Anyone still around? Now here's a good one. I turn 60 the day of the eclipse. Totality is a special event lasting less than a few minutes. It's also way far from these parts. So for anyone who thinks some of these guys are nuts driving down to NC for a day hike, etc.... this is crazier. We are actually going to drive somewhere for this (still in the planning stages). Will probably end up watching it from the side of some road. Then we'll drive home and stop at a state park along the way, unless we can drive straight to Pennsylvania
and stay with my brother. He lives in the Poconos, so maybe we'll go to Delaware Water Gap. Me and my crazy ideas!

First off, Happy Birthday! Second, NOT crazy to take a road trip. Ever. Road trips are good for the soul.

Have you figured out a destination yet? I hear the totality path is pretty far south.

We're waiting to see what the weather is. I would have gone to my cousin's house an hour from Yellowstone, but did not want it to become the solar equivalent of our 48 finish. So we are going to drive south and keep our eye on the TN and the Carolinas. I ordered an atlas similar to those DeLorme Gazeteers that Hardcore and company get their hikes out of. This one shows all the various state parks, etc along totality. Since we are hikers we will not feel bad missing out on getting a motel room (which will be hyper-inflated anyway). We will break up the ride by staying over at my brother's in PA on the way home (maybe we'll check out the Delaware Water Gap part of the AT). Should be interesting.

If this doesn't work, I understand that there will be another one April 8, 2024, which will be in totality over Katadhin and the 100 Mile Wilderness. For those who don't mind a mono rail .

Well, you could visit the 100-Mile Wilderness, sure, but not Katahdin. In case you didn't know, Katahdin trails are closed for the month of April (and usually into May) every year.

I really ought to head somewhere for the eclipse. It will be over 90% coverage here in the Denver area, but only a few hours North/NorthEast is the 100% band...I'm bad at planning that far out

You can't really plan too far out, can you imagine all those folks who pay big bucks for a room someplace and it rains or fogs up there?

Hope everything will be good with the planned activities.

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Saw the eclipse in Red Bank, S.C. You must see it at least once in your life! Kind of a religious experience. Seems like you're in the middle of some sci-fi movie. Loved the 360 degree sunset! Moon's surface was a greyish color and the crater's were visible on the face. Planning on Burlington, Vt. in 2024.

We saw a (lunar) eclipse that was "kind of a religious experience." Not really comparable on a celestial level to what you got to witness - but this was a full moon night, completely clear, outdoors at a Ringo Starr concert at the Kingston Fair Grounds here in NH. An incredible night - good vibes, great people, awesome familiar tunes that everybody knew the words to and sang along...

Strange thing about the total eclipse, it was cloudy and raining until about a half hour before totality. As the sun was disappearing, the temperature went from 90 degrees to about 75. The atmosphere was stabilizing and the clouds quickly disappeared. The eclipse was crystal clear, with NO clouds at all. About a half an hour AFTER the eclipse, it clouded up and started raining again! A downpour! Reminded me of a Dean Koontz novel.