Total Solar Eclipse Day by Day

Look what happened on April 8, 2024!

New item by Warren Long / Google Photos

The Gang

Mike already lives under the path of the eclipse in Ironton. Ben, in California, agrees that this is a must-do. So, viewing it from Ironton(or near by) is an easy decision.

Driving South

Driving North

Schedule and Day-by-Day Plans

Saskatoon to Ironton (4+4 days)

We have 4 days to drive 24 hours. Then 4 days of Ironton and eclipse watching, weather permitting.

Ironton to Hot Springs Off Road Park and Rock Bouncers (1+3 days)

We have 1 day to drive the 5-ish hours to Hot Springs Off Road Park.  Then a day to drive an ATV off road for a couple of hours.  Some more exploring, there is a tower nearby, and hot springs.  Campground looks nice, and we  should have time to set up our site to be functional.  And we need to buy/plan for camping meals.

Mike has a giant tent, which will fit at least 2 giant airbeds.

Then two days of watching the rock bouncers race!

  • Wednesday April 10 Drive to Hot Springs Off Road Park (5 1/2 hours)
    • Drive to Hot Springs AR for NRRA rock bouncers etc.
    • Visit Costco in Little Rock, had an adventure with GPS routing
    • Arrive late afternoon and set up tents at Hot Springs Off Road Park
    • Rain is in forecast, so I set up a tarp over part of the picnic table
    • Ben and Mike set up the BIG tent, with giant air matresses.
    • Drove in to Hot Springs for pizza at SQZBX. Pretty cool brew pub with excellent pizza
    • Got back to Off Road Park in the dark, and in the driving rain, to discover that Mike’s tent had failed completely. It was flooded, along with all bedding etc.
    • Mike and Ben headed off to a motel in Hot Springs. I stayed in my tent, grateful for the partial extra fly coverage. Worried about the stream which had risen 2 feet. And it was going to rain all night. But, it seemed to peak about 1 1/2 feet below my tent so all was good. My backup plan was to retreat into the Murano. Flooded Tent and Campsite
  • Thursday April 11 Side-by-Side adventure
    • I woke early, and Drove into a Culvert on my way to the shower. Got towed out by James and his tractor. Murano is damaged, but completely driveable.
    • Ben and Mike arrived, all breakfasted up from their hotel stay. They set about hanging everything up to dry.
    • Side-by-Side Adventure 12:30 pm to 2:30 ppm was absolutely amazing. We followed Ryan through an assortment of trails, slowly increasting in difficulty. We rotated driver every 15 minutes which worked out well.
    • Drove into Hot Springs for a Vietnames dinner at Pho House. Excellent food, and just what I wanted.
    • Dubos and I squeezed in a quick round of disc golf at Cedar Glades Wildcat. Skipped 2 holes because it got night fell.
    • Back at the campsite, every one got ready for bed. We blundered about in the dark. Ben fell in the stream, which was still pretty high. And close to the door of his tent.
    • Temperatures were cold overnight, and Mike retreated to his car to warm up. It turns out the thin blankets and sheets were not adequate.
  • Friday April 12 Rock Bouncers Day 1
    • Coffee and pastries were part of breakfast. Mike and Ben also cooked some large sausages.
    • Ben and Mike packed up his tent (which he vowed to toss in the garbage), and we moved Ben’s stuff into my tent.
    • Rock Bouncers Day 1 started at noon. At the end, we said goodbye to Mike and he left quickly once it was over. Mike would miss out on the monster Rock Bouncers, which were only racing on Saturday.
    • Vietnamese food again and then Starbucks
    • I set up my second small tent on the tent pad, and left Ben in the bigger one. The night was warmer than the previous one. 2 tents was nice.
  • Saturday April 13 Rock Bouncers Day 2

Hot Springs to Saskatoon via  New Mexico (8 days)

The Minuteman Missile Silo was cancelled because the fire suppression at facility is broken and all tours cancelled.  So we are changing plans, and going farther west before heading north.  Our schedule is now more flexible.  Fastest route going through Amarillo, TX is 30 hours.  We will probably add up go an extra 15 hours by zigzagging about a bit.  At this point in time, I am expecting to return to Saskatoon on the 2nd.  Ben’s visit to Emma Lake would be better served in summer one day.

Lots of things are still in winter mode:

  • All steam railroad stuff is closed until May
  • All high elevation roads (Mount Blue Sky, Grand Lake to Estes) still closed

Driving North Schedule

  • Thursday April 18 Drive Rapid City (5 1/2 Hours)

  • Friday April 19 Drive Spearfish in a big figure eight (7 hours)

  • Monday April 22
    • Disc golf Diefenbaker
  • Tuesday April 23
    • Disc golf William A Reid
  • Wednesday April 24
    • Take Ben to YXE at 3 am
    • Ben flies to SFO on April 24, AC7743 at 05:30