Eclipse Day!

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge.
There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.
Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.
In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun, which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion, like a champion rejoicing to run his course.
It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is hidden from its heat.
Psalm 19: 1-6

     The Total Eclipse of the Sun is just AWESOME. "Take a picture," people said when I told them I was going to see the eclipse. You can't take a picture without special filters. Here is the sequence (the moon actually appeared to move from the right side to the left).

This is what it looked like without the special filters.

      However, a photograph, or even a video, cannot capture the EXPERIENCE. The friends and family group all donned our Eclipse T- shirts (designed by Kathleen O'Leary's brother) and got out our eclipse glasses.

Getting ready!

The back of the shirt is a map of USA with the Path of Totality. 

The eclipse shadow was due to arrive at 11:39 AM Mountain Time. We spent a rather leisurely morning, then gathered on the rise of dry land a short walk from the ranch house. Here we would have an unobstructed view from horizon to horizon. 

     Everyone picked their spot and got ready. One couple who had viewed a solar eclipse before had set up special equipment and were glad to share information with us. They had traveled from Zimbawe for this eclipse!

     Meanwhile, we chatted and looked for stones to collect. 

From time to time, we checked the progression of the eclipse using our solar shades. With the glasses in place, you could look at the sun as the moon slowly covered more and more. To me, it looked like an Oreo cookie being placed over the orange filling. 

Jesse checks out the start of the eclipse. Notice how bright the sky is. In Wyoming, the Total Eclipse arrived about 20 minutes before noon.

Jesse and I wait on the rise of dry land. We are closer to Totality. Notice how the sky is darkening, even though it is close to noon in the blazing desert.

Wendy, Kathleen, and their brother as the totality approaches. Jesse trying to take a picture with solar glasses over the lens of his phone.

     As the eclipse neared totality, we noticed unusual changes. It was nearly noon, there was hardly a cloud in the sky, but the air became remarkably cool. We looked to the west, and the sky was dark, darker than any thunderstorm could be. The birds began flocking together, circled in flight, and settled into a tree to bed down. Suddenly, the darkness arrived!

     Kate took a video. In less than a minute, we were IN TOTALITY.

     "It's here!" we exclaimed, "We can take off our glasses." The totality was viewed in all it's amazing glory: the planets were visible and and "afterglow" pink was visible all around the horizon.

It looks like sunset, but it is almost high noon.
 Just as quickly, the shadow passed, and the glasses were back on our faces as the brilliant corona faded and the sliver of sun appeared from behind the moon. It was over, but will be long remembered.

FUN FACT: During the partial phase of the eclipse, all dappled sunlight was crescent shaped. Here are some shadows on the patio taken after Totality while the sun was re-appearing. 

440 Ranch Wyoming

WYOMING: Wide open spaces. Pretty much 200 miles through this terrain.

Today's Travel: Red Lodge MT to Shoshoni WY= 195 miles
TRIP TOTAL: 3,458 miles
     Although only about 200 miles, this leg of the trip was through some of the most remote and isolated territory. We rarely saw another car for most of the trip.

Bighorn River

     As we approached Shoshoni, we went through a place of rugged beauty, the Wind River Canyon.

Wind River Canyon.

     Finally, we made it to our ultimate destination: the 440 Ranch, located in the Path of Totality.

We made it! Road to the ranch was pretty dusty.

     The ranch is owned by Kate's brother's wife's sister (got that?). Kathleen O'Leary and her business partner were operating a kind of "Air B 'n B" for folks wanting to see the total eclipse, so there was a small tent village and sprinkling of RV's near the ranch house. Kate was considered family, and Jesse and I were part of the friends & family group with access to the Ranch House.
     We arrived a few hours before the evening meal served from the food truck. Here are some scenes so you can get an idea of what the ranch was like. By the way, the 2 pies survived 2 days of travel perfectly intact, but were demolished soon after arrival.

Kate's brother Patrick. Everyone had to try some of both pies.

Patrick's wife Wendy on the left, and Kathleen on the right (the ranch owner). Good peoples! Kate & I met Kathleen on our first trip back in 1984.

Two views of the chuck wagon and eating area. I think there must have been at least 30 people, maybe 40, with both family/ friends and renters.

The tent village behind the picnic tables. RV's in another location. The group was quite eclectic-- from a couple from Zimbawe who had seen other eclipse events, to folks who were from the area like Patrick & Wendy who drove up from Laramie WY (not in the Path of Totality). 

440 cattle just to east of the ranch house.

Chickens to the west, in the shade of a small group of trees.

The ranch dog. What's all the fuss?

Jesse cranks up the pop-up where he will sleep.

An amazing Wyoming sunset in the west.

     As darkness deepened, we gathered around the campfire for music. Jesse played his guitar along with two other musicians. They alternated with a man who played lively tunes on a concertina. The velvet blackness of the Wyoming sky was the perfect setting to display the blazing diamonds that were stars. It was a magical night.

Farewell to the Rockies

 Today's Travel: East Glacier MT to Red Lodge MT 423 Miles
TRIP TOTAL: 3,263 miles
     After a final breakfast at the Two Medicine Grill, we left East Glacier to start the trip to Wyoming, where we would view the Eclipse. Jesse performed an engineering marvel in packing the car-- accommodating and extra person (Kate), her luggage, and 2 pies. Kate had purchased 2 full pies to share with family in Wyoming. We soon left the Rockies behind. How quickly they faded into just a faint blue shadow.

Three Forks MT in the prairie lands.

     With three drivers, we traveled over 400 miles. Glacier Park is on the northern border with Canada, and Red Lodge is near the southern border, just above the state line with Wyoming.
FUN FACT: The nicknames of Montana are Big Sky Country and Treasure State.

Sick Day; Local Sights

Our motel, the "Circle R"

      Today's Travel: about 20 miles (round trip to Two Medicine)
     I woke up Friday 8-18-17 to discover that the sore throat that I had been fighting could no longer be ignored. The day before, on our way back from Many Glacier, we had seen the valley of St. Mary Lake filled with a haze. The smoke from forest fires on the west side of the park was drifting through the valley to us on the east side. Breathing the minute particles was probably the tipping point for me. The demands of the trip, and probably the stress of high altitude, had caught up to me. I decided to spend the day resting. After driving Kate to Two Medicine so she could enjoy her favorite spot in the park, I took several long naps.

Another visitor to the park saw me stopped to take a picture of the sign, and insisted that he take one with me in the picture. I returned the favor for him and his wife.

Something you don't see Back East: a cattle grate and a people gate. Cattle range freely in East Glacier, so to prevent them from coming into the hotel area, a grate is put across the road as the cattle will not step on the slats. People use the turnstile rather than a gate.

Another picture of Swift Current Lake and Grinnell Point, just because.

FUN FACT: Glacier was established as a National Park in May 1910.

Many Glacier, my idea of a perfect summer day

I will lift mine eyes unto the hills...Psalm 121:1

     this was the day I had waited for: our trip to Swift current Lake and Many Glacier Hotel. When I think of Glacier National Park, it is the image of Swift Current Lake with Altyn Peak, Mt. Wilbur and the Ptarmigan Wall in the background.

Gail and Kate Sheehy at Swift Current Lake.

      Although Many Glacier was 50 miles from our motel at East Glacier, and more than 15 miles down a back road with huge potholes, when we arrived at mid morning there was not a parking spot to be found! We were disappointed and on our way out the access road, when we spied an opportunity. Who knew that parallel parking skills would be needed in the mountains of Montana? The side streets of South Philly gave me an advantage I put to use at that moment.

Poi-fect!

      Our hike today was on relatively level ground: around the perimeter of Swift Current Lake and to Lake Josephine.

Swift Current Lake, Mt. Wilbur and the Ptarmigan wall.

View of Grinnell Glacier on the hike to Lake Josephine

     We circled back to attend a guided tour of the Many Glacier Hotel. Kate and I worked in the hotel during July & August of 1984.

View of Many Glacier Hotel across Swift Current Lake with Altyn Peak in the background. Gives you a sense of the massive size of the mountains (about 4,000 feet from the lake to the mountain top).

Many Glacier Hotel with Swift Current Lake and Grinnell Point in the background. This is the breath-taking view as you arrive at the hotel.

The exterior has many architectural details modeled on Swiss chalets, as the owner was promoting this as the "Alps of North America" Flowers are red and white, the colors of the Swiss flag, to reinforce the theme.

The main entrance to the hotel.

     Kate and I were interested to see what the place was like now, 33 years later. The bell-hops still wear lederhosen, in these Alps of North America, but the housekeeping staff does not wear the neon dirndle dress that was my uniform. More's the pity (NOT!)

Gail in her neon maid dress in 1984, posed with "Rocky" the mountain goat, the mascot of  Glacier National Park. Match the silhouette of the mountain and you will know where I am standing.

     FUN FACT: We learned during the ranger tour of the hotel that it is located on a fault zone: the Lewis Overthrust. Over the years, the hotel began tipping toward the lake. Substantial infrastructure support had to be done to shore up the building (7 inches!) and stabilize it to withstand earthquakes. Kate and I were blissfully unaware of the danger while we were working there.
     Did you figure out that the mountain in the background is Mt. Wilbur? (see the 2 notches at the top?) 

Two Friends at Two Medicine

August 16, 2017 Gail K. and Kate Sheehy at Two Medicine Lake, Glacier Park MT
     With the arrival of Kate Sheehy, also known as "Trailguide," we were ready to start our first hike.

      First, we stoked our engines with a great breakfast athe the "Two Medicine Grill" (top picture of downtown East Glacier). The galley kitchen required cook and servers to do- si- do to get the meal from stove top to table, but the food was fabulous! The veggie home fries mounded on a plate with eggs cooked to order were just the ticket. Coffee with free refills goes without saying.

Two Medicine Lake
     We drove to Two Medicine Lake, and signed up for the ranger-guided hike along Aster Creek.

Jesse and Kate explore the aquatic life in Aster Creek

Jesse at the falls

     After stopping at the falls, the trail continued upwards to a peak with a view. Jesse and Kate pressed on, but I sat it out-- literally.

View from the summit which I missed.

A chipmunk busy collecting bear grass seeds. Winter in Montana is no joke! Get ready!

 I remained near the falls and joined Kate and Jesse on the hike back.

Can you fine Jesse?

Look near the trees on the left, there he is.

A majestic view at Two Medicine. Kate knows the name of this mountain. Two Medicine is her favorite place in the park.

Jesse was hopeful that we would see a bear. I was hoping we would not. I got my wish.
     After such a strenuous day, it was back to the Two Medicine Grill for hearty soup and a big slice of pie.

FUN FACT: I learned on the ranger hike that Glacier National Park has a "triple divide." Rainfall/ snow melt fro Triple Divide Peak flows three ways: EAST: Atlantic Creek to Cutbank Creek to Marias River to Missouri River, to Mississippi River, to the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean.
WEST: Flathead River to Flathead Lake to Clark Fork to Columbia River to the Pacific Ocean.
NORTH: St. Mary Lake to St. Mary River to Lake Winnipeg to Nelson River to Hudson Bay to the Arctic Ocean.