Coming Blackout

Tonight we are in Butte, Montana, and tomorrow we head into Yellowstone for the Lamar Buffalo Ranch and the Yellowstone Forever Foundation program on Dark Skies and Solar Eclipse Photography.  The program begins tomorrow afternoon with an overview of basic astronomy that will take us through star formation to the death of a star. In the evening we'll learn about telescopes and summer constellations.

On Sunday we'll focus on the sun and the coming eclipse and in the evening learn some skills and tips for night sky photography. On "E-day", Monday, we'll hop on a bus, getting an early start, and travel down to the Tetons to be in the path of totality! The program ends with the eclipse, but I hope they bring us back to Lamar Buffalo Ranch and the Airstream.

We learned today that the Lamar Buffalo Ranch has no cell phone reception or internet service. After tonight we will be in "blackout" until Monday evening.

Last night, in St. Regis, it was clear but we woke up this morning to the smell of smoke and obscured views.

Once again, driving required lights on.

After about thirty miles down Interstate #90 the smoke began to clear and we could enjoy the passing landscape.

Interesting geological features in the west.

In Montana, towns like to put their initials on the nearby hills. Here we are, passing through Drummond, Montana.

Ten weeks ago we took a picture of the Anaconda smokestack, a local landmark outside of Anaconda, Montana, as we were driving west.

"The Richest Hill on Earth" refers to the massive copper mining operation that occurs in the hills all around the city. At one time, Butte was the largest city between Chicago and San Francisco.