Diet Taco... trying to keep things light

09111-35150 is the part number.

Which reminds me - I still need to add a post to the build thread here of the completed jack project along with the Safe Jack stuff attached!

 

I could've used these nifty looking wrench "extensions." I used crows feet, but they kept slipping off, since I was working some odd angles.

Dick- what is the official name of these? A link would be nice.

I'll order immediately.

Thanks

 

Cornwell tools. Torque adapters.
Link to the 14mm:
http://www.cornwelltools.com/webcat...d-3{47}8”-x-14MM-Torque-Adapter-12-Point.html

Both part numbers in this image:

 

AKA "Dogbones"

 

Eclipse Bound

Spent the night near Cove Fort, UT on some BLM land last night (Friday) on the way to Salt Lake City to pick up the rest of the family.

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Photo quality a bit low, taken and edited on an iPhone!

Everyone out here is worried about eclipse traffic apocalypse. Difficult to predict as there aren't "eclipse tickets" to accurately estimate the number of people coming like a sporting event. They expect the state of Idaho to increase in population by 30% on Monday! Of course Idaho doesn't have a lot of people in it to begin with, but still.

We are leaving from SLC in the morning Sunday and hope to be camped in position that night so we aren't in the thick of traffic Monday morning. We picked SLC as our starting point as it gives us a radius of action across perhaps a 1,000 miles of the eclipse track that is usually cloudless. It's a bit early to put much faith in weather models, but for the past two days it has been looking questionable for eastern Idaho and much of Wyoming. At the moment it appears the Idaho/Oregon border is going to have the highest probability of clear skies. Will make a final decision early Sunday morning.

Here's the cloud forecast at the moment - eclipse runs through the center of Oregon, the lower portion of Idaho and through the middle of Wyoming. The timing of that arc of clouds is going to be critical for Idaho and Wyoming viewers!

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Good luck! Don't burn your eyes out!

 

We Saw It!

Camp Totality
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It ended up being a hell of a lot of driving, but we saw it! And without a crowd of people around us either. Lots more travels in the next few days if I can get over a cold so no full report for a bit. It was worth every minute of flying and driving. I now understand why some people become addicted to total solar eclipses and spend tens of thousands of dollars traveling all over the world to see them.

 

I drove to Kentucky to watch. Truly awesome sight!

 

Very nice!

 

Bump

@DVexile

Ken-
Anything new to post?

 

I've gotten buried on this end for a bit! Right after our eclipse trip work heated up as a program/project we'd been waiting over a year for finally got funded. I've been running around like crazy trying to wrap up or transition the projects I was working on while we waited for this new program and at the same time trying to get the new thing going smoothly. Also a bunch of school events and meetings as my daughter is starting at a new school for Kindergarten. So I've gone all @Crom for a little bit!

Anyway, I already owed the thread some additional truck related write-ups and now I'm behind on the eclipse trip report too. I think it is going to be a few more weeks until I can get my head above water again, but it would be cruel I suppose to just make excuses and not post anything at all so here's what our campsite looked like the evening before the eclipse. (I can pick campsites if I do say so myself...)

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Total Solar Eclipse
August 2017

It was decided some years ago that we would be seeing the total solar eclipse of 2017. There really wouldn't be an easier and more certain viewing for a long time and we knew from friends it was something you really had to see at least once in your life. By luck the date also lined up with when my daughter was out of school and summer camp so we would be wanting to do a trip then anyway. Given the uncertainty of weather and every hotel on the path being booked well in advance this was a perfect operation for Diet Taco!

Logistics were for me to fly into Las Vegas on Friday, drive to Salt Lake City and pick up the family Saturday evening there. We would decide Sunday morning based on weather and smoke reports where our best viewing would be, drive there Sunday and camp that night. The eclipse was in the late morning Monday so we could just roll out of bed and start watching the show.

Friday was uneventful and I decided to split the drive up by camping near Cove Fort along the way. This is one of the things I love about the Flip-Pac or other rapid setup camps. I just found a nice spot on BLM land a few miles from the I-15 and in minutes had a cozy spot to watch sunset and while away the evening.

Camp near Cove Fort
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In the morning I hit the road again, had breakfast along the way and did all the provisioning in Salt Lake while I waited for my wife and daughter to arrive on an evening flight. We stayed in a hotel near the airport and kept watch on the weather. There was a band of high clouds coming by around eclipse time and so the goal was to figure out where the best odds for a clear sky would be.

By Sunday morning the forecast models were showing a decent chance of high clouds across Idaho and Wyoming. Our closest viewing would be due north in Idaho and the models seemed to suggest the clouds would pass by that site in time. Rather than risk it though we decide to drive further west and I picked out some likely spots just west of the Oregon/Idaho border. That would mean a fair bit more driving but at this point it seemed stupid to risk missing it to save a few hours of driving given all the effort put in so far.

Public officials had no idea how bad traffic would be and were warning it could be quite bad. By leaving Salt Lake early Sunday we hoped we would miss it by a wide margin. We left by about 6:15 and put in an hour or so of driving before stopping at a really nice little rural cafe for breakfast. Then lots and lots more driving with occasional stops along the way to keep everyone sane.

Fortunately there was really no traffic to deal with at all. Having left Salt Lake more than 24 hours before the event must have helped and we were driving into one of the lowest population density regions in the country. That said the eclipse was definitely attracting people! We saw lots of vehicles and RVs with quite distant plates on them and at each gas stop there were folks talking about where they were going to view the next day's big event.

By mid-afternoon we reached our chosen exit which immediately turned into a dirt road. Right at the start of the dirt were two army reservists camped out apparently for a few days already stopping each vehicle before it proceeded. They wanted to make sure we knew where we were going and had made adequate preparations. They warned of the extreme fire danger in the area and let us know a lot of folks were camped along the smoother road we were driving on. Clearly public officials were making sure they got ahead of any problems from crowds of ill prepared people wandering into the wilderness.

There were a number of people around but not densely packed at all. Camps were spaced at least a few hundred yards apart along the seven or so miles of road we drove. Much of it was ill suited for viewing being in a deep canyon. Soon we reached the side road I had scouted with maps and Google Earth. It climbed steeply but was in good condition for anything with modest clearance. It climbed to the top of a ridge where I hoped to traverse on another road. There were folks camped up at the road junction. I could see a white pickup headed up the narrower road I wanted to take higher.

Off we went on the much rougher road passing a few more camps. We got out of the way of someone coming back down in an old Honda Accord. It really didn't seem appropriate for the terrain. Up we went on the road which traversed a very steep hillside which left my daughter repeatedly asking, "Daddy, are you sure this is safe?". It really wasn't bad at all.

We finally reached the shoulder of the mountain I was aiming for. It was a perfect viewing spot with no one camped nearby. It was, however, windier than hell. It would be a loud night in the Flip-Pac.

We quickly setup camp and soon the white pickup we had seen earlier going up the road was coming back down towards us. It was the local sheriff. He and a BLM ranger along with him were diligently checking every person camping to make sure they were aware of the fire danger. With the strong winds it sure would have been a firestorm. Not much tree fuel, but lots of bone dry grass. He told us he'd sent that Honda Accord off the mountain because he was worried the cat would set the grass on fire. He took a moment to swear my daughter in as a Junior Baker County Sheriff and give her a plastic badge.

While we waited for dinner time I took my daughter around on a hike to explore so my wife could finally have a bit of a break.

Exploring around camp
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As we were walking back from our camp another pickup appeared and stopped to chat. It was a nice older gentleman who it turned out was the rancher that leased most of the BLM land around the area. He too was checking every camp and making sure everyone was aware of the fire danger. He also suggested two evacuation routes should we see a fire. He also stated he'd likely see us in the morning since we were at what he considered the very best spot to view the eclipse from.

We had hot dogs for dinner. I cooked in the lee side of the truck where I formed a small windbreak. The wind was strong and relentless. Everyone was glad to be done with the driving and excited about tomorrow. The sun put on a more routine show that evening in preparation for the bigger show the next day.

Sunset at Camp Eclipse
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It was an extremely windy and thus noisy night. My daughter slept right through it but her parents did less well. Fortunately by morning the wind had calmed down significantly to modest breeze. We had a leisurely breakfast and got out some activity book entertainment for my daughter while we waited through the morning. I was busy setting up a few cameras and a telescope.

A couple of hours before totality a gentleman came walking up the steep hillside to our knoll. He was from Norway and had been on a business trip to the US which he extended by a few days. His rental couldn't negotiate the roads we had so he had slept in his car on the smoother road about 2000 feet below and made the long climb up at sunrise. We asked if he needed any water or food but he was well prepared and found his own spot to settle down in for the show. A short while later the rancher and some of his extended family arrived as promised and set up some chairs. They were extremely nice and it was interesting to hear their stories - their family had been the original homesteaders in the area.

A partial solar eclipse is pretty darn boring. Fortunately the sun was a bit active and there were some large sunspots to view. I setup my telescope with solar filters so we could watch the partial eclipse and view the spots. Everyone including the ranch family took turns watching and if you've never seen the active surface of the sun through a telescope it is pretty cool whether or not an eclipse is happening. I had zero intention of using the telescope during the actual total eclipse, but it was a fun thing to keep us entertained during the wait.

Viewing Sunspots
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As more of the sun disappeared it got noticeably cooler due to the reduced solar load. Essentially the morning wasn't warming up the way it was supposed to. Our shadows were unusually distinct as well with quite sharp edges as more of the sun disappeared. My wife had fun with a pinhole projector on artful steroids.

Pinhole Fun
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Things got dimmer and dimmer, colder and colder. Things definitely didn't feel right but it was more of a curiosity than anything else. We all watched the sun and the clock.

About two minutes before totality the horizon to the west became dark - almost black. It was quite unsettling. The sky above us began to visibly darken as well because the shadow of the moon at that point was passing through the atmosphere above us. We could see the black patch in the sky to west racing towards us and the mountains and hills to the west going black as well. We knew exactly what was happening but it was still somehow not just awesome but frightening. Finally the shadow swept over us. For the past few minutes we had stopped looking at the sun at all preferring to watch the effects of the shadow without solar glasses on. Now we knew we could safely turn around and look at the sun.

There really is no adequate way to describe the view. There are photos. There are videos. None of them capture it or really do it any justice. Definitely one of those you just have to experience it kinds of things. This seemingly giant ring of corona hangs in a black sky. For whatever reason it seems much larger than it really is. I have no idea why but it really does inspire some sort of primal terror in you. It is totally captivating and it is hard to look away to notice anything else.

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And then you see Baily's Beads appear and that's your warning that it is time to look away or put on solar glasses. Bright sky races towards you from the west, the ground around you is suddenly bathed in a dim but still vastly brighter light than you've been in and looking back to the east you see the dark sky receding away.

And it's over. You really are done. The remaining partial eclipse isn't even worth a moment of your time or attention. The total eclipse itself really does "eclipse" every other celestial experience.

I setup a video with a wide angle lens to try to capture the sky darkening effects. It starts one minute before totality and extends one minute past totality. I recommend muting the sound as it is just lots of wind noise:

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We took our time packing up and had a little lunch. We took a different route off the mountain that the rancher had recommended. We expected horrible traffic but headed to the east where we were going it was actually just fine. There was a bad backup to the west. We could see from Google Maps that there were horrible backups coming out of the mountains to the north. It seemed we had chosen a wise location to avoid bad traffic.

After the windblown night and all the driving we were just too exhausted to camp another night. We managed to find a hotel in Twin Falls to recover in. The next day we headed back towards Salt Lake as we were going to do some dinosaur attractions to entertain our daughter. Along the way we stopped at Golden Spike National Historic Site to see where the first transcontinental railroad was completed. That was mildly interesting. We also stopped nearby at the Thiokol Rocket Garden. That was pretty cool.

Resting inside a shuttle booster section, nose of complete booster behind
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We had another night in Salt Lake before my wife and daughter flew to California to visit my mother-in-law. After they left I still had to get the truck back to Las Vegas and planned to do some camping along the way.

There are a lot of dinosaur things to do in Utah and my daughter had a blast. My wife took a well deserved rest over the next day while I took my daughter around site seeing. There was a dinosaur park where they have giant life size concrete dinosaurs on display. This was extremely intimidating to my daughter at first especially since there were scary noises playing on speakers throughout the park. Eventually she mastered her fear by concluding all the dinosaurs were her friends.

Waving to a dinosaur "friend"
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And soon enough the rest of the family was on their way to California. I had a grand plan to tour the Maze District of Canyonlands before parking the truck back in Vegas. Unfortunately I had caught some sort of head cold that would not let go. My Canyonlands itinerary was extremely aggressive and required lots and lots more driving. Upon returning home I'd have to start a lot more work hours on a contract we had just won.

I decided to save the Maze District for another trip. I moved my flights and flew out of Las Vegas early. I spent a few quite days at home alone while the family was away. While doing so I realized it was the first time I had had a few days at home alone in more than five years! It was quite pleasant.

This trip involved a lot of flying, driving and complicated last minute logistics. It was so definitely worth it. Event of a lifetime for us.

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Very well done! Thanks for taking the time to share. Love that the sheriff took an interest in your daughter.

 

Great stuff!
The eclipse video makes me wish I'd gone further north to enjoy the real thing.

 

Priceless, thank you! Your daughter is blessed with an incredible memory.

 

Mojave Bound

Well I got that solar eclipse report in just before another trip! Headed into Mojave National Preserve tomorrow (Monday) for hopefully the whole week. Leaving the itinerary loose for flexibility but pretty sure I'm going to start at the west end around Rasor and work my way east.

One of the fun things about MNP is you are near train tracks a lot - assuming you like trains. Here's an oldie from near Nipton just about 9 years ago exactly:

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Mojave Teaser

Back from the wilderness, it was a blast. Trip report - well I'd say soon but I know how I've been of late. Let's say "eventually". Also need to add a post on a fire extinguisher selection and installation. In less good news Diet Taco was robbed! Fortunately no real damage and only one thing taken - something I was planning on getting rid of anyway, though I'd rather have sold it or donated it than had it stolen! Details on that later as well. Just a photo for now:

Descending out of the Old Dad Mountains​

 

Finally had a chance to read your account. Wonderful. Thanks.

 

Thief!
October 2017

The storage facility where I store the truck got hit one night by a group breaking into vehicles looking for things to steal. They weren't attempting to steal vehicles - the gates would prevent that. They could however climb over a wall with their vehicle parked where security cameras wouldn't see it and spend a leisurely time tossing the contents of vehicles. They hit over twenty RVs, took quite a bit of stuff and did a lot of collateral damage to windows and doors in the process.

They did take a look in the back of my truck. I keep the cab spartan when in storage so it appears they didn't attempt entry to the cab. There wasn't anything in the cab but some books really. They did get into the back because of course a locked topper like a Flip-Pac is a joke as far as security goes. Just pull hard enough and it will open after the latches bend. Fortunately this means they did no damage getting in (other than the latches which can be easily bent back and re-adjusted).

Once inside they took their time to go through most everything with at least a quick look. They unzipped every canvas bag and lightly tossed the contents of the Action Packers. The only thing of value in the truck was a telescope with some semi-nice eyepieces. I kept it in the cooler to reduce the thermal cycles it sees in the summer while in storage. That must of looked like something worth E-baying so they did make off with that.

Telescope was a bit of an impulse buy a little over a year and a half ago. I just wasn't using it hardly at all. I got a few hours of observing in on one trip and we did use it to entertain our daughter waiting for the eclipse. Really most trips I'm pretty exhausted by evening and don't have the patience for doing much observing. So I had been seriously considering getting rid of the telescope. Ignoring the expense if there was one thing I could choose for them to take it'd probably be that telescope! I would of course rather have donated it or sold it myself...

Anyway by happy coincidence I found out through a family member that my old storage facility from a few years back once again had indoor space available. So the truck has been moved there where it will live a more pampered life in a locked garage!

Have been fortunate to not have any vehicle theft issues over the years. This was a pretty painless one - fingers crossed my luck will continue!

Easily bent​