Found out today that we are surrounded by eclipse parties. Not throwing one here because I'll be herding 50 high school kids onto a bus that morning (we will be providing eclipse glasses and letting them view it, then sending 'em home from their volunteer projects) but really hoping the incoming tourists are smart about roads, water, gas and wildfire danger.
One local viewing event was mislisted as happening in Antelope. It's actually on the other side off on a private ranch a few miles south-east of us. We are now anticipating a lot of confused visitors to a town of about 10 people, no gas, no water and no public bathrooms. There's also a party at the Painted Hills. We finally got our back roads taken off the map but every summer a dozen or so folks wander through trying to find their way there. The old road hasn't been maintained in 15 years. It's one-lane, rutted, slimy when wet, impassable by anything that isn't 4-wheel drive and people insist on attempting it in Kias and with campers.
I hope this thing is over-hyped. I really do. I'd love to have a nice quiet uneventful end of summer. I'm on the wildland firefighting team (I vaguely know which end of the hose water comes out of) and will get sent out if something goes wrong, for better or for worse, just for want of people to squirt the flames. We are anticipating the worst fire season in years because of all the rain this spring, and Oregon is anticipating something like a million extra visitors, with thousands in dispersed campsites on public land for the whole weekend.
If you're coming to eastern Oregon to view the eclipse, that is awesome (just please don't park in the tall grass!)
