I must say that I probably did obsess a bit more about the eclipse than I should have. There were a few reasons. I wanted to see it once I heard it was passing so close to where I live and I really didn’t have any other trip planned this year. I’ve had one arm that had issues ever since a certain ice storm in January 2015 that didn’t clear up until well after a year. Then something screwed up my leg last year that caused my knee to hurt substantially until very early spring this year. I was, frankly, quite sick of being in a state where I couldn’t move around. So when news of the eclipse happened, I took it as a goal to get to the eclipse.
Then a new job presented itself in the spring and many of my plans for this summer would have to take a back seat. In addition, Tracy had her job now and we had a lot on our plate. On July 5th or 6th, I was coming home from downtown and as I stepped off the train, I noticed that the time was a minute or so before the bus would leave for Elgin. I had difficulty with running as I was wearing the pair of jeans that just didn’t fit right and wanted to slip off at any opportunity. I grabbed hold of my belt and made for the station exit as fast as I could safely do. Train stations aren’t necessarily made for speed. I made it to the exit just as the bus was pulling away. In futility, I raised my arm trying to get the attention of the driver…*POP!*…I almost buckled. What happened, I don’t know, but it was the most pain I ever remember experiencing. It was blinding. I stumbled over to the wall trying to figure out what happened to me.
What followed was a month of limping and occasional screaming. That first night was horrible, but it did get better with time. I always kept an eye towards August 21st, knowing that I wanted to ride my motorcycle down to the eclipse. I eventually felt comfortable enough to ride the bike, but it did hurt after a short time on the seat. I worried if I could make it the 6 hours down and 6 hours back.
And then it became difficult to concentrate. I haven’t taken any significant time off all year and it was telling. I just stared at maps trying to figure out where to park, where to sit, what to take on my limited storage space….By the time I was to go, I was starting to lose sleep. This was the farthest, I think, I’ve been on the bike. And yes, I was still in Illinois. Illinois is painfully long.
I originally was going to view the eclipse in Karnak, IL. I wanted to bike the Tunnel Hill Trail this year and it was located towards one end of the trail. Of course, my interest in Egyptology drove that decision more than anything. I looked at Google Maps looking for shade and bathroom facilities. I then found a state rec area just to the west of there along the trail that would have water, bathroom and other things. Then in my research, I found that it would be closed. Yeah, I could easily drive around the gate or even park the bike somewhere along the path and walk to it. Instead, I noticed some pull-offs along a nearby road. I figured it was surrounded by swamp so I might have some sense of privacy. Lots of bushes if I needed to use them for cover. And still, I looked along the trail for alternatives to park the bike if needed. I didn’t know how crowded it would really be. Best to look for even more alternatives.
Tunnel Hill. It was no more than a few houses but there is a parking area and a bathroom. I’m sure it was a horrendous facility but in a pinch, I had it there. It would also help if others were there so I could change into my shorts once I arrived. I decided that it would be my first stop. If there was parking, that is where I would be. I could also get away by going up the hill and that should provide a view of the shadow that I was expecting.
I was starting to get more nervous in the days immediately before the eclipse. I was planning to leave at 3 am which should get me there around 9 am. I then decided in my anxiety that I should probably leave at 2 am. I kept an eye on the weather forecast and it looked like I would be following some rain around Champaign and there was about a 30% chance of rain late in the evening. I should probably be home before I would worry too much about that. I was debating on whether I should go south on US45 and return back on that. It was out of the way and surface streets, but it really mattered how many other people were considering going that way. If things got bad, I could always go overland if I still had a charge on the phone to guide my way. I’ll probably wait to see how busy the expressway will be.
I woke up around midnight on the 21st and stumbled around until 2 getting everything ready and made my way south. The route was down Illinois 47 to Champaign and then I-57 all the way down. I wish there was something interesting to say about the trip down. I was travelling faster than I cared to, about 80mph. I did stop at Effingham for gas and while it was crowded, I wasn’t hampered by anything. Somewhere around Salem the traffic stopped while drivers were distracted by a crop duster but other than that…nothing to really mention. I exited at I-24 and a few miles on, I saw the exit labeled Tunnel Hill and a short trip later, I arrived at the parking area. It was already about half full at 9:30 am. I parked the bike, changed into my shorts between my bike and the truck to the other side of me and grabbed my towel and looked for a shady spot along the path to wait for about noon for my walk up the hill. To my surprise, my leg wasn't hurting me at all and all I really needed to concentrate on was getting enough water.
Not all that interesting yet….the fun stuff comes later.
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