Ruby Mountains, Nevada

A solar eclipse is a celestial event that should not be missed--especially if you live near enough to witness an annular or total eclipse of the sun. Back in 2017, my son and I backpacked with some friends into the mountains just north of our Idaho home to witness the total solar eclipse. It was one of the most amazing events of my life in that the event felt so primordial--I imagined early human civilizations witnessing such an event and being mystified beyond belief. The way the temperatures dropped and dropped as the eclipse progressed was one of the most unexpected phenomenon.

So, when my son informed me that this year an annular solar eclipse was to pass over northern Nevada, just five hours from home, we made a plan to witness the spectacle. My love of planning adventures using CalTopo and Google Earth helped find a location in the Ruby Mountains where a granitic batholith protruded from the ground in spectacular fashion. We drove down only to find that at least 100 other people had also found the same spot!

As the eclipse began, a bank of clouds moved between our vantage point and the view above. At first, I was nervous it would completely obscure the event, however, the drama that they added to the scene made for a more memorable time. I had rented Sony's 200-600mm zoom lens from Lens Rentals and was impressed by the quality of images and magnification it allowed for shooting the eclipse.

Here are some images from the weekend.