Armed Polite Society
Main Forums => The Roundtable => Topic started by: Ben on May 25, 2017, 02:01:15 PM
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Just saw this in my news feed from Idaho:
http://www.ksl.com/?sid=44372711&nid=148&title=500k-people-expected-to-travel-to-witness-eclipse-idaho-officials-say
I wasn't thinking about how it would strain resources there (and likely other prime viewing areas).
My plan was going to be the usual Utah-Idaho fishing trip in AUG, ending up around Island Park or else a really cool forest service cabin I discovered up on the mountain at eclipse time. It sounds like it's going to be downtown Los Angeles at rush hour though. I'm going to need to look at some contingency locations in case that whole area turns into a madhouse.
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You'll be safe. The looky-loos will stick to major roads and Starbucks parking lots. If you are more than 100 yards off the road, they will never know you are there.
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It's coming right over my house. Total darkness.
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We've been planning to drive up from UT to ID that day to see it. Need to figure out how to avoid the I-15 mess that will exist though . . . not a lot of alternate routes.
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We're planning to head to Tennessee that day. Already have our eclipse glasses.
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Wow. The camping locations I was looking at are all booked up. I'll need to look at an offroad drive to a place to pitch a tent, or else find a motel at least 2-3 hours away and then drive in. 20-21AUG are booked at the Best Western in Idaho Falls, and for 21-22AUG, they're asking $1350/night.
You read that right. A freakin' Best Western, in Idaho, wants $1350 for one night. I'm really curious if they'll get it. I'd be assuming it will be foreign money. I can only imagine what the traffic will be if the motels feel they can charge that premium.
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For $ 1350/night, they better be providing a hooker, blow, a nice ribeye and a bottle of Quilceda Creek cabernet.
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For $ 1350/night, they better be providing a hooker, blow, a nice ribeye and a bottle of Quilceda Creek cabernet.
More likely just a free herd of bedbugs to take home.
I scheduled time off for this 6 months ago and may still day trip someplace I can see and photograph it but the hype and the sheer number of *expletive deleted*ing morons people converging has me reconsidering a trip.
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More likely just a free herd of bedbugs to take home.
I scheduled time off for this 6 months ago and may still day trip someplace I can see and photograph it but the hype and the sheer number of *expletive deleted*ing morons people converging has me reconsidering a trip.
You ain't kiddin'. I was planning mine around going fishing in Utah and Idaho anyway that time of the year. I'll see how things look closer to the date, but I'm almost thinking if I can't find a place to 4x4 into that will have a skyview and where I can stay till the day after the hubub, I might reconsider and watch it on the interwebz. I don't really wanna be sitting in a CA style traffic jam driving to it from somewhere else.
It might be kinda hilarious if clouds rolled in. Rain and thunderstorms aren't uncommon in that part of Idaho at that time.
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Also, here's a screengrab of the rate, because I wouldn't believe it if I didn't see it myself:
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4217/34910951731_a0fe9618f6_c.jpg)
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20-21AUG are booked at the Best Western in Idaho Falls, and for 21-22AUG, they're asking $1350/night.
How many Eclipses (Eclipsii ??) Are we supposed to get. And a guy down the street from me is headed down to Southern Illinois to watch it. I gave him directions to get to our old Deer Camp site, where he and his crew can watch the 'clipse away from the maddening crowds.
P.S.Went and check on Hotels.com. Last remaining rooms down there are going for $305 a night. And this is in the $39.95/ night fleabag hotel.
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Didn't know that there was one happening. Apparently it will only be a partial here.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_eclipse_of_August_21,_2017
The longest eclipse in this series will occur on June 25, 2522 and last for 7 minutes and 12 seconds.
I'll be sure to mark my calendar. :rofl:
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Ahhhh, now I get why there are no rooms down there. And he'll be in a prime spot at our old deer camp for viewing.
Goreville, Illinois - View the eclipse with the University of Illinois Astronomy Department.
* (This is town closest to our old Deer Camp site.)
I hope everyone enjoys their few minutes of (partial) darkness...
*- From the link Freakzoid posted.
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http://www.eclipse2017.org/2017/path_through_the_US.htm (http://www.eclipse2017.org/2017/path_through_the_US.htm)
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http://aa.usno.navy.mil/solareclipse?eclipse=22017&state=DC&place=Goreville%2C+il&height=
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The path of totality goes right over my in-laws property... Guess where we'll be watching from :)
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I read that the Oregon State Parks department sold out of every single campsite, cabin, RV site, and all other overnight accommodations within 1 hour of the dates of the eclipse becoming available to reserve.
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Man. I'm now really considering sitting this out, or maybe being just outside the edge of the total eclipse zone and being a 99 percenter. It looks like even getting gas will be an issue.
On my last road trip, I found some really cool lakes in the cascades on a fairly rough 4WD road. I only saw one other vehicle that day and it was primitive camping (i.e., not listed on rec.gov or Oregon Parks websites) by and along all the lakes, which are smack in the middle of the eclipse path. I might consider overnighting there, but who knows how many other people with appropriate vehicles are thinking that same thing, especially on a weekend. The road is barely wide enough for one vehicle and there are few turnouts. If only 50 people show up, it could be worse than a packed freeway. Too bad the eclipse wasn't in the middle of the week - it might have reduced traffic by a couple of million people. :laugh:
Of course this could be the worst case scenario road debacle as projected, or it could be a big nothing burger.
http://www.foxnews.com/science/2017/07/21/solar-eclipse-day-craziness-could-resemble-zombie-apocalypse-are-ready.html
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I ordered my 10 pack of eclipse glasses from Amazon.
That pretty much guarantees that it's going to be heavily overcast and/or monsooning.
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There's supposed to be another total eclipse in the U.S., in 2024. Is it a bit too early to book lodgings for that one?
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It's passing right over our heads at my place. Work is even planning a little party and bought several hundred eclipse glasses so everyone in the warehouse would have a pair.
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What the hell are eclipse glasses?
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What the hell are eclipse glasses?
Glasses dark enough and UV protective enough to allow direct viewing of the sun. Even a partially or mostly obscured sun can cause eye damage unless protection is used.
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Shade 14 welding goggles. (13 is marginal) Anything stronger than 12 is sometimes hard to find, but the numbers are additive -- you can stack an 8 and a 6 to get 14.
You can actually skip the goggles and just cup the lens in your hands to view the sun. That's what I did when we had an almost-total eclipse in the 1990's and I found out about it just a couple of hours before.
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Had dinner with Son2 today and he gave me a pair. He's going up north to see the totality, but he mentioned that it would be 90% here and he'd feel better with me having that protection. They really are dark.
Funny how the roles have been reversed. Now he's taking care of me. :rofl::old:
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Had dinner with Son2 today and he gave me a pair. He's going up north to see the totality, but he mentioned that it would be 90% here and he'd feel better with me having that protection. They really are dark.
Funny how the roles have been reversed. Now he's taking care of me. :rofl::old:
I love my kids but the thought of them having to take care of me scares the hell out of me.
I had originally made plans to drive up to somewhere in the path of totality. On second thought after imagining what a *expletive deleted*ing zoo anyplace worth going to is gonna be I decided to stay home and enjoy the 90% we are getting.
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Forget hotels. You should see what PARKING SPACES are going for.
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Glasses dark enough and UV protective enough to allow direct viewing of the sun. Even a partially or mostly obscured sun can cause eye damage unless protection is used.
So I can just use my speed glass helmet? Do idea how dark that really is.
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So I can just use my speed glass helmet? Do idea how dark that really is.
Depends. Eclipse glasses are cheap, though if you have any doubt.
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So I can just use my speed glass helmet? Do idea how dark that really is.
1) Not all helmets go up to #14.
2) I don't think your helmet will auto-darken when you point it at the sun. It's one of the first things I tried with mine. It would sometimes darken, but not stay that way. Or from what I read and worse, it will repeatedly activate/deactivate almost too fast for you to notice, but slow enough to damage your eyes if you are staring at the sun.
Probably better to just buy the glasses or do as Bob suggested and just buy a #14 (or a couple of #7) regular lenses at the welding shop. Don't bother with Amazon - they seem to have joined in on the solar $$$ fun and even welding lenses are suddenly overpriced.
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Ha ha - the eclipse path is Trump's fault. :rofl:
http://twitchy.com/dougp-3137/2017/08/01/piping-hot-boston-globe-take-sun-moon-might-as-well-wear-maga-hats-next-month/
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Ha ha - the eclipse path is Trump's fault. :rofl:
http://twitchy.com/dougp-3137/2017/08/01/piping-hot-boston-globe-take-sun-moon-might-as-well-wear-maga-hats-next-month/
He's a wealthy man, with properties all over the place, and tax-payer provided housing in D.C. Yet the journos let him live in their heads. Sad!
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1) Not all helmets go up to #14.
2) I don't think your helmet will auto-darken when you point it at the sun. It's one of the first things I tried with mine. It would sometimes darken, but not stay that way. Or from what I read and worse, it will repeatedly activate/deactivate almost too fast for you to notice, but slow enough to damage your eyes if you are staring at the sun.
Probably better to just buy the glasses or do as Bob suggested and just buy a #14 (or a couple of #7) regular lenses at the welding shop. Don't bother with Amazon - they seem to have joined in on the solar $$$ fun and even welding lenses are suddenly overpriced.
I'll have to see if I can find the shade level on it. I know I don't use it turned up to the darkest setting. And if you fiddle with the sensitivity it will darken if you look up from your work outdoors.
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And you know that if totality passed over only Hillary voting areas they would be going absolutely apeshit because "their sun is being cut off" by the evil Trump-leaning sun.
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I love my kids but the thought of them having to take care of me scares the hell out of me.
Which is why I give really cool presents to my great-nephews. I want them to smuggle booze into my nursing home for me.
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According to Travelocity, hotel prices in St Louis haven't changed, but I'm not seeing a whole lot of empty rooms. That's about 60-90 minutes from various points along the totality.
Hotels in or near St. Clair or De Soto are full up.
We're going to head over to St. Clair. I don't know what kind of crowds to expect.
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(https://volcanocafe.files.wordpress.com/2013/10/strombolian-eruption.jpg?w=700&h=466)
Trump's fault.
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Just checked to see what if anything (besides clouds 'n such) would interfere with my view from my balconies.
Just FYI in case you need to know in advance, for Denver, ~105° W, ~40° N, 21 Aug 2017, 11:57 AM MDT, the sun will be at Elevation ~58°, Azimuth ~145°, 90% totality. Oh, the moon, too.
Total event will be from 10:23 AM to 1:14 PM MDT.
I reckon the moon will in fact be in totality. :) Nyuck-nyuck-nyuck.
'Course, you can guess at it pretty good, too, but them's the numbers iff'n you need 'em for instrumentation or whatever.
I meant to mention this again. The last full one we were in a woodsy area and it was spooky when everything went black because all the forest creatures suddenly shut up.
Weather near Golden; I didn't check for Denver proper:
Monday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Cloudy, with a high near 72.
What filter number do clouds have? Nyuck-nyuck-nyuck.
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I got enough glasses for all the grandkids and kids and wife and I. I think we're gonna do a BBQ event for the afternoon. Only one that has to work is my son in law.
Current forecast calls for clear skies for our 90.7% eclipse.