[Vision2020] Cascade, Idaho Solar Eclipse Traffic Jam Hype!

[Ron Force]

Right you are, the experience varied from predictions, and it may have
scared away potential travelers.

Betsy Russell's (Eye on Boise) had a good trip up, and then:

The eclipse viewing experience was so cool! And afterward, we visited with
folks, hung around, jumped off the diving board and swam in the cool waters
of the Henry's Fork, then had a great picnic lunch. Around 3:30, we left
for the 60-mile jaunt back north to our campground at Henry's Lake State
Park. Initially, traffic was at a crawl, but still mostly moving. Then,
north of Ashton, it came to a standstill, and we traveled all of 12 miles
in an hour. We're still on the road, stopped again, at Mile Marker 372.
We've now been on the road nearly three hours and are still 15 miles south
of Island Park; we've got more than 30 miles to go..

Tried to check the ITD app to see what was up, but they had no info...


Wrapping up quite a day…

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[image: This bottle of Total Eclipse Oregon Pinot Noir awaited us after a
long trek up post-eclipse gridlocked roads in eastern Idaho back to our
campsite on Monday, Aug. 21, 2017. (Betsy Z. Russell)]
<http://media.spokesman.com/photos/2017/08/21/wine.JPG>This bottle of Total
Eclipse Oregon Pinot Noir awaited us after a long trek up post-eclipse
gridlocked roads in eastern Idaho back to our campsite on Monday, Aug. 21,
2017. (Betsy Z. Russell)

Wow – four hours and 45 minutes. That’s how long it took us to drive the 60
miles back north from St. Anthony to Henry’s Lake State Park this afternoon
and evening after the eclipse, all stop-and-go, with plenty of stop. That
part was pretty awful. But now we’re here, and this bottle of Total Eclipse
Oregon Pinot Noir awaits us. It’s been quite a day!


Ron Force
Moscow Idaho USA

On Tue, Aug 22, 2017 at 5:01 PM, Ted Moffett <starbliss at gmail.com> wrote:

> Fri, Aug 18, 2017 at 5:27
> Ron Force <ronforce at gmail.com>  wrote:
>
> Good luck in getting anywhere near Cascade on Monday.
> ---------------------------
> Oh really?  Nonsense!
>
> I was in Cascade and can guarantee the truth of the following account.
>
> Cascade, Idaho on Sunday afternoon Aug. 20 had no traffic jams, or even
> close to that, either from the south or north on Hwy 55 entering the city.
> On Aug. 21 Monday morning eclipse date, it was about the same.  No evidence
> of traffic jams from the south or north entering Cascade!
> Also on Monday afternoon after the eclipse, nothing even closely
> resembling a traffic jam happened, from people leaving either going north
> or south.
>
> The main delays in getting to Cascade from Moscow on Sunday, or leaving
> back to Moscow on Monday afternoon, were construction delays on Hwy 95 near
> Riggins.  But even this was no more than about 15-30 min. delay either way.
>
> Several people in Cascade I talked to complained that, in the words of one
> organizer of an event who planned on a big turnout, the "media screwed
> them" by scaring people away with predictions of dire horrific (my wording)
> traffic jams mandating people carry water and food and emergency supplies.
>
> Cascade's main grocery store had quick service with no lines jamming the
> checkout aisles, and the gas stations also offered quick service, on both
> Sunday and Monday.  However, I was annoyed to discover the Cascade grocery
> store in question closed at 7 PM Sunday!  Upon reflection, I was charmed by
> the small town decidedly non-urban implications of this early closure.
> ---------------------------------------
> Vision2020 Post: Ted Moffett
>
>
> On Fri, Aug 18, 2017 at 5:27 PM, Ron Force <ronforce at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Ted, Did you see the picture in the Daily News of the 15 mile backup of
>> traffic on Highway 26 heading to Prineville Oregon on* Wednesday morning*?
>> Good luck in getting anywhere near Cascade on Monday.
>>
>> Ron Force
>> Moscow Idaho USA
>>
>> On Fri, Aug 18, 2017 at 4:07 PM, Ted Moffett <starbliss at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>
>
>> Vision2020 is not a rideshare service, but this is an unusual event...
>>>
>>> Anyone heading to Cascade, Idaho or nearby for the area of totality on
>>> Monday morning, Aug. 21?  Of course, many will arrive Sat. or Sun. in
>>> advance, not attempt to travel to the event on Monday morning, when traffic
>>> will likely be difficult.
>>>
>>> Share energy costs, of course.
>>> ---------------------------------------
>>> Vision2020 Post: Ted Moffett
>>>
>>>
>>
>
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