powderfreak

We've been talking about it a lot today (obviously) but for me it was this cool vibe that nothing else in the world seemed to matter yesterday. Politics, money, worries, how much you hate your neighbor, etc... the entire lead up throughout the day was this universal knowledge that something wild was about to happen and the anticipation of it. Then when it happened, to have every single person and humanity as a larger collective just get their mind-blown, led to this feeling of togetherness that we don't often get these days. Everyone is so divided on every topic but this was one thing that humanity agreed upon for a day. I said it yesterday and I'll say it again, I really did not understand the profound awesomeness of it.

Great shot!

Love that lower left flare has been visible in photos no matter where they’ve been taken in totality.

I think for me it was that our relationship with the sun changed for a brief time. From the day we are born to when we die, the sun rises and stays there until it sets. It’s baked into our evolution and minds. This disrupted that cycle, with a shadow being cast during the peak heating time of day. Something about it got me.

This is what I wrote on social. I completely get why Gene was harping on totality for the past couple weeks. There was something about it that was a profound experience. Natural, no control over it, we as humans are just microscopic dust in a large universe. And collectively we just had our minds blown. "Totality. I now know that I did not appreciate exactly what that meant. Sure, I knew it would get dark, but the experience was so much more profound than that. I now understand why people travel for this and why totality is different than even 99%. This was an incredible day. The excitement, the anticipation and togetherness of humanity, knowing that a once-in-a-lifetime event was going to happen. Sharing that with fellow humans, on my favorite snow covered mountain with flawless weather. This will stay with me for life." We tried to describe it as such in the snow report opening lines... A momentous convergence of three cosmic titans, Earth and Sun split by the Moon. Today we were all on a cosmic odyssey in the path of totality and what a scene it was.

It’s happen by exactly as it was thought it would, ha. Two interstates in VT, both jacked up.

It wasn’t bad to my place but I was looking at the traffic maps and RT 100 south to Waterbury looked terrible. It shows red all the way to Moscow/Stowe. Then 89 is red southbound for as long as possible. I heard that Bolton backup was from an accident.

10 min later it’s moving.

I cannot believe the weather worked out for that. Like what are the chances. It could be raining or snowing with a ceiling of 2,000ft very easily.

Dude, that was insane. Just a cell phone shot. We’ll see what the camera got but I understand why folks say get to totality. 3 solid minutes of nighttime at 3:30pm. Stars out. I see what the hype was about.

Once in a lifetime experience. Hoo-lee-sheet. That was incredible.

Can start to see it now through the glasses.

We’ve got some very light high thin cirrus but I can’t imagine that mattering. Sky is still pretty blue through them.

This photo shows the vibe one gets being up there. Awesome. Nearly 3k verts. The Green Mtn Spine wall maxing out over Mansfield leads to some great snowfall, deep snowpack and big mountain terrain.

The eclipse tourists were rolling in fast today, and the vibe is fun. So many people out and about in town. Many outside, walking the Rec Path and sidewalks. Skiers, first time skiers in town for the eclipse, having fun. But cars everywhere. I’ll be honest, sometimes it’s a bit much and annoying while you are just trying to get through daily life. This has a different vibe. Like people know it’s not something that randomly happens. It’s an event that many won’t see again in their lives and they know it. The mood is cheerful, weather was 50s and sunshine, with melting snow on the ground next to greening grass. Optimism for a spring day mixed with a once-in-a-lifetime vibe. It’s going to be the largest party NNE has ever seen.

It’s 52F and sunny and snow in town is crying for mama. Just getting eviscerated. Still a few inches but feels like we’ve lost a foot in two days lol.

I saw that on Mansfield too.

It’s starting… exit 10 for Waterbury, VT accessing Stowe and Mad River Valley.

lol I’m a psychopath. I just can’t label it 24-36”. BTV to the summits was 12-24” for the meat of the event. The backside couple inches of wet elevation-dependent snow does add to the totals where we ski though. It feels different though than the mid-winter days when adding a couple inches here or there props up the snowpack further. The long-duration total up in the mid-slope and beyond is significant though… despite the snowpack settling faster than it falls.

April cake. This afternoon saw a glimpse of sun between thick clouds and steady periods of -SN. Only 2” in past 24 hours (1” every 12hrs) on the plot board, but been a fun 3 days with 26” if you add it up.. but to me the true storm total was 23” from the steady storm snow. This winter has actually hit normal snowfall in the mountain elevations. Now a total solar eclipse coming. What a time to be alive, ha.

You traveling for this?

You guys crack me up .

Yeah not really worried about high clouds at all to be honest. Filtered sunshine works.

See I think climo is southern/central/eastern areas in coastal storms, ha. I wish I could be that confident each storm.

Yeah I was going to say, we sleeted for hours too. Would’ve hit 30” without it. Even had ZR at the mountain for a bit early on. I think it even got as far as the Canadian border.