The Total Eclipse 2017

[noteven]

Lots of talk around there being no room to be in the path of the eclipse due to the number of people expected to view it etc etc

A square of land 85km per side (just over 50 statute miles) will hold 7.225 billion people standing rank and file (i.e. the population of overcrowded Earth)*

"Shirley" there should be room somewheres along the path of the eclipse .... 

*Note - this will exceed capacity for most local restroom / fire exit requirements... 

[Ray,IN]

You're right, there will be mountains of unoccupied space, getting there however may pose some difficulty. My wish for everyone is a cloudless day.

If you miss this eclipse, never fear, there will be another in 2024.

[Al F]

Where do you plan on parking those vehicles which transported all those people to stand side by side????

Those vehicle take up a lot of space. 

[Vladimir]

Talked to a National Forest manager in the path. They are expecting 20-30 thousand people. That really isn't that many given that we would get two to three times that number in a typical weekend from Seattle.

However, everybody will be in the "path" not spread out.

[Al F]

A couple of weeks ago, talking with a ranger in Malheur NF in central Oregon, he said they have estimates of from 10,000 to 100,000 people coming into the NF for the eclipse. 

As Vladimir said, 20,000-30,000 sounds like a reasonable guesstimate.  I really doubt that anyone has a really good handle on just how many people are going to show up. 

There has never been an occurrence of this type to give officials some history of attendance to base estimates on. 

I think we just have to consider the estimates as guesstimates. 

 

[Al F]

We are in the Portland, OR area for the summer, visiting family.  Our plans are to head to Malheur NF, in central Oregon about 2 weeks before the eclipse and set up in a boondocking spot in the mountains to watch the eclipse. The family is coming out the Friday before to join us.  We did some scouting in early June, so have a pretty good idea where we will be heading. 

It is going to be a challenge to manage our water and waste to make it through about 14 days.  9 or 10 days has been a manageable stretch before.  We will see how the 14 days goes.  We have a 30 gallon fresh water bladder to help replenish our 70 gallons of water in the RV.  It will be an hour and a half round trip in the toad to get the water though. 

We hope to be at over 5000' elevation so the temps will be manageable.  The lower elevation areas, around 3000', are hitting the upper 90's this week.

[bobsallyh]

Just saw this AM. where the Idaho state court ruled that court houses and court sessions will go on the day of the eclipse!

[Barbaraok]

Why not.  Total eclipse will only last for about two minutes if you are directly under the path, going from starting on the west coast of Oregon heading east.  It is a function of the track of the moon and the spinning of the earth that causes what seems to be a backwards schedule 

[bobsallyh]

Well Barbaraok, while reading the eastern Idaho newspapers and several others from the "Big Eclipse Region", government agencies, commercial business, and private enterprises are expecting hundreds of thousands of people in the region. Some business's have already given their employees off that day. I-15 and secondary roads being the target of gridlock. Idaho Falls police, fire, and ambulance have already gone thru training and are prepping for the event. This is just what I read as we are in the area and the RV parks at the leading edge of "no room at the inn. Sounds more like Y2K to me, but we will see.