Solar Eclipse Aug 21, 2017 (Portland, Bend, Independence: groceries, centers, food)

[GregW]

We have our hotel reserved and our airline tickets paid for. We will be staying in northeast part of the state for a couple of days before and after the event. This will either be great fun or Royal PIA. Or both.

[jayrandom]

Sorry to hop onto this thread, but we're going to be staying in the Black Butte Ranch area for the eclipse (only place I could find a room, and this was last year when I was making our reservations). Totality there should be about 1 minute, any thoughts on whether it's worth hopping in the car and getting closer to the center-line?

[GregW]

I strongly suggest getting as close to the center line as possible. We are staying about 70 miles North of center but expect (I have yet to tell the sisters (wife and Sister and her Sister)) to get there around dawn to our prelocated spot.

[Cloudy Dayz]

Originally Posted by jayrandom

Sorry to hop onto this thread, but we're going to be staying in the Black Butte Ranch area for the eclipse (only place I could find a room, and this was last year when I was making our reservations). Totality there should be about 1 minute, any thoughts on whether it's worth hopping in the car and getting closer to the center-line?

Well you have a lot of good options to choose from. You could drive east on US-20 to Sisters, then Highway 126 to Redmond, then north on US-97 past Madras to the center line. But I wouldn't recommend that route. Chances are it will be gridlocked, and you would just get stuck farther away from the center line then if you just stayed at Black Butte.

Another option, you could drive west on US-20, then north on Highway 22 to Detroit Lake. It's hard to say what the traffic on that route will be like. But chances are it could end up gridlocked.

A third option, it looks like you could drive straight north on the Forest Roads past Camp Sherman along the east slope of Three Fingered Jack and Mount Jefferson until you get to the center line. It looks like that would be about 25 or 30 miles on the Forest Roads. I think I will try to check that option out myself, and see if my two wheel drive car can make it up those roads. It looks like a really nice drive anyway.

It looks like you would also have a fourth option to drive northeast on the Forest Roads to get to Madras. Of those four options I would say that the third option to just drive straight north would be best. If you get there a day or two in advance you could drive around and look for some good viewing places. You could also ask some locals for some good secret locations that might work.

[BendLocal]

The smoke around Central Oregon is getting fairly thick because of the wildfires in the region.

[Cloudy Dayz]

Originally Posted by BendLocal

The smoke around Central Oregon is getting fairly thick because of the wildfires in the region.

I'm not usually a fan of smoke, but smoke could make for interesting eclipse viewing. It could be natural eye protection. I don't think that smoke would necessarily ruin the eclipse experience, unless you are right in the path of the smoke. Though I suppose it could cut down the clarity of it. Hopefully the fires don't get worse.

[Metlakatla]

I really wouldn't count on the smoke providing "natural eye protection" if you want to be able to drive out of there safely.

While I agree that the smoke won't necessarily ruin the viewing experience per se, some people experience respiratory distress in smoky conditions.

[Cloudy Dayz]

Originally Posted by Cloudy Dayz

Well you have a lot of good options to choose from. You could drive east on US-20 to Sisters, then Highway 126 to Redmond, then north on US-97 past Madras to the center line. But I wouldn't recommend that route. Chances are it will be gridlocked, and you would just get stuck farther away from the center line then if you just stayed at Black Butte.

Another option, you could drive west on US-20, then north on Highway 22 to Detroit Lake. It's hard to say what the traffic on that route will be like. But chances are it could end up gridlocked.

A third option, it looks like you could drive straight north on the Forest Roads past Camp Sherman along the east slope of Three Fingered Jack and Mount Jefferson until you get to the center line. It looks like that would be about 25 or 30 miles on the Forest Roads. I think I will try to check that option out myself, and see if my two wheel drive car can make it up those roads. It looks like a really nice drive anyway.

It looks like you would also have a fourth option to drive northeast on the Forest Roads to get to Madras. Of those four options I would say that the third option to just drive straight north would be best. If you get there a day or two in advance you could drive around and look for some good viewing places. You could also ask some locals for some good secret locations that might work.

It looks like the fire situation on Mt. Jefferson could eliminate the possibility of driving north, unless they get the fire under control soon. It seems those Forest Roads are closed, unfortunately.

Whitewater Fire: Mt Jefferson Wilderness

[Cloudy Dayz]

Originally Posted by Metlakatla

I really wouldn't count on the smoke providing "natural eye protection" if you want to be able to drive out of there safely.

While I agree that the smoke won't necessarily ruin the viewing experience per se, some people experience respiratory distress in smoky conditions.

Yeah, I don't deal well with smoke myself, but I might be able to put up it for a day or two to view the eclipse. A bigger problem I think might be if these fires continue to grow, they could shut down a lot of roads. It's seems a lot of the forest roads and trails are already closed.

[BendLocal]

I fail to see how heavy smoke would be good for viewing relatively dim light from stars and a totally eclipsed sun. The smoke is thick enough that we can't see the mountains from Bend.