With a year to go, I only just managed to secure accommodation in Jackson WY for the 2017 total solar eclipse ( I thought the Tetons would be a sublime backdrop)...
...but I and am wondering how many other IIS/Aussie members will be going?
Your prefered eclipse location? (many places seem to be booked solid now)
Heading to Madras, Oregon over the next few weeks to check it out.
Several Aussie friends will be in or around that area as a starting point with most using camper-vans as accommodation as am I.
Several suggestions have been made to find accommodation just outside the limits as it is a reasonably short drive to the centre line or close to it although you will need to leave earlier than usually necessary to avoid missing it due to traffic.
Jay Anderson suggests the road system, for the most part, will handle the additional volume of traffic without any major issues.
I'll be setting up base camp half way between Jackson and Casper.
The idea being that I can travel the main road east or west depending on the weather that morning.
Phil Hart will be in Jackson and we'll be keeping in touch re. weather conditions
But I've my heart set on the Tetons. It would be an amazing back drop, and watching the shadow clip the mountain tops, wow.
Fred Espenaks excellent "Road Atlas for the Total Solar Eclipse" will be my travel guide.
I'll be hiring a cargo van (it's the same price as hiring a small car) and camping out inside it for the 3 weeks I'm over.
We're flying into Vancouver, ferry to Seattle, then drive to Corvallis OR where we have self-catering accommodation and it's quite close to the centre line.
If not looking good there's a road east over the Rockies to Madras which apparently has the best weather prospects but looks like a really dull place to be.
From there we're off the Canada, the scenery and all that.
It's also going to coincide with our anniversary, and our little boys birthday.
Thinking about what else to take - probably a small 4K video setup based on m4/3 camera body and a small ED APO, 80mm aperture X 500m FL.
I'll be staying with a group of friends. Our group has hired two large 4br condo's at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort and we'll be observing from 10000 feet on Rendezvous mountain.
My first eclipse in 1994 was observed from 14000 feet and the fantastic coronal streamers extended 6-7 degrees to the naked eye. Just stunning.
We also have cheap hotel rooms in Boise for a halfway overnight stay if we have to make a late run to Oregon to avoid clouds. Jackson to Boise is 5-6 hrs drive. Boise to Mitchell is 4.5 hrs drive. Madras is about 6 hrs.
Keep in touch. Our group has a busy few days planned around the eclipse with scouting. I hope we can meet up for a coffee or lunch especially if you are in the resort it should be easy. We'll be in the region before and after.
Casper has the Astronomy League AstroCon from the 16th to 19th with a couple of star parties, etc.
They had some good hotel rates for attendees and just recently went through and purged those that had booked with the hotel but not registered for the conference so there may be some rooms available.
Our Plan A is the same mountain top as Joe, Plan B stay in Casper and Plan C follow Fred Espenak .
Hmm I posted this in the other thread already, but will cross-post here too:
I just booked all of my flights (with window seats) last week! My first independent overseas trip too - just a wee bit excited now.
I'll be arriving in Seattle on the 12th and departing from Portland on the 22nd. Would like to see it from Madras where the air is dry and elevation is high, but am unsure if traffic will be an issue (and I don't intend to be in the driver's seat). If so and the weather is CAVOK, Salem (around an hour or so south of Portland by train) could be a safer bet.
I was up in Cairns for 2012 but got clouded out during the crucial moments! I briefly considered 95% the way to the edge of the path for 2017, but I think 2 minutes of totality will work just fine for me, more or less a "first timer".
Will be cool to meet any IIS members while I'm over there!
I've booked in Casper about a year ago. I came to a similar conclusion as Jeanette i.e. the ability to move quickly along the centre line for more than 150 kms on the morning of the eclipse depending on the weather
Ted
I've decided not to head over.
Travelling solo is so very expensive. I've rebuilt my camper van instead and will get many years of travelling pleasure out of it.
Hmm I posted this in the other thread already, but will cross-post here too:
I just booked all of my flights (with window seats) last week! My first independent overseas trip too - just a wee bit excited now.
I'll be arriving in Seattle on the 12th and departing from Portland on the 22nd. Would like to see it from Madras where the air is dry and elevation is high, but am unsure if traffic will be an issue (and I don't intend to be in the driver's seat). If so and the weather is CAVOK, Salem (around an hour or so south of Portland by train) could be a safer bet.
I was up in Cairns for 2012 but got clouded out during the crucial moments! I briefly considered 95% the way to the edge of the path for 2017, but I think 2 minutes of totality will work just fine for me, more or less a "first timer".
Will be cool to meet any IIS members while I'm over there!
Ray,
Salem would be a very poor choice weatherwise. Salem is on the wrong side of the mountains. Cloudiness halves once you get on the east side of the mountains - eg Madras - Mitchell etc. Bring a sleeping bag and for less than the cost of a hotel room, you can buy a cheap tent and camping mat from a Walmart. Camp in one of the state rec areas near Madras or Mitchell or just sleep in the car.
In 22 years of eclipse chasing and 15 eclipses, I have never been caught in traffic. Even if you do happen to get caught in traffic, it is only 190km each way.
Cheers for the insight Joe. Ok, Madras or Mitchell look like realistic and my highly-likely destinations. With sensible driving and an early-enough departure time out of Portland, it should be relatively easy (perhaps just as easy as catching a train..). Weather-permitting, I've no doubt the view towards Mount Jefferson mid-eclipse will be beyond words.
What I learned from Cairns 2012 - on the Esplanade with my extended family in tow for that early morning (after a night without sleep for me) - was that nearly everyone else "in the community" isn't remotely as excited to be heading outside for an eclipse, let alone bother to drive any distance. The roads around Cairns are limited, but I heard of no issues at all with regards to congestion or otherwise.
Nevertheless, I'll keep the option open of flying interstate should all of Oregon have a weather apocalypse at that time of the year next year.
What camera/lens/telescope/mount are you all planning on taking?
At the moment I'm planning on taking my Canon 60Da, a Sigma 170-500mm lens with a 1.4 converter, on a Skywatcher adventurer mount.
All reasonabley portable.
What camera/lens/telescope/mount are you all planning on taking?
At the moment I'm planning on taking my Canon 60Da, a Sigma 170-500mm lens with a 1.4 converter, on a Skywatcher adventurer mount.
All reasonabley portable.
Rodd
Rodd,
Sorry, travelling and I've had really dodgy internet for several days. The information superhighway seems to have a bypass around southeast Qld. A glitch seems to have occurred as I posted and a copy of your post went up under my name without the reply I wrote. When I looked back today I realized my reply had disappeared.
I suggest a top down approach. First you check out other peoples eclipse photography, see what type of picture(s) you want to take and then work out what to bring. Many APS-c sensor users settle on a lot less focal length than you are bringing. I personally use a 430mm FL refractor with my APS-C camera. Remember, you are not photographing a 1/2 degree diameter moon or sun but a corona which is up to 4 degrees or even more in size (photographically not visually*).
* visually, the corona can be extensive when viewed from high altitude. As oxygen levels drop, eyesight loses acuity so pick a moderately high altitude enough for very clear skies but below where altitude sickness kicks in. Photographically, the best eclipse photographers have recorded corona out to 15 solar radii. 4 solar radii is easy, 8 is more challenging.
Do I hear you saying that you can zoom out during totality and have the best of both worlds? With so little time during totality, focusing is never easy. Unless you are sure that the camera will autofocus perfectly, don't try it. Set a focal length, focus accurately a minute or two before totality to minimize focus shift from temperature change. Lot's of observers walk away from eclipses with out of focus images, as have I.
Over the years I've developed a techniques manual, info that I don't want to forget during the 1-2 years between totalities and also just useful info. Much of it is specific to my gear. The attached diagrams are extracted from that manual. Circles represent the radius of coronal streamers and the graphic also shows a typical solar minimum corona. The rectangular boxes show the field of different focal length lenses. One diagram is for full frame cameras for the benefit of other readers and one is for APS-C frame cameras like yours. It's a quick way to visualize what the composite photo might look like.
