be anywhere near Crystal Lake SP entrance in Barton on that day, it's tough to negotiate the tiny twisty entrance road on a quiet day. Another close-by that would be phenomenal is holbrook although I would assume the entrance road would still be closed and is a tight spot to maneuver for winter parking. shhh.

 

[hikeritz]

NPR posted this:

I hadn't really thought about the impact on the mountain rescue teams. Presumably they're preparing for an increase in calls for help.

 

[TwinMom+1]

Very near but significantly more ideal......actually did we make the best plans for this as I wasn't even trying to consider wild locations.......https://wildernesswebb.com/2020/11/01/sentinel-rock/ shhhh. Up out of the defile.

Parking area is tiny although I seem to remember a secondary parking area. Road is wide and fairly good gravel so maybe ok to park along roadway, but ditches will be soft. May want to stay off route 5A as the geology of the road location magnifies the heavy traffic with no escape options. We have come in there from Rte 105 at times, but I think that's all gravel, so will be iffy. It is possible we have already seen the worse of mud season as much sub-layer freezing is worked out and never got all that deep. We are back into some freezing even in the day over the next week.

I wouldn't want to be anywhere near Crystal Lake SP entrance in Barton on that day, it's tough to negotiate the tiny twisty entrance road on a quiet day. Another close-by that would be phenomenal is holbrook although I would assume the entrance road would still be closed and is a tight spot to maneuver for winter parking. shhh.

Thank you Andrew! Since both Sentinel and Holbrook are state parks, though, and not on the list of those to be opened, I take it I would need to violate official dictum against not hiking on state park trails. Trying to balance being respectful from enjoying a peak somewhere on that day. THanks also for the heads up on Crystal Lake being crowded that day - I bet everywhere will be.

 

[JToll]

I have been in the Northeast Kingdom of Vt for the past few days. I think it is not that important where to watch the eclipse. Any spot with a good southwest view without obstructions should be fine. A hilltop, a beach, or a parking lot. More important is to have a plan to deal with the traffic and crowds. The state of Vt is predicting 150,000 visitors. The Boston Globe’s number one recommendation is St Johnsbury because it is the closest to Boston and has a direct interstate connection. If only 5000 people show up the town of 7000 will be overwhelmed.

 

[TCD]

Some Adirondack tourism folks are predicting as many as 100.000 visitors to the High Peaks region. Obviously, the infrastructure cannot support this. I hope it's not too bad of a mess. We have a spot to watch the eclipse up a little hill across the street (no trail). I plan to stock up on groceries and not even try to get in a car from Friday through Monday.

 

[peakbagger]

I have been in the Northeast Kingdom of Vt for the past few days. I think it is not that important where to watch the eclipse. Any spot with a good southwest view without obstructions should be fine. A hilltop, a beach, or a parking lot. More important is to have a plan to deal with the traffic and crowds. The state of Vt is predicting 150,000 visitors. The Boston Globe’s number one recommendation is St Johnsbury because it is the closest to Boston and has a direct interstate connection. If only 5000 people show up the town of 7000 will be overwhelmed.

Whomever made that recommendation did not take into account that I91 and I 89 feeding into are going to be single lane on the southbound side of I91 in Fairlee VT. St Johnsbury has the same major bottleneck heading south unless people take I 93 south.

 

[dug]

Friends of ours have a couple hundred acres in Bethel, ME and is forecasted to be 99.42% obscured, so hoping for clear weather.

 

[JoshandBaron]

Friends of ours have a couple hundred acres in Bethel, ME and is forecasted to be 99.42% obscured, so hoping for clear weather.

"We're not in the 100% area of totality," says Huhn, who says he thinks the sun will be around 99.9% obscured. "It's very, very close." Close but no cigar, according to eclipse experts. "I would never tell someone, '99% is close enough.' That's definitely not the case with a solar eclipse," says Michelle Nichols, who directs public observing programs at the Adler Planetarium in Chicago. "Drive those last few miles to get into the path of totality," she urges. "People go to total eclipses to get the full experience, and 99% will not get you the full experience." "It's 100% or nothing," agrees Fred Espenak, a retired NASA astrophysicist who has experienced 30 total solar eclipses. "There's such a radical, dramatic difference between a 99% partial and a 100% total. There's no comparison."

 

[DayTrip]

Some Adirondack tourism folks are predicting as many as 100.000 visitors to the High Peaks region. Obviously, the infrastructure cannot support this. I hope it's not too bad of a mess. We have a spot to watch the eclipse up a little hill across the street (no trail). I plan to stock up on groceries and not even try to get in a car from Friday through Monday.

I think we are going to read about a lot of horror stories of visitors overwhelming little cities and towns for this. I have a big job I do every April in Jaffrey, NH about 15 minutes from Monadnock. I start on eclipse MON. I'm hoping that is far enough out of the mayhem that I don't have issues...and hopefully I get out early enough to catch some of the event even though I'll be well South of the good stuff. Real bummer that their schedule fell how it did.

 

[dug]

"We're not in the 100% area of totality," says Huhn, who says he thinks the sun will be around 99.9% obscured. "It's very, very close." Close but no cigar, according to eclipse experts. "I would never tell someone, '99% is close enough.' That's definitely not the case with a solar eclipse," says Michelle Nichols, who directs public observing programs at the Adler Planetarium in Chicago. "Drive those last few miles to get into the path of totality," she urges. "People go to total eclipses to get the full experience, and 99% will not get you the full experience." "It's 100% or nothing," agrees Fred Espenak, a retired NASA astrophysicist who has experienced 30 total solar eclipses. "There's such a radical, dramatic difference between a 99% partial and a 100% total. There's no comparison."

Close enough for me....

 

[peakbagger]

If I was going for close enough in Bethel, Sundary RIver Whitecap or Rumford White Cap would be greater places for close enough.