Recent content by Nessmuk

from the shore of Lake Ontario near Watertown NY. High variable thickness clouds. this is the best I could do with that. yesterday was solid blue sky horizon to horizon.

I had to think long and hard about how I would rate viewing a partial eclipse (of which I have seen many), to the experience of seeing a totally eclipsed sun (my fourth). Here's what I thought of that is pretty close to the kind of extreme personal difference: Imagine a rural kid who really...

My brother has a cottage (formerly inherited and owned by both of us) very near the centerline on the shore of Lake Ontario, not far from Watertown NY. I will have 3 telescopes set up there for family and local residents to enjoy 3m 30s of totality.

While my home is well within the zone of totality, I will be traveling to my brother's (formerly both of ours) camp on the edge of lake Ontario which is on the center line. Past eclipse experience shows that you will wish for every possible lingering second of totality. If not socked in by...

Right, even a simple lapel compass could have been enough to save much grief. So much the better along with a map in a sturdy wind and water proof protective case. Regardless of where you roam, there is the unwritten "rule of up", which means that as long as you continue to travel in an overall...

I believe the change was made so that official measurments are taken on a flat board out in the open. The board is measured for snow depth and then scraped each hour to accumulate uncompressed snow depth each hour. If it is not done this way and allowed to accumulate in total, the snow...

8 inches and it seems to have stopped herer on the eastern edge of Tug Hill NY, western edge of the Adirondacks. I had planned to wait until Monday to blow out my driveway, but I did it Sunday afternoon instead under a cloudy but no snow sky. 8 inches is nothing compared to a normal usual Lake...

I do have a steel roof, quite old, with multiple layers of protective aluminum asphalt coatings, making it somewhat rough and easy for a first layer of ice to stick instead of sliding off. I believe it was around 1977 when this area received as much as 400 inches of snow that season, and often...

I don't remember if this photo was the first, second, third, or fourth roof shoveling of the season. it is a an old (>50 yrs) cabin hand built by my father without power tools and I may go more there in winter often than absolutely necessary after heavy lake effect snowfalls to ensure it is...

There are some who like to watch an extended duration of the diamond ring effect by stationing themselves on the line of the very edge of totality. Miss it by 100 yards and you miss the beauty of totality ompletely. But for me, nothing beats being within the maximum zone of center line...

My home is barely within the region of totality near the western edge of the Adirondacks. But my brother has a (formerly family shared) camp on the shore of Lake Ontario near Watertown that is directly on the center line. my daughter has a home west of Plattsburgh that is also on center line. I...

Although I do miss the usual deep snow backcountry XC skiing in my area, I do not miss the necessity of skiing on two miles of highly active snowmobile trail with endless parades of 70mph machines whizzing by me as I ski on the side of the unplowed road/trail to take me 3/4 of the way toward my...

Not required for non-hunters in NY, only if accompanying a hunter in the field. From the NYSDEC hunting regulation: Fluorescent Orange & Fluorescent Pink Clothing Requirements Any person hunting deer or bear with a firearm or a person who is accompanying someone hunting deer or bear with a...

I too have spent most of my wilderness travel solo. I prefer off trail rather than on hiighly traveled trails. I use a trail as a means to get me to a place where I can get off ttrail. When I travel and navigate solo I have only myself to blame for mistakes made of any kind. There is no debate...