So what are you plans 3 years from today April 8th 2024

[Nessmuk]

In 2017, I was with a group of serious eclipse watchers. We met at a hotel in central Missouri with a local viewing site and an alternate in western Missouri. Both were predicted to be cloudy, so we did a last-minute 5-hr dash to a site in Illinois just short of the Tennessee border. We had a few passing clouds, but the sky was clear for the main event.

Doug

Interesting, I was in the town of Union in eastern MO, right on the center line under a perfectly clear blue sky at the time. My friend and I had two telescopes for direct optical viewing, wives had binoculars doing the same. I learned from previous eclipses that for this one I was going to simply enjoy the view for the maximum time rather than mess round wasting time with phoography. There would be plenty of available photos later better than I could make.

 

[DougPaul]

Interesting, I was in the town of Union in eastern MO, right on the center line under a perfectly clear blue sky at the time. My friend and I had two telescopes for direct optical viewing, wives had binoculars doing the same. I learned from previous eclipses that for this one I was going to simply enjoy the view for the maximum time rather than mess round wasting time with phoography. There would be plenty of available photos later better than I could make.

Our base was in Columbia (central MO) and our observing site was a church-yard in Marion, IL. The pastor was observing it himself and invited us to join him. All 130 of us... The traffic jam on the way home was pretty impressive.

Yes--one does have to be careful that one does not spend all of one's attention on the cameras and miss the eclipse. I used a lot of automation to minimize my workload and was able to devote most of my attention to the eclipse:
* Camera 1 near totality:
- automatic 7-exposure brackets (preset 1)
- solar filter
- triggered by an intervalometer
* Camera 1 during totality:
- automatic 7-exposure brackets (preset 2)
- no filter
- manually triggered by camera sounds (didn't need to look at camera)
* Camera 2: timelapse. Required no attention near totality.
* The cameras were mounted on a tracker so aim was not an issue.

I'm now 2 for 3. Success in 1970, skunked in 1991...

Doug

 

[Tom Rankin]

Viewing from the Grand Teton...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKFryKqXWFo

I was not on the summit, but I was pretty close by, down on the flats. It was spectacular!

 

[Nessmuk]

I was not on the summit, but I was pretty close by, down on the flats. It was spectacular!

I would recommend a clear sky summit with a view toward the southwest if you can arrange that configuration. I was on an elevated area in 1970 overlooking Chesapeake Bay and the sight of the dark shadow edge rushing toward me at 1000mph almost made me dive for cover. It was as if a solid steel door was closing over me, and I almost had to wonder why there was no sound from the slam. Viewing the same from a high mountain peak with open views toward the oncoming shadow would be even more impressive.

 

[Cumulus]

I was thinking of North Percy. What I'll probably do, though, is reserve a place to stay in the area the nights before and after and decide where to go at the last minute based on weather forcasts.

--

Cumulus

NE111 in my 50s: 115/115 (67/67, 46/46, 2/2)
NE111 in my 60s: 76/115 (53/67, 21/46, 2/2)
NEFF: 50/50; Cat35: 39/39; WNH4K: 41/48; NEHH 89/100
LT NB 2009; CT NB 2017

"I don't much care where [I get to] --" said Alice, "-- so long as I get somewhere," ...
"Oh, you're sure to do that," said the Cat, "if you only walk long enough."
- Lewis Carroll

 

[peakbagger]

I was thinking of North Percy. What I'll probably do, though, is reserve a place to stay in the area the nights before and after and decide where to go at the last minute based on weather forcasts.

--

Cumulus

NE111 in my 50s: 115/115 (67/67, 46/46, 2/2)
NE111 in my 60s: 76/115 (53/67, 21/46, 2/2)
NEFF: 50/50; Cat35: 39/39; WNH4K: 41/48; NEHH 89/100
LT NB 2009; CT NB 2017

"I don't much care where [I get to] --" said Alice, "-- so long as I get somewhere," ...
"Oh, you're sure to do that," said the Cat, "if you only walk long enough."
- Lewis Carroll

The one caveat with North Percy is that the Nash Stream road gate may not be open yet. The summit is still accessible but its either a mountain bike ride up the closed road or the Coos Trail coming in from the SE side . My guess is the campsite on the CT on the NE slope of Percy will be popular. Of course if the gate is closed there will be less crowding. Nevertheless a great pick!

In that same area, Sugarloaf just up the road is another good summit.