From Stowe Mountain Rescue:
When you live in the path of totality, you suddenly feel like the center of the world!
Nothing like a cosmic event to draw people into the mountains. If you’re one of the many thousands planning to visit Stowe for the eclipse, we’re excited to host you.
Follow us on X @CompassVermont.
However, the prospect of you all out there in the backcountry is slightly sobering for our team. The sheer numbers involved makes us suspect that we’ll receive multiple calls towards the end of the day, which is going to be a logistical challenge.
We’ll need your help:
1/ Plan to stay in the valleys – there is plenty of open space where you can safely view the eclipse. Many of the trails to elevation will be closed in any case, as is normal for this time of year. Foot traffic is very damaging on a muddy trail so the Green Mountain Club keeps them closed until mud season is over.
2/ This time of year is not quite wintery enough to make you think of winter, and yet it is definitely cold enough to give you hypothermia. Wherever you end up, pack extra layers, more than you think you’ll need. It will be COLD. We can’t emphasise this enough!
3/ Whether with snow, ice or mud remains to be seen, but the trails are guaranteed to be slick. Proper boots will be essential and microspikes may be required. Whether you’re a seasoned hiker or new to this, a local or a visitor, you’ll be at risk of slipping.
4/ Be self-sufficient. If you end up needing our help, it may be many hours before we can reach you (if we get called to multiple locations at once, the delay will be epic). Think warmth, food, water, headlamps, extra batteries. Even if you don’t need this stuff, you may encounter someone who does.
5/ Alcohol, drugs and the backcountry are not happy bedfellows. Diminished coordination and an inhibited ability to stay warm are not going to help. We don’t mean to be patronizing, but this is an easily-avoided element that can change an outcome for the worse. Please exercise restraint!
6/ To top it off, the roads are anticipated to have heavy traffic, which will contribute to our delayed response time.
With all that in mind, roll on 8th April! It should be an amazing spectacle.
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