While Monday’s solar eclipse was visible in Grand Forks, some locals went looking for a bit of a better view.
Many locals took to looking up Monday morning around 10:20 a.m. as the solar eclipse reached its peak. In Grand Forks the eclipse was around 83 per cent, but in parts of the U.S., the eclipse reached totality.
Lee Nermo was one of several Grand Forks locals who saw the eclipse from Oregon. While visiting family in Washington, Nermo said his brother surprised him with a pair of eclipse glasses and the idea to drive three hours south to Salem, Oregon to see totality. While he wasn’t in the U.S. specifically to see the eclipse, he said he was thrilled with the idea.
Nermo said that the city of Salem (population 167,000) was absolutely packed, and it was common to see licence plates from Saskatchewan, Alberta, and even as far as California.
Nermo and family watched the eclipse from a small park, which as the eclipse drew closer, got progressively more and more crowded. It was also common to see people in parking lots around town getting ready to view the eclipse, he said.
Nermo said it was eerie to watch the sky grow dark and feel the air grow cool in the middle of a summer morning. Totality lasted for about 40 seconds, he said, during which it was completely dark but the sound of other eclipse watchers in disbelief was audible.
“It was once in a lifetime,” he said. “You can see it on TV, but like watching baseball, it’s not the same experience as being there.”
“It was also amazing to see how much the sun gives us warmth,” he added.
As for the question of whether it was worth it, Nermo said he’d do it again in a heartbeat.
“It was one of those surreal experiences. Well worth it.”