total solar eclipse on a 14er

[SkaredShtles]

As viewed from Granbury, Texas. Not bad for a Pixel 7 Pro.

Eclipse.jpeg

Heh. We were not too far away in Walnut Springs. Totally worth the 12h drive each way. Just as jaw-dropping as '17.

[Ptglhs]

My family got to see it at my parents place in Georgetown, Texas. It was absolutely incredible. The clouds had almost completely cleared up by the time totality rolled around, which I was expecting. It. Makes me regret not traveling to see totality in 2017. Anything less than 100% totality is almost 100% less cool. To be able to see the corona and a solar flare and stare directly at the sun, even for only 3 minutes, was just amazing.

[nyker]

Not on a 14er, but finally saw a solar eclipse in NY parts which were in the line of totality and the skies were clear!

[DArcyS]

The experience I had in 2017 in Wyoming was so amazing, so perfect that for me, I don’t think it can ever be replicated & I don’t even want to try. Some things, like graduations, sports championships or finishing a mountain checklist can fall short of expectations; Wyoming in 2017 was the complete opposite, it exceeded what I expected. By a wide margin. Hopefully everyone who sees the upcoming one, and the 2045 event, enjoys it as much as I enjoyed the 2017 eclipse.

I found myself in Ash Flat, Arkansas. Sounds like a few of the iffy places worked out just as well for other, glad to hear.

Objectively, the 2024 eclipse beat the 2017 eclipse hands down (which I witnessed near Casper, Wyoming). This time around, prominences were visible, Venus and Jupiter appeared at totality, and the totality path was wider leading to greater darkness. It would be tough to ask for much more from an eclipse. And yet my emotional response was far greater with my first eclipse in 2017, and is consistent with JROSKA's feelings of not being able to replicate a past experience.

This is a mountaineering forum, and I've conclude that viewing eclipses are much like climbing mountains (at least for me). Some of my best feelings after climbs occurred with Lizard Head and Jagged. And yet, I've given no thought to replicating those feeling by reclimbing those peaks. I suppose there are many things in life where trying to replicate an experience is doomed. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy I made the effort, but I wasn't quite as emotionally charged afterwards.

As for combining an eclipse and a 14er, I'm not convinced a summit is the best place to view an eclipse. First, there's a lack of response from crickets and birds who are fooled. Being surrounded by a large number of people and hearing their response at totality also adds to the experience.

That being said, I've given some thought as to whether being higher might yield a different viewing result. I suppose one might have a nicer panoramic view of the horizon, but I'm not certain that would add much to the experience.

Trying to combine a 14er and an eclipse made me think of combinations that work or don't work. The folks at Reese's would tell me that the combination of chocolate and peanut butter is a winner, so it does happen. But I think I'm more of the camp that combing a 14er and an eclipse is like combing pizza and ice cream. Apart, great stuff. Together, maybe not so much.

[DArcyS]

Anything less than 100% totality is almost 100% less cool.

I wouldn't be surprised to learn that the people in the path of totality spend the least amount of time wearing eclipse glasses.

Before I left Sunday, I misplaced my lone pair of eclipse glasses. Uggh. But then I reminded myself that totality is the name of the game, so who cares? I quickly convinced myself that at the very least I could borrow a pair for intermittent viewing or bum an extra pair off of somebody since they're sold in packages. As it turns out, the local Walmart was well-stocked.

Solar eclipses is one place where 99% just isn't good enough for some people. After totality ended where I was at, many people literally left within minutes to get a jump on the traffic. I guess watching the eclipse go from 99 to 0% coverage is like watching the credits to the movie. Not much is being added to the experience.

[JROSKA]

I found myself in Ash Flat, Arkansas. Sounds like a few of the iffy places worked out just as well for other, glad to hear.

Objectively, the 2024 eclipse beat the 2017 eclipse hands down (which I witnessed near Casper, Wyoming). This time around, prominences were visible, Venus and Jupiter appeared at totality, and the totality path was wider leading to greater darkness. It would be tough to ask for much more from an eclipse. And yet my emotional response was far greater with my first eclipse in 2017, and is consistent with JROSKA's feelings of not being able to replicate a past experience.

This is a mountaineering forum, and I've conclude that viewing eclipses are much like climbing mountains (at least for me). Some of my best feelings after climbs occurred with Lizard Head and Jagged. And yet, I've given no thought to replicating those feeling by reclimbing those peaks. I suppose there are many things in life where trying to replicate an experience is doomed. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy I made the effort, but I wasn't quite as emotionally charged afterwards.

Now that this eclipse has passed & I’m seeing pictures and hearing how it affected people, I admit that I do have a little regret about not attempting to see again what I saw in 2017. Had I planned ahead, I probably could have driven to a place like Carbondale IL and gotten a nice view there. I still doubt that I’d have enjoyed it as much as the one in Wyoming, but it still would have been nice to see again. Now that I think about it, who cares if the 2nd time isn’t as great as the first. It can still be special. I’m already catching myself checking eclipse calendars for the next 10 years to try to figure out if there’s any possible way I can swing a trip to see one before Colorado in 2045.

To your second point, this can apply to mountains as well. I remember when I summited Capitol in 2020 and then Little Bear in 2021, both summits felt so special and the trips were so satisfying, and successful, I remember having that feeling that you probably had after Jagged / Lizard Head, that no climb will ever replicate this. I’ve climbed a few 14ers since those and still have 8 left. Have any of the peaks I’ve done since Capitol and LB been better? No. Will any of the remaining peaks on my checklist exceed Capitol or Little Bear? Probably not. Does that mean I should just pack it in, and say I’m done, because none of these last 8 hikes will measure up to Cap / LB? No way. I’ll keep at it, and just appreciate each individual hike for its uniqueness.

I guess it just shows that each individual experience is meaningful in its own way. I’ve actually enjoyed every 14er I’ve hiked, even if only one can be #1. I’m recalling now how attached I was to my first cat Libby, who only lived to be 7 years old. After she died in 2007, had I taken the approach of, “nothing will measure up”, I’d have lost the opportunity to provide a home or have companionship with three other cats over the years, including the present. So in hindsight, my attitude towards this eclipse was off a bit. It’s probably better to just keep at it, in terms of living life, accepting that some experiences won’t measure up to others, and resist the temptation to compare and rank everything. That’s definitely a struggle for me.

[SkaredShtles]

Yep - I've run across people that have seen a total and were of the opinion "you've seen one, you've seen them all."

Not the case for me - I'm already thinking that Spain in 2026 is going to happen for my wife and I.

And perhaps New Zealand 2028.

[12ersRule]

Yep - I've run across people that have seen a total and were of the opinion "you've seen one, you've seen them all."

Not the case for me

Me neither. But I'm too good for lunar eclipses now.

[SkaredShtles]

Yep - I've run across people that have seen a total and were of the opinion "you've seen one, you've seen them all."

Not the case for me

Me neither. But I'm too good for lunar eclipses now.

Yeah - lunar eclipses are in the "that's pretty cool, but I'm not staying up past 11pm to watch one" category for me.

[XterraRob]

Yeah - lunar eclipses are in the "that's pretty cool, but I'm not staying up past 11pm to watch one" category for me.

[myfeetrock]

I'll be 69 when this goes down! No innuendos intended. Yale will be the ticket!
http://xjubier.free.fr/en/site_pages/so ... om=15&LC=1

[peter303]

Luxor, Egypt August 2027 in the Valley of the Kings.(very hot)

Ramses I and Tut are still there. The rest of their relatives are in Cairo.

(Sounds like a plot for the next Mummy movie.)