Total Solar Eclipse Over Katahdin!

This is nearly 10 years from now, but I just wanted to alert people that a total solar eclipse will be passing over Baxter State Park/Katahdin/Traveler Mtn. and Mt. Mansfield/Jay Peak on April 8th, 2024!! What an amazing experience it would be to see a total solar eclipse on one of our favorite New England Summits! Considering it is still Winter conditions on April 8th, Northern Vermont Peaks seem much more easily feasible than Katahdin. Unfortunately this one will not be a total solar in the Whites..



http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEmap/SEmapNA/TSENorAm2001.gif

wb671987 said:

This is nearly 10 years from now, but I just wanted to alert people that a total solar eclipse will be passing over Baxter State Park/Katahdin/Traveler Mtn. and Mt. Mansfield/Jay Peak on April 8th, 2024!! ... Considering it is still Winter conditions on April 8th, Northern Vermont Peaks seem much more easily feasible than Katahdin.

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A lot can happen in 10 years but at present Baxter Park is closed to visitors in April

RoySwkr said:

A lot can happen in 10 years but at present Baxter Park is closed to visitors in April

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They *might* make an exception for that event.

Or you could just go to Buffalo and watch it there, it might be snowier!

Even closer in, 8/21/2017 there will be an eclipse from South Carolina all the way to Oregon! Warmer and possibly a mountain or two will be in the way somewhere on the 3,000 mile path!

RoySwkr said:

A lot can happen in 10 years but at present Baxter Park is closed to visitors in April

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Not entirely correct

I am willing to bet that the Baxter State Park Authority and/or Director would treat this as a special case considering it is a once a century type event. After all, they would only need to extend the Winter camping season by 8-9 days to get them to this date. Even if they don't I know Baxter has granted special permissions on a case by case basis with other rules, such as allowing a 5 or 6 year old through hiker to summit Katahdin (which is normally off-limits to anyone 6 or under since above timeline). I always thought day-use between April 1st - May 14th was still allowed (correct me if Im wrong)??

I forgot to mention that any mountains in the Colebrook or Pittsburg, NH area would also be great options (I have never actually hiked North of Errol, NH since not many scenic high peaks up in that area (at least that I know of)... Jay Peak in VT is just as perfectly located as Katahdin too!!

I know Ed Hawkins has been there in April to get his NE67x12 (twice, in fact).

Tim

bikehikeskifish said:

I know Ed Hawkins has been there in April to get his NE67x12 (twice, in fact).

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As I understand it, he is allowed to camp the night of March 31 and tag Katahdin on his way out April 1, but nobody can camp April 1

At one time visitation was not allowed in April due to ranger vacations and trail conditions, but apparently you are now allowed to walk in

Looks to me that many of the western Maine mountains will be in on the show. Although Katahdin would be cool, I think Avery Peak on Bigelow would be a nice spot.