Swan Valley, Idaho - Total Solar Eclipse

I'd known for years that a total solar eclipse would cross the United States from Oregon to South Carolina on August 21, 2017.  I began planning a trip and looking into camping and hotel options within the path of totality last November.  Thinking that would be plenty of time to book a convenient trip, I was surprised to discover that people had already made their travel arrangements much sooner than me.  Already, nearly a year out from the eclipse, camping and hotel options were limited, and expensive.  Six months before the eclipse, camping reservations became available for National Forest Service sites.  I was able to reserve a site at the Falls Campground in Swan Valley, Idaho, a place I'd camp previously for trips to the Tetons and Idaho Falls.

Camping at the Falls Campground near Swan Valley

As the date of the eclipse approached, I began to worry.  The weather forecast was looking cloudy.  Dire warnings about traffic jams, empty grocery stores, and sold out services such as gasoline filled the news.  Despite the concerns, Jacob and I left Salt Lake City on Saturday morning with enough water and food to get us through any emergency.  Highways signs warned of potential traffic chaos, but the miles kept ticking by and traffic continued to flow smoothly.  We passed through Pocatello and Idaho Falls without any trouble, and arrived in Swan Valley without a single delay. We set up camp and enjoyed a beautiful evening, relieved that the drive had gone so well.

Setting up camp at the Falls Campground in Swan Valley

Lunar themed wine for dinner

Sunday was a day of waiting.  Shawn arrived from Salt Lake City on Sunday morning and experienced no traffic problems, either.  We swam in the Snake River and scoped out our eclipse viewing site at Fall Creek Falls.  I napped in my hammock and fretted about clouds.  I could not wait for Monday to arrive!

Fall Creek Falls - our selected eclipse viewing site

I woke up several times on Sunday night, looking at the sky and waiting for the stars to disappear behind a blanket of clouds that I was certain would ruin the eclipse. When I awoke on Monday morning, the band of clouds that I was worried about had already passed, sliding south into the distance and leaving a crystal clear sky behind.  After breakfast, we made our way to the waterfall to watch the show.  A small crowd had gathered, and the mood was very festive.  Someone had crystals laid out on the blanket, presumably to catch the energies of the eclipse.

Eclipse viewing at Fall Creek Falls, Swan Valley, ID

The eclipse begins

The change in light was very subtle for most of the eclipse.  We cracked open a bottle of 2011 Deschutes Abyss to welcome the darkness.  It wasn't until a few minutes before totality that things got really interesting.  The sunlight felt filtered and weak, and it became noticeably cooler.  Shadow bands began to race across the ground, visible on the patches of white sand surrounding our viewing site.

Jacob watching the eclipse

Approaching totality

Darkening sky to our north and west

Welcoming the umbra with an Abyss

Moment before totality

Moments before totality, the daylight began to dim dramatically.  It was like someone was turning a dimmer switch in the sky.  Totality arrived, and it was one of the most memorable and stunning sights I have ever seen.

Total solar eclipse - Swan Valley, ID

Total solar eclipse - Swan Valley, ID

The Snake River and Swan Valley, ID during totality

End of totality

Suddenly, a flash of light peeked out from behind the moon.  It felt too soon for the sun to reappear, as if only a few seconds had passed since totality began.  But as the surrounding landscape lit back up, it was clear that our two minutes of magic were over.  We celebrated the return of light with champagne, and a swim in the creek above the waterfalls.  Everyone jumped in their cars and headed home, while we stayed behind for another night to relax, celebrate, and swim in the Snake River one last time.  Some traffic chaos did occur on Monday afternoon, but our drive home on Tuesday was smooth as could be.

Celebrating the eclipse and return of the sun

Champagne to celebrate the eclipse

Celebrating the eclipse in Fall Creek

Shawn in Fall Creek

Eclipse dinner and lunar themed wine

Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming - Hiking and Kayaking

Roger and I spent the Fourth of July holiday weekend camping in eastern Idaho and exploring parts of Grand Teton National Park in nearby western Wyoming.  I have passed through Grand Teton several times and spent time in Jackson Hole, but this was my first opportunity to travel within the park and explore this spectacular mountain range.  We left Salt Lake on Wednesday morning and made our way to the Falls Campground in Swan Valley, Idaho, located within the Targhee National Forest.  After setting up camp, we made the quick trip over to Fall Creek Falls and the spectacular overlook of the Snake River Valley.

Camping in Swan Valley, Idaho

Fall Creek Falls and Snake River Valley

My preference is generally for desert scenery and red rock canyons, but the view of the Teton Range was breathtaking as we drove into the park on Thursday morning.  We headed to Colter Bay Marina and rented a kayak to paddle around a part of Jackson Lake for a few hours.  This was a ton of fun and the views of the Teton Range were even more spectacular than the drive in, with the added benefit of total solitude in an otherwise bustling national park.  We finished our paddling just in time to avoid a late afternoon thunderstorm that rolled through the valley.

Roger kayaking on Jackson Lake

Enjoying the paddle on Jackson Lake

Great views on Jackson Lake

On our way back to Grand Teton National Park on Friday morning, we passed through the town of Victor, ID just in time to enjoy their Fourth of July parade.  It was a much larger event than I expected given the small size of the town and the street was covered in candy.

Famous Idaho potatoes

Tall Uncle Sam

We spent the rest of the day hiking around Taggart and Bradley Lakes, enjoying the endless views of the Grand Tetons and the rainbow of wildflowers that filled the lush fields surrounding the lakes.  We had a late start, but managed to hike the entire loop along with a portion of the Amphitheater Lake trail before a bear sighting made for a good stopping point.

Views of Grand Teton

Bradley Lake

 Roger enjoying the views of the Tetons

Wildflowers

Wildflowers

Taggart Lake

To top off a great Fourth of July, we stopped in Jackson for dinner and a bit of wandering around the main square before driving up to Teton Village to enjoy some beverages at the Mangy Moose Saloon and watch the fireworks display.

Happy Birthday, America and Roger!

We decided to try a more challenging hike on Saturday after reading that Table Mountain, on the west side of the Tetons, offered one of the best views of the mountain range.  We knew that it was early in the season for high elevation hikes so we brought along our snowshoes and microspikes, but ended up not needing anything as the trail was packed down in most places.  Hiking poles, however, came in extremely handy on the slippery snow for most of the hike.  It appears that there are two routes to the summit, with one being less-official, shorter, and steeper.  We chose the longer, more traditional route and enjoyed the trail very much with it's ever changing views of forests, mountain peaks, and streams.

Roger crossing a stream - this bridge was nearly under water on the return trip down

 On the way to Table Mountain

Grand Teton in the distance on the way to Table Mountain

Table Mountain

Lots of snow near the summit

The view from the summit of Table Mountain was spectacular and well worth the long hike through mud and snow.  Grand Teton looked close enough to touch, and the panorama of snow covered peaks in all directions was an unusual sight in July.

At the summit of Table Mountain

Grand Teton from Table Mountain

Roger on Table Mountain

At the summit of Table Mountain

The three days that we spent around the Teton Range were spectacular and a reminder that "green" places can be just as enjoyable as the canyons of southern Utah.  One of the best parts of the trip was having four nights of camping, giving us ample time to actually relax and enjoy the experience instead of just collapsing into the tent after an exhausting day of adventuring.

Evening light while relaxing at camp

Sunset on another great adventure