For over an hour from first contact - when the moon begins to pass over the sun - we periodically gaze upward, our eclipse glasses carefully placed over our eyes leaving only the sun's disk visible. The moon initially takes a small bite of the sun then more is gone - one quarter, one half - soon most of the sun is hidden. When just a glowing thin crescent of the sun glares through our glasses we keep still not fully knowing what to expect next. Then second contact - full eclipse - begins and we remove our glasses ...
The day before ...
We stay in Beaverton - a suburb of Portland - outside the zone of totality. We need to find a suitable location within the eclipse shadow that includes legal parking, shade, and restroom facilities. On Sunday we head south thinking a lonely country road with pastoral fields rolling into the distance would be ideal and easy to find. Though country roads are plentiful, parking appears problematic. We find several bird sanctuaries with ideal views but limited parking; many others are scoping out the same locations. We want to avoid cities thinking that they would be chaotic before, during, and after the big event. However, a visit to Salem and a chance encounter with a city park worker encourage us to base our eclipse adventure there. The city, we are informed, is allowing overnight parking and camping in all parks. Salem - near the centre of totality - would be our destination on Monday.
Eclipse day ...
We wake at 3:30 am and silently crawl into the car at 4 am. We want to get to Salem early avoiding traffic and find scarse parking. We avoid the I5 and take secondary roads arriving in Salem before sunrise and head to the nearest park but find no parking. Next up is Cascade Gateway City Park where the previous day we met the city worker. Sure enough we happily discover plenty of parking with cars filling the official spots and overflowing onto the sun dried grass. Many people had stayed the night, sleeping in their car, camper, tent, or simply on the grass.
The park is large with a clear view of the sky, a small lake, and an 18 hole frisbee golf course. A nearby Walmart allowed overnight parking. Across the lake we see the sun rise in a cloudless sky while more people arrive at the park. In about 2.5 hours the eclipse will begin!
Eclipse ...
We find a spot on the dried grass of the frisbee golf course and spread a blanket on the parched ground. Around us people are walking and talking, some are playing disk golf, one has an easel out and paints a landscape. A small plane flies about and a hot air balloon floats in the distance. It all seems very normal as if nothing special is about to happen.
A few minutes past 9 am the moon makes first contact - the eclipse begins. We don our glasses and see the sun slowly nibble the sun's outer edge. As the moon increasingly aligns itself perfectly across the sun's disk we lie on the blanket to enjoy the spectacle or play with our viewing devices - a pin hole projection box (limited success) and a binocular projecting an image of the sun onto white paper (successful).
And then we notice something. Is it getting colder? The sun is still bright in the sky with not a cloud in sight yet the temperature is dropping and several people reach for jackets. The surrounding light looks weaker with a faint metallic hue but shadows remain dark and distinct. The sun is now a thin crescent still visible in our eclipse glasses but too bright to see with unprotected eyes.
Then a moment before totality a lucky few see the diamond ring (Baily’s beads) where the last rays of sunlight stream through the deepest valleys of the moon. And then darkness, the sun disappears and we remove our glasses.
Can words or images prepare you for observing an actual solar eclipse? Is seeing the solar corona flaring brilliantly around the dark disk of the moon an exceptional and emotional experience? Oh my, yes! What is the difference between a partial eclipse - even one at 99% - and a total eclipse? A difference of infinity. A beautiful infinity. To see for the first time a rare event. To be alive at this moment. On this planet. In this galaxy. In this universe.
We react with giddy wonder. In place of the sun we see the solar corona brighter than a full moon with three giant flares reaching out into space. A star appears in the sky. A 360-degree horizon glows with twilight colour. I kiss my sweetheart.
And then less than 120 seconds later another diamond ring flash signifies third contact - the end of totality. We put on our glasses and watch the sun slowly reappear. People begin to pack up or take silly "we were here" photos. Some with cameras attached to telescopes huddle to review treasured photos.
First an eclipse, then some waterfalls ...
To complete our day of natural spectacles and to avoid traffic returning north we head east to Silver Falls State Park for some hiking and waterfall wonder. In the morning we see plasma streaming from the sun and in the afternoon see water streaming down cliffs. Try to eclipse that!