Solar Eclipse Rafting Trip 2017

Total Solar Eclipse!

If you haven’t heard, there is going to be a solar eclipse on August 21st, 2017. A total eclipse for those lucky enough to be in the “Path of Totality.” Check it out- Hells Canyon and the Salmon River are near the path and would be great places to view the Eclipse!

The Path of Totality

 

And yes, you remember those Eclipse viewing gadgets we all made in grade school?  Well start saving your toilet paper rolls and old cereal boxes and let’s get ready.  Here is a link to a video describing how to make one of these safe eclipse viewing gadgets.  You can also purchase official eclipse viewing glasses that will make it safe for you to look up at the sun while the Moon is passing between us and the sun blocking out the sun.

What is a Solar Eclipse?

Maybe this would be a good time to remind all of us what a solar eclipse is and what the difference is between a total and a partial solar eclipse.

 

A Solar eclipse is where the Moon goes in between the Earth and the Sun, and passes right “in front of” the Sun as seen from the Earth. This will cast a shadow over the earth. There are 2 types of Solar eclipses.

Partial Solar Eclipse: The whole daytime side of the Earth is NOT EVER going to see the Sun covered up! In fact, the part of the Earth that sees the Moon totally covering the Sun is EXTREMELY small – maybe a strip of land about 50 miles wide or so! This strip is called the “path of totality”, and if you want to see the Sun totally covered by the Moon, you have to be in that path! If you’re not in that path, then you will see a partial eclipse.

Total Solar Eclipse: If you are in that path of totality, then you will see the Moon cover up the Sun little by little (using your eclipse glasses, of course!), until for just maybe a minute or two, the Moon completely covers the Sun! During that brief period of time, we say that the Sun is being totally eclipsed. There is no bright part of the Sun that is visible any more, because the Moon is completely covering it!

We can’t think of a better place to observe this Astronomically Astrological event than on “The River”. By looking at the map below you can see that the Path of Totality is just south of the Snake River in Hells Canyon and the Salmon River of Idaho. We may not get to see the Total solar eclipse but it will be very close.

So pack your eclipse viewing gadgets, glasses and swimming suit and join us for a unique adventure that will not soon be eclipsed by another.

Rafting and Eclipse viewing opportunities:

Snake River in Hells Canyon Rafting Adventure: August 19th – 22nd

Salmon River Canyons Rafting Adventure: August 20th – 23rd