Mid Day Sunset

A week out I still planned to drive 1,000 miles to the path of the 2024 solar eclipse across the United States, but cloud forecasts were not in my favor. As an avid weather geek, weather models are not new to me, but usually I use them to find clouds in the spring when I am storm chasing. Maine, climatologically was out of the picture but a late season snow storm moved out just in time for it to be the clearest skies in the path on April 8, 2024. Without hesitation, I booked a flight to Maine and planned to hike Avery Bigelow which I hiked in 2023 on my thru hike of the Appalachian Trail.

The late season snow storm dumped a ton of snow on the mountains. The 5 mile (8km) hike to the top was no joke. With 55 pounds of gear on my back (and front with a second pack), I hiked to the top of the mountain with Sonic, one of the people I hiked the Appalachian Trail with. Trudging through waist deep snow straight uphill was one of the hardest things I have done. On the AT, I said the Bigelows were the hardest and with snow added, they were again the hardest. Somehow, with the willpower to see the eclipse from above, we made it up through the 4-5 feet of new snow.

As totality neared, the sky became more hazy and weird. I went from being fine in a sweater to freezing cold in a matter of minutes due to the temperature change because of the lack of solar heating. Temperature went from 45 degrees Fahrenheit to 27 in a matter of minutes (I nerded out). The sky slowly darkened and the shadow was very visible as it approached and when it hit... I had no words. The solar eclipse in 2017 was spectacular but watching it from 4,000 feet with a 360 degree view is unlike anything else. All the pain, travel and costs were worth every bit to see this phenomenon for only 2.5 minutes. A photo can't capture the insanity of a total solar eclipse and its one of those things you have to see to believe.

From Avery Bigelow Mountain in Maine.