Photograph by Carl Heilman II
The Adirondacks will have a starring role on the afternoon of April 8, 2024, when the new moon threads between the Earth and its closest star, totally blocking out the sun. Most of the park will fall within the “path of totality,” the only zone to experience the full effect of this once-in-a-lifetime cosmic event. And close enough won’t be good enough: even if 99 percent of the sun is blocked, that one percent will be bright enough to diminish the experience.
Read on for eclipse info and a map tracing the path of totality, along with totality times and durations for a handful of communities—the closer an area is to the center line, the longer totality will last.
Map by Matt Paul; times from timeanddate.com
What to Expect When You’re Eclipsing
The moon will begin to elbow out the sun a little after 2 p.m., though exact times depend on location. Once the sun is fully eclipsed, day will turn to twilight and the horizon will glow softly. Totality, when the sun’s corona—the gassy, outermost part of its atmosphere—becomes visible, is the only time you can look directly at the sun without special glasses. (For more safety information, or to learn how to make a pinhole viewer, see science.nasa.gov/eclipses/safety.) Birds and other wildlife may shift into evening mode and the temperature will drop by about 10 degrees Fahrenheit.
Watching the total eclipse from the top of a High Peak or deep in the backcountry may seem tempting, but don’t underestimate the conditions or overestimate your abilities. It will still be winter on lofty Adirondack mountaintops—never mind the plummeting temps during totality—and the meaning of “mud season” may quickly become apparent at lower elevations. (Remember that hiking in overly muddy conditions can cause trail damage.) So unless you have the hiking chops, knowledge of trail conditions and proper gear, stick to the ample wide-open spaces nearer to civilization.
Plan (way) ahead: anticipate traffic and that last-minute rooms will be hard to come by. And do your part to “Leave No Trace”—if you packed it into the park, pack it back out.
