Lunar Eclipse: January 20 - 21, 2019

After my Women in Music, Polka Time, and Classic Country radio shows on WTIP yesterday, I turned up the long, cold Gunflint Trail.  By the time I got as far as the Pincushion Mountain Overlook Trailhead, the eclipse of the super perigee (point of closest approach) moon had begun.  I pulled into the parking lot, and took several pictures.  The air temperature was at -16 degrees Fahrenheit, and I had to keep wiping the ice off the camera lens.  My first battery fizzled, and I replaced with the fully charged one from inside my car.  Amazingly enough, that was the warm part of the journey.

Moon from Pincushion Mountain Overlook at ~9:45 PM.  Temperature -16 F.

I continued up the Gunflint Trail, glimpsing at the moon through my moon roof from time to time.  The next photo stop I made was at the Gunflint Trail Volunteer Fire Department Hall # 1 by Poplar Lake.  Temperatures outside had plummeted as far as -29 degrees Fahrenheit, and had risen to -28 F. by the time I got out of my car at the fire hall.

I quickly took some more pictures, being careful not to breathe towards the camera lens, as the moisture would instantly freeze.  Even with my precautions, I still had to wipe off ice several times.  The moon was nearing full eclipse by this time.

Moon From GTVFD Fire Hall 1 at ~10:27 PM.  Temperature -28 F.

I got back into the car, and continued to Gunflint Lake.  On the journey, I had my air heaters and seat heaters on high.  The inside of the windows behind me were fully coated with ice from my breath, although I was warm in the driver's seat.  Temperatures ranged from -26 to -29 degrees Fahrenheit.  When I parked my car, the final temperature was -28 degrees F.  On the way, I was secretly hoping for -30 Fahrenheit, so I would have better stories later on.  Part of the fun of living in far northern Minnesota are the great weather stories you accumulate over the years.

By the time I parked, the moon was fully eclipsed.  I took a few pictures, unloaded my car, and took some more pictures from my deck.  A short distance away, Gunflint Lake sounded an occasional thunderous boom from the rapid production of ice.

 I experimented with long exposures, hand held shots, and pictures taken from my tripod.  The best pictures seemed to come from the Handheld Night Shot setting, taken from the top of the tripod, with a timer.

Full Eclipse of the Moon from Gunflint Lake at ~11:15 PM.  Temperature -28 F.

Full Eclipse of the Moon

After taking many pictures, I went inside to warm up.  It took quite a while for my feet to get warm, and I will be re-hydrating my hands for the next few days, but it was worth it to see this beautiful eclipse of the perigee moon. 

I'm thankful to have had such a clear night.  As I write this, it is cloudy, and the National Weather Service is predicting a 100% chance of snow this evening.

I went outside one more time before bed.  By this time, it was the next day, and the moon was coming out of eclipse.

Waning Lunar Eclipse from Gunflint Lake after Midnight on January 21, 2019

Wild West Trip - South Dakota, Wyoming, and Utah

I started out May 9, 2018 at the Elk Mountain Campground in the Wind Cave National Park.  It was a beautiful day to drive across the rest of South Dakota, Wyoming, Utah, and part of Nevada.  Before the day was done, I drove 858 miles over 14 hours.  I took one hour-long break to walk around Independence Rock, Wyoming, and a few minutes to look at Temple Square in Salt Lake City.

Elk Mountain Campground, Wind Cave National Park, South Dakota

Elk Mountain Campground, Wind Cave National Park, South Dakota

When I was in elementary school, we would play a game called Oregon Trail on the old Apple II C and E computers.  In the game, we would go from place to place on aboard a covered wagon, have to figure out what provisions to bring along, and which chances to take on the trail.  There were many landmarks along the route, one of which was Independence Rock, marking the halfway point between the Missouri River and the Pacific Ocean.

When I was driving through Wyoming, I saw the signs for Independence Rock, and thought it would be fun to see the landmark.  I knew I had a long way to travel that day and didn't think there was time to take a side trip.  However, I pulled over at a scenic rest stop, and found that I was actually at Independence Rock.  The historian in me wanted to take a walk around.  Independence Rock is deceptively large, and it took about an hour to circumnavigate it on foot.  I saw evidence of the pioneers on the rock, and saw some great wildlife in the surrounding countryside.

Independence Rock, Wyoming

Independence Rock - Wyoming

American White Pelicans (Pelecanus erythrorhychos) at Independence Rock, Wyoming

American White Pelicans (Pelecanus erythrorhychos) at Independence Rock, Wyoming

The Pronghorn (Antilocapra american), fastest animal in North America, sprinting by Independence Rock, Wyoming.

Path Around Independence Rock, Wyoming

Western Meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta) at Independence Rock, Wyoming

 The next state I drove through was Utah, a state I had never set foot in before.  I enjoyed the scenic mountains and saw the sun set over the Great Salt Lake.  In Salt Lake City, I took a little detour to see the Mormon Tabernacle.  When we took road trips out west growing up, we would often listen to a recording of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir called Best Loved American Folk Songs: This Land is Your Land.  It seemed fitting to catch a glimpse of the place the recording happened on my own road trip out west.

Mountains in Utah

Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah - The Mormon Tabernacle is visible through the trees.

 In a few more hours, I arrived at my cousin's house in Elko, Nevada.  The first half of the trip, I had driven around 24 hours, and covered 1,984 miles.