August 18 – 22
We are in central Idaho for a few days to view the solar eclipse. We didn’t plan this trip around the event. In fact, when we were planning our stops and making reservations back in December and January we didn’t even know about an upcoming total solar eclipse. The first hint that something was happening in mid August was our inability to get reservations in Grand Teton for the two week time frame that we wanted. We had to tweak the dates a bit in order to secure reservations. So, just what was happening around Jackson Hole during that time frame? Curious, I started to investigate. My search eventually led me to eclipse2017.org and an interactive map showing the path of a total solar eclipse. Having never experienced such an event in person I began looking for possible campgrounds along the path of totality. I tried several locations like Nashville and Charleston but the campgrounds were already full. Going west along totality from Jackson Hole I eventually ran across a small town in central Idaho called Clayton and a campground a few miles outside of Clayton called the Old Sawmill Station. A phone call verified that they still had sites available. Add one solar eclipse to our list of activities.
The drive into the area is very picturesque as Idaho 75 (Salmon River Scenic Highway) follows the Salmon River. Old Sawmill Station, consisting of a Sinclair Station, restaurant, camp store, and campground, sits in a valley not far from the river. The campsites are large grassy areas with full hookups. Our site has a concrete pad for the living area and a few trees for shade. There is no wifi (except at the store), no cellphone coverage, no cable, and no off-air tv. If you want to unplug, this is the place.
Saturday morning we decide to have breakfast at the office/store/restaurant and utilize the wifi. While sitting there we receive a text from Jon and Barb (good friends from Florida who are on a Canadian Rockies and western states trip). Because of road closures due to forest fires, they are unable to reach their campground (some 250 miles away from us) and have given up their reservation for the eclipse. Bill immediately inquires about availability in our campground and secures a spot. They arrive in the late afternoon after driving over 600 miles that day.
We all spend a quiet Sunday and close the day with a cookout. Although the campground is rather full it’s still peaceful and relaxing.
The day of the eclipse dawns cloudless with a just a bit of smoky haze. We have breakfast, set out some chairs, and invite Jon and Barb to join us. Bill sets up his camera and tripod and we settle in with our viewing glasses for the event.
For the next two hours we watch in awe as the event unfolds. The two minutes of totality are totally amazing. The sky darkens like twilight and the entire horizon lights up. The brightest stars become visible and the temperature drops 15 degrees.
Watching on tv or seeing photos just doesn’t give the full impact of viewing the event first hand. We are so glad that Jon and Barb are here to share the experience. Our cellphones can’t capture the event but Bill is able to shoot some awesome photos during totality with his camera.
What an event! If you have the opportunity to experience a total eclipse by all mean take it. Be sure to view it with friends or family as it really is a jaw dropping, social experience.
Jon and Barb leave Tuesday morning for a couple of nights in Rock Springs, WY before continuing to Loveland, CO. We’re staying an extra night here and catching up with them in Rock Springs. Since our provisions are running low, we drive 30 miles to the nearest grocery store in Challis. In the evening we pack up and prepare to head out the next morning.
Wednesday we’re on schedule for a 9:00 am departure when we hit a snag. We’ve always had trouble with the hydraulic system working in spurts when retracting the slides and leveling legs. Today with one slide in and the other partially retracted, the system quit. There is a manual override but neither Bill or Mike (one of the campground owners) can get it to work. They manage to push the reluctant slide in a couple of inches with the help of two other men but it’s not closed. So, here we are in the middle of nowhere at our furthest point from home unable to move. Bill tries to find an RV repair willing to come to us but to no avail. He finally calls Good Sam Roadside Assistance and waits on hold for over 45 minutes while the representative attempts to locate help. Amazingly the representative finds an RV repairman in Challis who can be at our site in 30 minutes. Sure enough 30 minutes later we have a repairman. It takes him a while to diagnose the problem but he finally discovers a bad relay. He doesn’t have a replacement but does give us a work around. So, with all slides and leveling legs retracted we’re finally ready to go – at 4:00 pm. We won’t make it to Rock Springs but we can get 4 to 5 hours down the road. We’ve kept Jon and Barb in the loop so they know that we’ll meet up with them in Loveland.
As we travel east a beautiful sunset lights up the sky behind us.
