Solar eclipse journal: Getting ready for the sun to go away in the Lower Hudson Valley

It has been talked about, hyped about — and ignored by some. But Solar Eclipse Day arrived with partly cloudy skies in the Lower Hudson Valley and a promise that those who get excited about things like this will have a story to tell.

The eclipse won't be total in the Lower Hudson Valley, but rather approaching 90%, and the forecast called for the most sun coverage at 3:25 p.m.

Those who waited till this morning to pay attention were scrambling, popping on social media wondering where to get last-minute eclipse glasses. Others were boarding a train headed north to the path-of-totality zone.

The New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services activated its emergency operations center to support law enforcement when called upon. Someone on homeland security's social-media team had a sense of humor, suggesting that, along with eclipse glasses, New Yorkers "pack your patience."

Syracuse bound on eclipse day

Maeve Ryan, 18, a Syracuse University student from Yorktown, was up early and at Croton-Harmon train station. Fortified with a large Dunkin' iced coffee, she was about to take the 8:03 a.m. train back to campus after a weekend home. Her afternoon class has been canceled so students can watch the eclipse.

"I didn't realize it was such a big deal, but everyone is excited, especially up there. We're in the path of totality or whatever," Ryan said. "There are some parties going on for it, which is kinda fun."

Jason Won, 25, of Mount Kisco, and Grace Pan, 23, of Mountain View, California, were on the platform at Croton-Harmon, too, headed to Syracuse. But they are eclipse day-trippers.

Said Won: "I wasn't really interested, it really wasn't on my radar, and then I saw online, people are saying it's a life-changing event. I sort of didn't believe it, but the more people said it, the more I was like, 'Well, all these people are saying it, there's no way it's going to be true, but I gotta see it for myself.' So that's why I decided to go.'"

"I've seen partial eclipses before," Won said. "They were pretty cool. Nothing really, like, life-changing. So I'm really hoping for something big."Pan said they had chargers for all their devices. She packed a book, Wendell Berry's "The Unsettling of America" (about the state of agriculture in the U.S.), but also brought her crocheting along for the nearly 6 hour ride. She's making a bucket hat.

As soon as they see the eclipse, they plan to head south, taking a Greyhound bus to Manhattan and then Metro-North back to Mount Kisco, as Amtrak had no eclipse-friendly round-trips scheduled. All told, Won said transportation alone would set them each back just over $100.

Part work day, part party

As Amtrak sent daytrippers and a college student north, commuters were Manhattan bound. From the sounds of it, productivity might take a hit from about 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. today.

Henry Donahue, from Croton-on-Hudson, works in Times Square, but he and his co-workers will take a break in the early afternoon to step out onto their balcony and look skyward during an eclipse party.

"We've got all the glasses lined up, everything," he said. "If you can have the chance to see something like this, only happens once in a lifetime, you gotta get out there and see it."

Charlie Guidarelli, of Cortlandt Manor, called the eclipse a "historical moment" as he waited for his train to Grand Central.

"A lot of people are going crazy trying to find these glasses," he said. "Our building is handing them out. It's going to be a great time. A lot of people are going to get blinded today, so do your best to stay safe."

Last-minute panic in Carmel

There was some last-minute panic in Carmel, where school officials sent an email to parents on Sunday, alerting them that PTO-provided solar eclipse glasses at the Kent Primary and Elementary schools may not be safe for viewing the eclipse.

Families were told not to let their kids use them, as they are not included in a list of approved glasses. The warning was tweeted on Monday. Carmel schools are closed today, as a makeup for unused emergency closure/snow days.

"The Solar Eclipse glasses provided by the KES and KPS PTOs may not be safe for viewing the solar eclipse," the tweet read. "They are not on a list of approved glasses. Do not use them. KES and KPS parents/staff see your email for more."

To be safe for viewing, glasses should be ISO rated 12312-2, filter for direct observation of the sun.

At the parking lot of Mount Kisco Target, it was business as usual on eclipse day. Shoppers navigated the parking lot, loaded groceries into their cars and returned shopping carts.

Andrew B. was on his regular 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. shift, corraling shopping carts in the parking lot.

He didn’t know when the eclipse would start, but said he would probably “take a peek” when it’s time. Then he looked directly at the sun through his sunglasses.

Your honor, may we be excused?

Outside the Westchester County Courthouse in White Plains, a juror heading in at 1:30 p.m., Monday, said that her entire jury plans to step outside after 3 p.m. to see the eclipse — with a judge’s permission, of course.

“We asked the judge. I’m really excited that we have some sun and will be able to see it,” said the juror, who did not think she should identify herself because, well, she’s on a jury.

But Kim Kirklin, a courthouse clerk, said she was likely to miss the eclipse. She’ll be working.

“I’ll be working on my computer, and my office has no windows,” she said.

Stripers and the eclipse

Some were taking the day in stride.

Dylan Lebo from Pleasantville and Alex Goldsmith from Cold Spring decided to make a day of it as they fished the Hudson River while waiting for the eclipse in Tarrytown's Pierson Park.

"We just came out here to hopefully catch a couple of stripers — we caught one already — and see the eclipse," Lebo said midmorning.

Goldsmith said he thought the Hudson waterfront park would be more crowded than they found it, hours before the eclipse. He said they'd likely have to take a lunch break, and wasn't sure if they'd still be out there with their rods by the time the moon did its thing. But he thought the spot made for perfect viewing.

Goldsmith had glasses in his pocket. "When the sky gets dark, we'll be ready," he said.

Lebo's glasses — he brought two pairs — were still in the car, but he said he was a bit dubious about them. "My mom got them online," he said.

In Yonkers, a peaceful view, a memory captured

The pigeons had Esplanade Park in Yonkers to themselves at about noon on eclipse day, hours before the big event.

The riverside sidewalks with commanding views of the Palisades and the George Washington Bridge were almost empty about three hours ahead of eclipse viewing time.

People walked by sporadically, stopping for a moment to take in the view. The sun blazed, warming the concrete as wispy clouds passed overhead: perfect eclipse-viewing weather.

It was quiet at the waterfront, peaceful even, all anticipation.

Then activity picked up a bit, with some people claiming their viewing spots.

One man, Norman Derin, sat alone with his Sony camera, ready to take photos of the disappearing sun.

The retired truck driver said "photography is my passion.”

Derin has witnessed eclipses in the past, but when he was much younger.

“That was in the 60s. Nobody that I knew had something to look on (to remember) afterwards.”

Over the years, Derin got into photography for himself, in part so that he could record his memories — including special moments like this one. At 68, he’s not sure if he’ll have the opportunity to experience another eclipse, so it was especially important for him to get out and photograph this one.

Set to sparkle

Meanwhile, 15 miles to the south of that quiet spot on the waterfront, at least one iconic New Yorker was ready to shine.

The Empire State Building’s tower lights were set to sparkle in white for the duration of the total solar eclipse — from 2:10 to 4:40 p.m.

And much farther north

In the Adirondacks along route 30 North in Franklin County early Monday, folks were beginning to grab parking spots along the side of the road, sitting around picnic tables on a bright, crisp, spring day — next to snow-covered embankments.

Traffic was light along 30 North's two lanes but bathrooms were crowded at gas stations. Parking was scarce in towns along Long Lake.

At Tupper Lake, about 40 minutes west of Lake Placid, a line of cars waited to get into the 115-acre Wild Center, where a "Total Solar Eclipse Festival" has led up to a sold-out viewing of Monday's eclipse. The eclipse is big business along the path of totality, with Adirondack locales hoping to cash in on a crush of sun gazers.

The Wild Center's weekend included glass-blowing, commemorative eclipse tattoos, live music, events with animals, food trucks and make-your-own-pinhole-viewer workshops.

Monday arrived bright and crisp, with a few clouds, but great visibility.

The Wild Center in Tupper Lake was expecting more than 4,500 visitors, which would represent the single-largest attendance in its history. On Sunday, 2,000 visitors passed through the gates. By noon, visitors were scoping out prime viewing spots along a small lake outside the museum.

Rhonda, Valerie and Regina ride the wave

Part of that wave of eclipse tourists? Rhonda Griffin, Valerie Temple and Regina DiLella, friends who took a tour bus from Albany.

"Valerie invited me for a very special birthday today because of the eclipse," Griffin said.

"Oh my goodness I didn't know that," DiLella said. "Now, we've got some celebrating to do."

They'd staked out a spot on a bridge that crosses the lake before heading off to take in the center's eclipse-related exhibits.

Griffin was sporting a bright blue and yellow track suit for her 63rd birthday, bright enough so her friends wouldn't lose her.

"I've got a very loud suit on so don't leave me behind," she joked.

An Olympic viewing party

About 40 minutes to the east, in downtown Lake Placid, by noon Monday hundreds of sky watchers had descended on the Olympic skating oval in front of Lake Placid High School, a stone's throw from the arena where the 1980 "Miracle on Ice" occurred.

The track has been cleared of last week's snow, making it a perfect viewing position for today's eclipse. The mood was celebratory, with people setting up chairs and their dogs getting to know each other. Food trucks were set up and music blared from the PA, including, of course: Bonnie Tyler's 1983 hit, "Total Eclipse of the Heart."

One observer noted a lack of the merchandise that would typically attend such an event. Lake Placid's eclipse pilgrims will have to settle for Olympics swag.

As the day wore on, people found the sun on the snow irresistible. A game of Frisbee broke out in the middle of the ice oval.

"It’s like Woodstock, but in the snow," one observer said.

On Haverstraw Bay, glasses at the ready awaiting a crowd

About a dozen eclipse-viewing small groups were setting up at Haverstraw Bay Park around noon Monday.

Rockland County park rangers said they expect a big crowd and have 500 pairs of eclipse glasses to hand out. More than 30 people queued up to get the required glasses.

Al and Cheryl Rodriguez of New City got to the park around 11 a.m. and were prepared to stay for the duration, with a cooler packed with a couple of Italian heroes, deli salads from DeCicco's and bottles of water.

Cheryl Rodriguez brought her latest crochet project — a baby blanket for a family friend — to keep busy during the wait for the big show.

“We forgot how nice this park is,” Al Rodriguez said.

Every one of Haverstraw Bay Park's 300 parking spots were taken by 2:30 p.m., and rangers were down to their last box of 25 as the moon's shadow began to nibble at the sun's lower right quadrant by 2:10 p.m.

A dad's priorities in Nyack

In Nyack, Chris Yord pushed his toddler, Mateo, along Main Street in the late morning, with a definite plan for the afternoon's celestial event.

"We're probably going to stay inside and sleep," the dad said. "It's his nap time. ... His nap time is our nap time."

Little Mateo can afford to sleep through this eclipse. He'll be in his mid-twenties when the next total solar eclipse spans most of the U.S., on August 12, 2045.

Observations as the sun went away

In Chestnut Ridge, May Herbert Neils donned her eclipse glasses and looked skyward.

"Already feel the air get a bit cooler," she said. "The quality of the light around me has become more grey."

An hour into the eclipse, it was noticeably cooler.

The moon, which we're accustomed to seeing regularly as a crescent, had rendered the sun a crescent.

At Haverstraw Bay, friends Alexa Ramirez, 13, Kaitlyn Fasano, 11, and Lia Fasano watched the eclipse along a freshwater pond. The girls attend Felix Festa Middle School in Clarkstown, which didn't let out school early. But they and many other students got their parents' permission to leave early.

Just as the girls were absorbed in watching the moon move over the sun, they heard a splash. A fish had jumped up from the pond and then re-submerged, leaving ripples in its wake.

“This is really cool,” Alexa said. “It’s our first time being able to experience it and remember.”

Tania Savayan, Gary Stern, Nancy Cutler, Tom Zambito, Seth Harrison, Peter Carr, Frank Becerra Jr., and Samantha Antrum contributed to this report.Reach Peter D. Kramer at pkramer@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Westchester, Rockland, Hudson Valley NY prepare for solar eclipse 2024