Opinion

Excited about the eclipse

Tuesday, August 22, 2017

I’m writing this Sunday evening about 18 hours before “the eclipse” is scheduled to happen. Not a lot of hype about the event as here in McCook the blanking out of the sun will only be partial.

Our local optometrist has made a pitch to be careful not to stare at the sun. Wear only the authorized sunglasses. Facebook had an animated how-to make a pinhole camera to see the projection of the sun/moon in a shadow box. I heard at Walmart that pregnant women shouldn’t look at the sun—the dire consequences were not explained. Traffic on Highway 83 headed north out of North Platte is predicted to be heavy before the event. Cell phones won’t work because the towers will be jammed up with so many callers using them.

A couple of days ago I happened to be at the North Platte airport and the line personnel were running around with an outline of their parking ramp. They stated that 120 aircraft, single engine general aviation aircraft and a dozen-plus jets, had made reservations to park there Monday morning. Plans were being made to park them along with all the automobile traffic expected to view the eclipse. Aviation scuttlebutt predicts parking ramps full for about all the airports in the projected total shadow area of the eclipse. My aircraft will be staying in the hangar.

The word for travelers on Highway 83 north predicts a two-hour drive to North Platte. Gas stations will be out of fuel so leave with full tanks. ATM’s won’t work---out of money. There will be impossible lines at eating places Monday morning. Yep, that is the advice. Stay tuned. I’ll report how it really was tomorrow.

The Day After

The trip to North Platte took only the usual hour and five minutes. Not much traffic but a lot of deer in the road ditches. I think we counted twenty but they stayed clear of traffic even though it was yet dark.

Unknown to most the road north rises about 500 feet in altitude from that of McCook and North Platte is only about 100 feet in altitude higher than McCook. When we started down from the highest road elevation about adjacent to the “golf ball” (Denver Center Air Traffic Control radar facility) the early morning scene over the Platte River valley was similar to what aviators see looking down on a cloud deck below with only tall prominent objects, trees and antennas, poking through. Surreal yet beautiful. Ground fog was thickening in the city where the two Platte Rivers come together.

Breakfast time and we chose the neat retro roadside diner. No line, just select a booth, be seated and order. Fun to watch the cook efficiently preparing eggs, hash browns, sausage, bacon and pancakes. Fresh off the griddle and hot it comes steaming to the table. Grannie visiting with a man and wife with a strong accent discovered they were natives of England come to watch the eclipse. The mother tongue somehow got a bit changed from what we colonialists now speak which always tickles me. They admitted to paying $75 for their night’s motel stay so another rumor dispelled.

The fog was thick, too low visibility to land an airplane so we drove to Lee Bird Field to check on the expected 120 inbound aircraft. A crew of about 20 airport business owners and employees was gathered for a last minute briefing on how to park the expected arrivals. There must have been a total of maybe 8 airplanes parked there at the time. I’ve no clue how many aircraft did arrive later but a point was made.

Many places that we visited showed evidence of event planning. Local people were prepared for a huge influx of visitors. Grass mowed, parking spaces marked, porta-potties, new signage, barrier tape and cones in place to direct traffic all in place and ready for crowds to arrive. Then the weather threw a wrench into the works and the big influx of visitors didn’t happen or went other places. Kind of how life works sometimes.

As planned the road on north to Tryon was a little more heavily traveled than usual but nothing to slow or impede traffic. Closer to the village hand lettered signs proclaimed “Best viewing site one mile north of Tryon”. “$20 per Car” read another.

In some areas, people had set up tents and others in campers to spend the night before. Tryon had a local talent pageant for the public the night prior telling the history of the area. We sailed on through being careful to avoid happy appearing pedestrians moving along and across the streets of the town.

On to Mullen and the meeting of Emmaus friends John and Terri. Then to the Hooker County fairground to park and watch the celestial event. Amidst visiting with church friends we watched the sun start looking progressively like “Pak-Man” as the moon carved out a chunk of its face. At times cumulus clouds sliding between blocked our view almost until it began to look like a brilliant “engagement ring”, then by the grace of God a clear patch of blue sky dominated the heavens. A complete shadow fell with the moon blocking the entire sun it magically grew almost dark. No glasses needed the truly beautiful aurora of the sun shone unevenly into space due to the hills and craters on the surface of our moon. The total and awesome totality only lasted a little over a minute. Another bucket list item ticked off and well worth the trip. Time to go have lunch.

We met later with Grannie Annie’s cousin Suzie who had come from Iowa with her family to experience the eclipse.

They’d overnighted in Tryon but feared the cloud cover preventing a view so drove on to Chimney Rock to find a perfect blue sky and longest totality. Everywhere parking for visitors was organized and everyone seemed to be enjoying. Nebraskans with a welcoming spirit helping our guests — so there may even have been a $$buck to be made. Makes one proud!

That is the way I saw it.

Dick Trail

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