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ac78 Samba Member
Joined: March 18, 2008 Posts: 330 Location: Nashville
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Posted: Mon Aug 21, 2017 5:45 pm Post subject: Re: Official 21-Aug-2017 Solar Eclipse Thread |
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We had a perfect day to see 100% Totality. It was an incredible sight! The shadows were pretty cool too.
_________________ 78 Westy 2.0l hydr. FI
VW Campmobile
For people who believe a family's
car should be it's castle ! |
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Amskeptic Samba Member
Joined: October 18, 2002 Posts: 8568 Location: All Across The Country
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Posted: Mon Aug 21, 2017 7:26 pm Post subject: Re: Official 21-Aug-2017 Solar Eclipse Thread |
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I drove up from LA through Las Vegas to Shoshoni WY to catch this eclipse, 1,184 miles, I'd do it again . . .
Lifted from IAC post:
The traffic got a bit crazy as the Day Before wound down in Riverton Wyoming. We came into town with not yet any idea of where to camp. Relying on fifteen years of always finding a spot, I stayed relaxed and irritated at the RVs, SUVs, lost tourists, and spied thousands of freshly purchased "No Trespassing!" signs everywhere.
According to my whc03grady (thanks, Mitch!) Vemo video, the center of the moon's shadow was going to be exactly where I actually ended up, midway between Riverton and Shoshoni. According to my stinky casual online map (now that I have dumped MapQuestGoodRiddance), I had only to travel thirteen miles out of Riverton and look for Bass Lake Road, bang a left, go a few miles until a hard right, look for the left onto a dirt road. From there, I looked for a trail that nobody had taken because the ditch and the berm said so. Chloe lifted a right rear tire for just a second, but momentum got us through. The trail (brought to me by satellite imagery from Google) led me away from civilization in the direct path of the shadow, so no danger of driving out of the totality. Drove past several campsite/party spots with big RVs and those hated ATVs all unloaded and ready to strafe my beloved countryside. Two hills and the swarming people were left behind. Wow. This easy? Yay hey yay:
Slid down a hillock with lots of broken bleached vertebrae and a pelvis, executed a fast hillside three-point turn as I could feel Chloe's rear tires break through the silt:
With failing light, I removed the crank pulley AGAIN, you know why? Because last time I painted it, during the + 100* Generator Brush Spring Faint, I did not give it enough time to DRY and the centrifugal force against that nice fresh paint THREW PAINT all over the engine compartment! You should have seen it, the pulley with all of those strands and clots of black yarn, and the apron coated in sticky splats. So, sanded anew with a promise of an all night dry:
You can't quite discern the cliff behind the car, but that is a cliff behind the car. I thanked my loyal little cow, took a walk up the hill and surveyed this beautiful solitude at sunset:
Strange desert denizen stares:
Gazed at the stars in the silence, no chickens, no dogs, no motorcycles, no pick-ups, no voices, no crickets, just the Milky Way and the Big Dipper in a riot of stars.
Here's the next morning after the pulley installation, the timing mark painting, the valve adjustment, where I moved the car back up from the cliff cul-de-sac. The eclipse has begun:
The camera was already demanding "night" exposure, and did a fine electronic job of masking the change in lighting. You can bet I was already getting furious with God with those high clouds stealing over the sun:
"You don't even want to know what I will do if You block my view of this event, You Big Cosmic Cloud Clown, I will devote my life to EVIL, I will squash bugs, I will be rude, I will litter, I will never ever give a damn ever again . . . hey, the cloud has dispersed. "
The failing light started accelerating. You could see the western horizon was darker than the eastern.
The sun was down to a quarter crescent. I photographed through my NY Cynthia Commemorative Eclipse glasses, but the Kodak EZ Share 612 was getting confused:
Photographed through the reflection of the center side window. The camera felt more comfortable with this set-up, less chattering of its electronics:
This is right when the sun went coronal around the moon. Unbelievable majesty to see all dusk colors suddenly occur. I saw one planet or star to the west of the corona. I wasted fifteen seconds to video and try to photograph (and try to find my glasses where are my glasses???? I can't see in this car!) The moon orb was a beautifully defined black rock, and the corona was an unexpectedly brilliant shimmer of white. Here's my camera's interpretation of "beautifully defined":
Way way way too soon, light began spilling out to the right of the moon rock, and I had to go back to the eclipse glasses as the countryside just sped through a facsimile of dawn, sunrise, early morning, mid-afternoon:
I hung out at the Broken Bones Cul-de-Sac for the remainder of the day to try to keep this experience. My mind was too chattery with photography and video concerns even as I promised only fifteen seconds to be devoted to recording it. These solar eclipses are so too brief.
ColinWaitingFor2024 _________________ www.itinerant-air-cooled.com |
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67ctbug Samba Member
Joined: January 24, 2016 Posts: 3619 Location: CT
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Posted: Mon Aug 21, 2017 7:31 pm Post subject: Re: Official 21-Aug-2017 Solar Eclipse Thread |
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Beautiful photos Amskeptic. How did you get your camera to get the full eclipse so perfectly. I was using my phone mind you, but the best I got was what looked like a cd...
_________________ '67 Beetle L41
'74 Westfalia
'69 Plymouth "Adam-12"
'63 Ragtop
'73 914
'73 Dodge W200
'72 Dodge Wrecker
Go Cubs!
World Series Champions 2016
KentPS wrote: |
...or the PO envied the terrorists' bus in "Back to the Future". |
mukluk wrote: |
He's fine, just waiting for the dragon in winklepickers to move out of his lane. |
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Amskeptic Samba Member
Joined: October 18, 2002 Posts: 8568 Location: All Across The Country
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Posted: Mon Aug 21, 2017 7:45 pm Post subject: Re: Official 21-Aug-2017 Solar Eclipse Thread |
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67ctbug wrote: |
Beautiful photos Amskeptic. How did you get your camera to get the full eclipse so perfectly. |
With some help from Paint.Net.
If you look at mine, that is no true solar corona like ac78's beautiful photograph shows. I had stupid lens rings and a ghost Jupiter looking reflection to the lower right that I had to dim out.
The experience is amazing. I recommend that everyone start planning for their excuses in 2024 NOW.
Colin _________________ www.itinerant-air-cooled.com |
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67ctbug Samba Member
Joined: January 24, 2016 Posts: 3619 Location: CT
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Posted: Mon Aug 21, 2017 7:48 pm Post subject: Re: Official 21-Aug-2017 Solar Eclipse Thread |
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Ah I see... We are already planning on going to the 2024 one this is just such an amazing experience! Now I wanna know how he did it _________________ '67 Beetle L41
'74 Westfalia
'69 Plymouth "Adam-12"
'63 Ragtop
'73 914
'73 Dodge W200
'72 Dodge Wrecker
Go Cubs!
World Series Champions 2016
KentPS wrote: |
...or the PO envied the terrorists' bus in "Back to the Future". |
mukluk wrote: |
He's fine, just waiting for the dragon in winklepickers to move out of his lane. |
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vwwestyman Samba Member
Joined: April 24, 2004 Posts: 5680 Location: Manhattan, Kansas, USA
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Posted: Mon Aug 21, 2017 7:51 pm Post subject: Re: Official 21-Aug-2017 Solar Eclipse Thread |
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Nice pics!
Unfortunately for me, it was pretty cloudy where I was. However, they did thin out enough during the middle of totality that we were able to see that.
And I did get to still experience most of the weird effects, such as the quick "sunset" and "sunrise" while the animals freaked out, such as seeing a couple bats flying around looking for bugs, and hearing the cicadas sing their sunset tune. Very cool.
In addition, I got to spend a good chunk of the afternoon with my folks, aunt and uncle, and grandpa. After the sun was back in full force (and the clouds had slid away, sigh) my uncle and I set about getting Grandpa's 1928 Model A roadster running. I guess it was mostly disassembled many, many years ago by a family friend who was killed in an accident. It sat for a very long time in that state in a barn before Grandpa bought it.
No fenders or doors or windows, but I think in such a car it doesn't necessarily matter. My uncle said the body was held to the frame by gravity and one bolt! We did get it to run and he and I took it around the block.
So the eclipse itself was "ok" but I had a very nice day anyway. _________________ Dave Cook
President, Wild Westerner Club
1978 Champagne Edition Westy, repowered to '97 Jetta TDI
1973 Wild Westerner
My Thing |
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67ctbug Samba Member
Joined: January 24, 2016 Posts: 3619 Location: CT
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Posted: Mon Aug 21, 2017 7:56 pm Post subject: Re: Official 21-Aug-2017 Solar Eclipse Thread |
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Sounds like a great day even if you didn't get the "full" experience! _________________ '67 Beetle L41
'74 Westfalia
'69 Plymouth "Adam-12"
'63 Ragtop
'73 914
'73 Dodge W200
'72 Dodge Wrecker
Go Cubs!
World Series Champions 2016
KentPS wrote: |
...or the PO envied the terrorists' bus in "Back to the Future". |
mukluk wrote: |
He's fine, just waiting for the dragon in winklepickers to move out of his lane. |
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KentABQ Samba Member
Joined: September 11, 2016 Posts: 2406 Location: Albuquerque NM
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Posted: Tue Aug 22, 2017 6:55 am Post subject: Re: Official 21-Aug-2017 Solar Eclipse Thread |
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A million "Thanks!", guys, from those of us out of the path. All of your pictures and Colin's description of the experience were great.
Next one is 2024? Okay...time to get Chloe ready for it! _________________ -Kent-
1976 Riviera, 1.8l FI chrome yellow VAN - "Chloe"
"I must say, how can you be in a bad mood driving this vehicle full of vibrant color.
Cars of today are so bland in comparison. It's like driving a celebration!" ---WildIdea
Bus ownership via emoticons:
---williamM |
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andrewtf Samba Member
Joined: August 10, 2011 Posts: 602 Location: Illinois
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Posted: Tue Aug 22, 2017 8:14 am Post subject: Re: Official 21-Aug-2017 Solar Eclipse Thread |
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Is it time to start the "Official 2024 Solar Eclipse Thread"? _________________ '75 Riviera - 'BIG EMMA' (Pan American highway trip paused for a make over)
'77 Riviera - Murphy' (being reborn.... slowly)
'63 Austin Healey |
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sunnydog Samba Member
Joined: September 17, 2012 Posts: 621 Location: SW WA
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Posted: Tue Aug 22, 2017 8:32 pm Post subject: Re: Official 21-Aug-2017 Solar Eclipse Thread |
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Thanks to everybody who trekked to wherever to see the eclipse and posted up their experience here. Sounds like the backroads and deserts of eastern Oregon did not turnout to be major catastrophe like people thought, but Illinois freeways were not moving so free.
This is not a voting thread, but I'm pretty sure Amskeptic wins this thread for the most awesome and detailed post!
As I reported earlier, I headed the wrong direction, north, away from totality, because I had fortunately scored climbing permits for Mount St. Helens.
After stopping in Battleground WA at Barrel Mountain Brewing for an amazing pepperbacon and fried egg cheeseburger and a pint of Metalhead Red, here's a following shot of the old bus headed up to the mountain. The Climber's Bivouac campground is at 3700' and this portion of the road climbs 3000' in the last 14 miles. The bus stayed cool.
Only a two-car team, unfortunately I neither made nor bought "Volkswagen Eclipse Caravan" magnetic stickers .
We arrived at dusk, just in time to convert the buses for sleeping, build a fire, open a bottle of red wine, roast some marshmallows. You gotta stay hydrated, but maybe the wine was not necessarily helpful.
Here's nightfall and the bus top popped, curtains pulled and the dome light glow... This is what bussing is all about, and why I put all the time and energy and VW love in.
Section without VW pictures:
Got up at 4AM to boil water for coffee and oatmeal. Brother in law broke out a loaf of homemade chocolate chip banana bread. Double-checked gear, packs and permits for all 5 of us. Hit the trailhead at 5 AM but none of the pens at the climbing register worked so actually departed at 5:20AM. First 2 miles through the forest in the dark, hiking by headlamp to Timberline. Arrived just as dawn was breaking at 6AM. Commenced the trail-less boulder scramble for the next 2 miles that is 4790' to 7130'. Then the last mile is a sliding pumice/rock slope where every step slides back by half; that's 7130 to 8300' elevation. Arrived at the top at 9:50! Just enough time for food and water and adding extra layers because it was growing cold and windy. Eclipse glasses on! We only saw 97% obscuration but could actually see the dark area of totality sweeping across Oregon. It was a peak experience! Eclipse over, my brother in law broke out a gallon Ziploc of homemade cookies. Since we can't eat them all and he doesn't want to carry them, he wanders from group to group handing out cookies. We admired the views of Mt. Rainier and Mt. Adams, peered down in the crater to the glacier and the steaming lava dome, waved at the mountain goats, then packed up and headed down. Mrs. Sunnydog got a little tired and wobbly but we took it slow and safe and got back to the trailhead at 3:30, making it also 4.5 hours to get back down.
/Section without VW pictures:
Packed up the bus, hit the road hot and tired, down the mountain through forest roads:
Across a one-lane suspension bridge:
Then sweaty dusty us stomp our hiking boots into a nice restaurant in town, where I devoured a delicious chile relleno stuffed with carnitas and jackcheese on a bed of blackbeans and salsa, with a frosty and salty ginger margarita. Showered and asleep by nine.
That's right, I put all that food blog text into a eclipse thread on a website for Volkswagens.
Life's an adventure, might as well mix it all up and go for every bit of joy you can! Austin TX, Dallas TX, Little Rock, Evansville, Indianapolis, Cleveland Niagara Falls, Montreal get ready for 2024! _________________ '71 Westy w/ a 1776 singleport, 34P3 & 205Q. Points.
EZ Gruv wrote: |
I appreciate the effort, but this could be the worst video in the history of videos. |
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TomWesty Samba Member
Joined: November 23, 2007 Posts: 3482 Location: Wyoming,USA
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Posted: Tue Aug 22, 2017 9:09 pm Post subject: Re: Official 21-Aug-2017 Solar Eclipse Thread |
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Damn Colin, if I would have known you were so close I'd have bought you a beer at the very least. Casper had the same wispy clouds but they didn't obscure anything. Watched totality from my back yard as the line went right through it. Played music for about 11 hours total at 3 different venues between Friday and Sunday at various Eclipse festivals including Astrocon. Met some great people from all over the country and world. Astronomy types don't seem to be too big on dancing though! Mostly they want to geek out on Astronomy. Planning for Texas in 2024.... _________________ If you haven't bled on them, you haven't worked on them.
Visit: www.tomcoryell.com and check out my music! |
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Xevin Samba Member
Joined: January 08, 2014 Posts: 7596
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Posted: Tue Aug 22, 2017 9:39 pm Post subject: Re: Official 21-Aug-2017 Solar Eclipse Thread |
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Nice Sunnydog, that must have been a great hike. After driving Xaties new 74 bug up from California this weekend we had an Eclipse party on the deck. old DKP driver called me to put the monocle on. He got the other half Glad lots of you had a nice road trip. And Sunnydog I whipped up some brunch. Open face biscuits with poached egg, fresh coastal mushroom medley sautéed in butter, melted Havarti, and a pinch of garden Rosemary served with Taittinger Champagne. Bon Appetite mofo.
_________________ Keep on Busin'
67rustavenger wrote: |
GFY's Xevin and VW_Jimbo! |
Clatter wrote: |
Damn that Xevin... |
skills@eurocarsplus wrote: |
I respect Xevin and he's a turd |
SGKent wrote: |
My God! Xevin and I 100% agree |
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Abscate Samba Member
Joined: October 05, 2014 Posts: 22566 Location: NYC/Upstate/ROW
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Posted: Wed Aug 23, 2017 12:37 am Post subject: Re: Official 21-Aug-2017 Solar Eclipse Thread |
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I got lucky with both my camera and my 30 th (TMI)
_________________ .ssS! |
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Lil Lulu Samba Member
Joined: December 08, 2007 Posts: 1745 Location: Mouth of the Columbia
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Posted: Wed Aug 23, 2017 9:24 am Post subject: Re: Official 21-Aug-2017 Solar Eclipse Thread |
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A few more fotos from my 4day, 1300 mile trip.
The reason there are so few cars out here is it's all private land. I talked to the rancher who gave me permission to be on his property. Says he owns 11,000 acres out here. Turns out he comes to my town to salmon fish every year.
I headed home that afternoon. I went through BakerCity and north on 84. The only problem I had was getting across the bridge at Umatilla. I wanted to go west on Wa. 14 but 82 was stacked up for miles so I slogged 84 west to Rowena Crest, where I spent a rare windless night.
A rock formation on 19
Sunset the night before near Ironside.
5 min. later _________________ '65 Beetle "Lil' Lulu"- Ruby Red
1600 stock from '71 bus
'72 Deluxe - Niagara Blue w/pastelwiess Camper Special 2L dual 40 Webers 002
'74 Hightop Weekender "Dixie" 1800 34 Del singles |
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chabanais Samba Member
Joined: July 27, 2002 Posts: 4866
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Posted: Wed Aug 23, 2017 11:58 am Post subject: Re: Official 21-Aug-2017 Solar Eclipse Thread |
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I saw it in Eastern Oregon. Rented a Chrysler Pacifica for a 1,300 mile, 3 day journey. Am I glad that we did that because I almost hit five deer (missed one by a foot) and we got a huge rock chip on the windshield (we had the extra insurance) not to mention it was hot as hell.
At one point I turned the motor on, reclined the seats in the back, cranked up the A/C, and drank beer and listened to Pink Floyd.
We hit zero traffic, the campsite cost us $40, and we got to see the full eclipse with totally clear skies which was pretty awesome.
Sadly, I saw zero Buses. I saw one air cooled Vanagon, one Eurovan Westy, and one water cooled Vanagon. I saw a few Bugs parked in some yards which maybe ran. _________________ "I spud therefore I yam." |
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Brian Samba Moderator
Joined: May 28, 2012 Posts: 8340 Location: Oceanside
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Posted: Wed Aug 23, 2017 9:41 pm Post subject: Re: Official 21-Aug-2017 Solar Eclipse Thread |
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Missed all ya'll. Colin I was right behind you in milage
_________________ Wash your hands
'69 Bug
'68 Baja Truck
'71 Bug
'68 Camper
Only losers litter |
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RocketSurgeon Samba Member
Joined: May 26, 2005 Posts: 442 Location: Roseville, CA
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Posted: Thu Aug 24, 2017 7:56 pm Post subject: Re: Official 21-Aug-2017 Solar Eclipse Thread |
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What an amazing experience! I think I'm hooked. I want to see it again The family and I sent the weekend just outside of Madras for the weekend. Good times with good people and great weather. I actually used my tent as it was intended for the first time and "drove away" from it. On Sunday we zipped up the back And drove to Portland for the day. Very cool that I could do that! Here is a dark blurry pic I managed to get while staring slack jawed at the sky.
_________________ 69 Westy |
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Goge Samba Member
Joined: July 02, 2007 Posts: 58 Location: Medford, OR
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Posted: Thu Aug 24, 2017 10:35 pm Post subject: Re: Official 21-Aug-2017 Solar Eclipse Thread |
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Sadly, the bus did not make it due to not enough interior being installed prior to the trip.
But here is a shot of the daughter's hideout at my brother's place in John Day OR:
The daughters (2 of 3) plus my wife at eclipse time:
And finally a shot of the VW tent in the Ochoco's:
It was a great trip and the bus will be ready for the next one! _________________ '64 Beetle
'73 Westfalia
Too many kids
Not enough hair on my head
Not enough beer in my fridge |
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tomkiwi Samba Member
Joined: August 11, 2014 Posts: 63 Location: NW
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Posted: Fri Aug 25, 2017 3:18 am Post subject: Re: Official 21-Aug-2017 Solar Eclipse Thread |
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Here's our '77 at Timothy Lake, OR shortly after our 1 minute of glorious totality. We got really lucky getting one of the last public campsites in OR in totality, and our luck continued with heavy smoke from wild fires Sunday and Tuesday, but clear skies on Monday. We had a great trip covering about 600 miles round trip from Seattle with not a single mechanical issue other than a hot start problem that resolved itself after a few minutes cool down. We took back roads all the way down staying East of St. Helens and Hood, and I-5 North on the way home. The forest roads were more pleasant but did add a couple hours to the drive.
_________________ 1977 FI Westfalia |
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Danwvw Samba Member
Joined: July 31, 2012 Posts: 8892 Location: Oregon Coast
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