BY KAREN BOSSICK
Forget the flood. Forget wildfire season.
The Great American Solar Eclipse is coming to Sun Valley. And we need to be prepared for an onslaught of visitors like we have never seen before.
“This is a very big deal. We need to be prepared,” Ketchum Mayor Nina Jonas told local business owners on Thursday.
Aug. 21 will mark the first total eclipse of the sun visible coast-to-coast in the United States since 1918. And Idaho is expected to get an influx of between 100,000 and 1 million travelers as the path of totality where the full eclipse will occur passes through the heart of the state.
NASA has told Idaho Falls to expect between 300,000 to 500,000 visitors during the eclipse weekend. And Sun Valley is expected to get an influx of between 9,300 and 37,000 viewers, while the town of Stanley could draw up to 30,000 viewers.
Everyone from local police forces to the hospitals are getting reinforcements. And businesses and valley residents should stock up on things like food, ice, water and gasoline in anticipation that eclipse chasers will empty out the town.
“We get 17,000 people for the Wagon Days parade, and this could attract 35,000. It’s going to be hard for emergency services to get around,” said Ketchum Fire Chief Mike Elle. “Prepare yourself to not have to go out. I’d love to be over-prepared and underwhelmed.”
EXPECT AN L.A.-STYLE TRAFFIC JAM
Ketchum Police Chief Dave Kassner said local law officers will get extra support from the Idaho State Police and, possibly, even the Idaho National Guard. But valley residents should plan for traffic delays.
“I don’t anticipate shutdowns on the highway unless there’s an accident,” Kassner said. “We’re looking for all kinds of areas to park vehicles. It would help if employees would carpool or take the bus to get to work during that time to get cars off the road.”
Mountain Rides is still formulating its plans, said the organization’s executive director Jason Miller. “But you can throw a ton of extra buses out there, only to have them get stuck in traffic,” he added.
IT’LL GET WORSE IF IT’S RAINING IN WEISER AND SUNNY IN SUN VALLEY
A swath of Idaho cities from Weiser to Rexburg are planning major events associated with the eclipse. And, if the weather is bad in one area, eclipse watchers could move from there to here, said Ben Roeber, preparedness chief with the Idaho Office of Emergency Management.
The Twin Falls visitor center, for instance, is organizing a bus trip with an astronomer on board to take viewers to Mackay. One of the beauties of the mobile tour is that they will be able to shift gears if the weather’s bad in Mackay, said a spokesperson.
EXPECT HELICOPTERS OVERHEAD BUT BE PREPARED TO DOCTOR YOURSELF
A bevy of helicopters will be in the air during the days surrounding the eclipse because emergency responders can’t count on getting from Point A to Point B expeditiously, given the traffic, said Elle. Emergency personnel may be called on to respond to a grass fire started by a vehicle pulling off the road for the eclipse or for injuries in the backcountry.
“If you look at the sun without certified glasses or if you get stung by bees, prepare to take care of it yourself or go to the hospital on your own,” Elle said. “You can’t be reliant on emergency medical services during this time. Ambulances are going to be busy with major injuries.”
St. Luke’s Wood River Hospital is bringing in extra supplies and staff for the weekend, said the hospital’s spokesperson Joy Prudek. It will expand urgent care hours on Saturday and Sunday ahead of the eclipse. And the Hailey clinic will be open from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.
A helicopter will be parked at St. Luke’s the entire weekend ready to ferry people to trauma care in Boise, if necessary.
PEAK VIEWING
Viewing the eclipse from a mountain peak is considered primo, says Mike Fitzpatrick, director of marketing for Sun Valley Resort. Not only do you have 360-degree views but you’ll be able to watch the eclipse shadow sweep over the valley.
Sun Valley has nearly sold out of the 1,200 lift tickets it set aside to ferry people up the Gondola and Challenger, River Run and Christmas chairs to the top of Baldy. Black Diamond/VIP Lift Tickets, which cost $295 and include a buffet and mimosa and Bloody Mary bar on the Roundhouse deck, are sold out.
But there are some $175 lift tickets for a ride up the mountain on the Challenger lift, with a pair of commemorative Sun Valley Solar Eclipse viewing glasses thrown in. Tickets are available at www.sunvalley.com.
Lift tickets had to be capped, Fitzpatrick said, because of the challenges of downloading people once the event is over. Sun Valley can download people only on every fourth chair. There’s also the chance that lightning could shut down the lifts stranding people on top of the mountain.
“The Lookout Restaurant can only hold so many people,” Fitzpatrick noted.
Mountain biking operations on Baldy will be suspended that day. But people will be allowed to hike to the top of Baldy, provided they’re prepared to hike down. There will be no downloading on chairs without a lift ticket that day.
Season passes will not be honored on that day.
RV AND OTHER PARKING IN SUN VALLEY
Fitzpatrick said Sun Valley hopes to offer RV camping at the River Run parking lot. Parking will be available at the Warm Springs/Greyhawk parking lot. And Sun Valley will open the Sun Valley Pavilion parking lot across from the ice rink for those planning to take part in the Solar Eclipse party being planned by the cities of Ketchum and Sun Valley at Festival Meadows on Sun Valley Road.
TELL THE MILKMAN TO COME AT 2 A.M.
Ketchum/Sun Valley Eclipse logos will soon be available for businesses.
Business owners should start thinking about logistical things, such as encouraging their workers to leave home earlier than normal to get to work on time. They should work with suppliers to figure out schedules to get around the crowds.
“If you’re a business owner, tell your customers to be prepared for weather changes. Tell them to reapply sunscreen every 90 minutes. Don’t leave kids and pets in cars. And tell them to drink water. People who come here on vacation tend to drink a little too much of the wine and not enough of water,” Prudek said.
THINKING OF HEADING NORTH TO STANLEY?
Sawtooth National Forest officials are working with the town of Stanley on a variety of issues, including garbage collection, to prepare for what they anticipate will be a five-day event, said Susan James, SNF recreation program manager.
They’re developing a map of mass gathering areas and brochures for an area that will extend to Challis. Stanley is considering expanding cell coverage for the event as it will have a couple astronomy festivals attracting as many as 2,000 participants.
Forest Service officials also hope to expand camping at a time of year when some campgrounds are typically closed for salmon spawning. And road closures from flooding could pose a challenge, James said.
“We also need to identify things like shuttle services,” she added. “I’ve heard Stanley could get over 30,000 people and the biggest weekend ever to date was 10,000.”
CROSS YOUR FINGERS FOR TRAIL CREEK
Blaine County Commissioner Jacob Greenberg said the county is working with an engineer to get Trail Creek Road open as soon as possible for those using the road to get to and from the Mackay area and those who want to view the eclipse from atop Trail Creek Summit. The road was badly damaged by this winter’s heavy snows.
ECLIPSE GLASSES TO BENEFIT ICL
The Idaho Conservation League is selling $2 eclipse glasses with the proceeds used to protect “the air you breathe, the water you drink and the land you love.” Buy them at www.idahoconservation.org
SET YOUR WATCH
The partial eclipse will begin at 10:12 a.m. in Sun Valley with the total eclipse beginning at 11:29 a.m.
DON’T EVEN THINK OF RENTING YOUR BACKYARD
There’s no camping within city limits, says Ketchum Police Chief Dave Kassner. You can’t rent your backyard out, although there’s nothing to stop you from pitching a tent in the backyard for your nieces and nephews should your relatives move in for the week.
AVOID THE CROWDS AND WATCH THE ECLIPSE ONLINE
Idaho Rocky Mountain Ranch is hosting eclipse viewers from Slooh.com during the eclipse and they will be live streaming the event from the ranch’s new pavilion. The Slooh.com gathering at the ranch is not open to the public, but you will be able to watch the live streaming at https://slooh.com/.
Michelle Medskll, event coordinator for slooh.com, says there are also some spots still available at Slooh's three-day festival celebrating all things Sun and Moon at the Elk Meadow campsite in Stanley. Go to the slooh website for more information.
COMBINE CULTURE WITH SUN VIEWING
Some of the best ballet dancers from around the world will perform in two shows in the Sun Valley Pavilion as part of the International Ballet on Aug. 22 and 24.
And the Wood River Valley Studio Tour is taking place Aug. 19 and 20.
“It means a lot of additional exposure, a wonderful way to share local art with new people,” said Mary Williams.
“If they’re excited, they’ll come back next year without 35,000 friends,” quipped Chuck Rumpf.
OMMMMMMM
While the logistics may seem overwhelming, take a deep breath and celebrate the moment with community.
After all, there’ll be parties with live bands at Festival Meadows and atop Baldy where the Kim Stocking Band will serenade the eclipse. The cities of Sun Valley and Ketchum are bringing in speakers to illuminate the moment.
And, when it’s all over, it won’t happen again until 2024—and the best place to watch that one will be in Cancun.
TO LEARN MORE
www.GreatAmericanEclipse.com/Statistics
www.ketchumsunvalleyeclipse2017.com
http://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/eclipse-101