Total Solar Eclipse 2017

So pretty much our whole holiday to America was based around our trip to see the total solar eclipse of 2017. Having experienced total solar eclipses in England in 1999 and traveling to China for another in 2009 we had been underwhelmed on both previous occasions as the weather was cloudy and although we captured glimpses and the sky went black, these events were mainly hidden by cloud. So we did our research before hand and worked out that our best chance of getting an unspoiled view on this occasion was to head for the Riverton area in the Wyoming. This area historically had the lowest amount of rain and cloud cover in August due to the shelter the Teton mountain range provides and was being touted as a "clear sky hotspot".

We had arranged to meet a friend and his family the day before the eclipse at the Lakeside Camp Ground next to Boysen Reservoir, just off Highway 789 north of Riverton as they were also in America for the same reason but were traveling around to different areas than us. We didn't however anticipate how busy it would be and when we got there the campsites for pretty much the whole area were full or charging extortionate prices to stay the night, so this camp ground were turning everyone away. On top of that the area was a black spot for phone signal so we gave up all hope of actually meeting our friends. On advice form the Lakeside camp ground we looked at the Boysen State Park campsite that ran the whole length of the west side of the reservoir and as we pulled off to check availability and find a spot our friend and family unbelievably drove past and noticed us on the road side. They accompanied us to the Boysen State Park where there was plenty of availability at normal seasonal prices and we found an isolated spot right by the waters edge.

We woke up in the morning and the sky was clear blue, but the forecast said that cloud could drift in later on in the day and the totality of the eclipse was due just after 11:30am. We perched ourselves on the top of the hill overlooking the lake early with clear blue skies as far as the eye could see and watched as the light of the day slowly disappeared and day turned to dusk. The eclipse started partially at around 10:20am and totality was at 11:39am, lasting 2 minutes and 13 seconds.

What surprised me the most was that it never actually went completely dark, where as before at the other two eclipses we had been too, the skies were much darker due to the amount of cloud cover. The whole eclipse was in full view without cloud and as soon as totality was over the light quickly began to return. As the light fell, the birds settled as if to roost for the night and an eerie silence fell across the park up to the point totality was achieved and you could hear gasps and claps form other people watching around us.

Following the eclipse we packed up and went our separate ways again, we headed for Yellowstone ourselves and bizarrely we bumped into each other again briefly by the Grand Prismatic Spring in Yellowstone.