2017 Great American Solar Eclipse
Saturday 19 August-Tuesday 22 August, 2017
Joy. That is the best way I can describe what I have been feeling for the last several days. Pure, simple, joy.
Eric and I had what was absolutely, positively, our greatest camping trip ever! We saw twinkling stars, meteors, alpenglow, the Milky Way, the Andromeda Galaxy, blue andesite formations, incredibly layered buttes and hills, mules, friendly astronomy nerds, mile after mile of jaw-dropping scenery, and the star attraction, the reason for a trip that would have been stellar even without it-- a total solar eclipse!
Our fabulous stay at the Diamond Hitch Ranch. This is the page for the animal fans, although it's got some geology on the way.
Our hike through the incredible Blue Basin at John Day Fossil Beds National Monument. This is the page for the geology geeks. Photo by Eric.
The absolutely amazing total solar eclipse itself! This is the page for the astronomy nerds. Photo by Eric.
This event was made very special by Dr. Tyler Nordgren, Artist - Astronomer - Night Sky Ambassador, and Jody Foss, Mule Rancher - Writer. Tyler scouted out the best place from which to watch the eclipse, found Jody and her Diamond Hitch Ranch, and planned an event with her. It's an awesome thing to watch an eclipse; it's an even more awesome thing to watch an eclipse with an extremely enthusiastic astronomer. Tyler entertained us, educated us, and answered all of our questions. Jody was an excellent host. The incredible geology surrounding us was just icing on the cake. Thank you so much, Tyler and Jody!
Learning and understanding the science behind a natural phenomenon is an incredibly powerful and exciting experience. This event was a superlative example that. We had an absolutely fantastic time. I hope I've been able to capture a little bit of the experience to share with you in these pages.