A Previous Solar Eclipse

[Miles Abernathy]

The upcoming April 8 total solar eclipse reminded me of an earlier total eclipse that I was fortunate to be able to watch, courtesy of Terry Raines and T. R. Evans (and probably others). 

That eclipse happened on March 7, 1970. In advance of that date, Terry and T.R. obtained an old school bus from Thrall, Texas. They fixed it up (I helped a bit) to take down into Mexico for the event. I believe 30 of us went, and I vaguely remember that the cost was $30 each.

The bus successfully made the 1200-mile trip from Austin to Nejapa de Madero, Oaxaca, where we arrived in time and observed the spectacular eclipse with an almost cloudless sky.

As I recall, the bus had mechanical problems on the return trip. Those delays would have been catastrophic on the way to the eclipse, but didn't matter to us passengers on the return..

I visited Terry yesterday and took these snapshots of Terry and that selfsame bus that we took to Nejapa 54 years ago. The painted sign on the side of the bus has almost completely disappeared, and the bus is now used as a storage shed, but it was fun to see it again and remember that bus ride of a lifetime.

Miles Abernathy

[Mark Minton]

Terry Raines was involved with another great eclipse trip to Mexico on July 11, 1991. Several groups of people went to the west coast to see one of the longest-duration total solar eclipses at nearly 7 minutes. I was with Terry's group, which went up into the mountains to a tiny town called Estación Yago in Nayarit, which Terry had figured would be right on the line of maximum totality. We drove up through intermittent clouds, but as luck would have it, they parted just in time and we got an exceptionally good view. Some other groups had opted for the coast, but they unfortunately had cloud cover. Terry Gregston took a great photo of that eclipse, which still hangs on my wall today.

Mark Minton

[Carl Kunath]

Miles, thanks for posting that set.  History is always interesting.

How many of the participants for that March 1970 eclipse are still alive to view this next one?  Good excuse for a reunion!

===Carl Kunath

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[Miles Abernathy]

I wish someone would post photos from the actual eclipse trips and of the bus with the then-new signage.

Miles 

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[jvins...@gmail.com]

I believe that is the same bus that Bill Elliott and I took the motor out to put in his pickup on Thanksgiving 1971.  See picture on page 379 of “50 Years of Texas Caving”.  Bill or Terry can correct me if I am mistaken.

 

Jon Vinson

 

From: cav...@googlegroups.com <cav...@googlegroups.com> On Behalf Of Miles Abernathy
Sent: Tuesday, March 26, 2024 7:53 AM
To: Texascavers <cav...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: [Texascavers] A Previous Solar Eclipse

 

The upcoming April 8 total solar eclipse reminded me of an earlier total eclipse that I was fortunate to be able to watch, courtesy of Terry Raines and T. R. Evans (and probably others). 

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[Mimi Jasek]

Great history! Terry related the Mexico trip to us in one of our many visits with him years ago! Crazy stuff! I would love for participants to respond to Carl’s query as to those still with us who saw that one on the bus!

Mimi Jasek

Sent from my iPhone

On Mar 27, 2024, at 8:31 AM, jvins...@gmail.com wrote:



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