2017 Solar Ecplise from Teewinot, Teton Mountains

No longer can I say "never have I ever seen a Solar Eclipse." When the line of totality crosses a place like Grand Teton National Park, you go. Along with the rest of the world (foreshadowing). I cruised to the Lupine Meadows trail head Sunday night in 4 hours. It took me 9.5 hours to get back. Luckily for me the experience of my first solar eclipse was so phenomenal, the long return trip will quickly be forgotten. I knew hiking Teewinot (for me) would not take very long and was hoping to sleep in a bit but people continuously flowed through the parking lot only to find it was full and leave. So, sleeping in the bed of my truck, I got to hear every person show up and then drive away. All night. ALL night. Needless to say not much sleeping was happening so I got up early and started hiking. I reached the summit, casually, in about 4 hours. 1.5 hours ahead of the eclipse. There was a crew from Bozeman already up there and I passed a large party from Utah on their way up. Seeing how I was supposed to be at work, I started the downclimb. I got to treeline where I stopped to watch the solar eclipse. If you were not in the line of totality, Im sorry, but you did not see a true solar eclipse. God flipped a light switch from on to off. It wasnt kind of dark, it was dark. The stars came out! I could see light way off in the distance in all directions and it seemed like a circumferential sunrise or sunset. I could look directly at the sun without sunglasses and see a tiny bit of orange surrounding the moon. I didnt really know what to expect but, to me, it was weird. It did not feel right. You shouldnt be able to go from a bluebird day to night in the matter of seconds. It shouldnt be dark in the middle of the day. It felt like a bad omen. Just saying how I felt. It was beautiful, mesmerizing, inspiring but dark. Evil. I dont know why. I do know I am definitely traveling to see the next one!

Well, my truck is down there somewhere.

A climber from Bozeman on Teewinot, the Grand Teton just to his left.

If you had your special glasses on, you would be seeing more moon than sun.

Im pretty sure Google Maps has never ever ever had red traffic jams in Montana but..... 1 hour to do 19 miles..... it took me two hours to go from the park to Jackson (WY)!