The Great American Eclipse
24 hours before the event, I was still undecided whether the long drive there and even longer drive back to see the totality was feasible. I decided to leave it to faith in a coin toss, and the eclipse won. I quickly packed my camera bag, grabbed some camping equipment and put all of it and Buksnort in the truck. I picked up a couple friends and set out on the 6.5hr drive to the Umatilla National Forest in Eastern Oregon. We arrived late Sunday night, drove a couple miles back into the forest and found a clearing with lumpy ground below and the Milky Way above. When we awoke in the morning, the sky was clear, and the location was perfect. We made coffee, packed up camp and waited in wonder. Then totality happened, and is was a truly ineffable experience, something I left needing to experience again. Guess I’ll be heading to Texas in 2024.
