The astronomers say there will be a full lunar eclipse (also known as a blood moon) early this morning. I had gotten an email from the Davidson-Arabia Mountain Nature Center indicating they would be leading a hike to the top of Arabia Mountain (technically Bradley Mountain) for the event. Originally, I had planned to get up and drive to the nearby Little Mulberry Park and walk up to the observation plateau, but when heard of the Arabia Mountain option, it seemed a better choice.
I got up a little after three and after getting ready, I drove the 35ish minutes to Arabia Mountain. Though there was a thick cloud over overhead, I was optimistic that it might clear before the eclipse was over with. When I arrived, there were a few folks already there, but over the next twenty or so minutes it grew to a crowd of rough 125 people. Truly awesome to see this many people, including a number of teenagers, interested in something like this.
At 5:15 am, the rangers gathered everyone up and gave a quick briefing for the hike. From there, we walked through the woods and crossed the street over to a shortcut to the top. It's cold out this morning, but it seems most people, including myself prepared for it. I even brought one of my foam sleeping pads to sit on once we reached the top.
With our headlamps on, we scaled the side of the granite monadnock and quickly reached the top of the short mountain. The clouds remain and my hope of actually seeing something dwindles, but while we wait, I enjoy a number of nice conversations with fellow enthusiasts, as we brace ourselves from the cold winds.
As 6:33 am, the minute of maximum, comes and goes, we're unable to see any thing resembling the moon. We do have a nice view of the city in the distance though. I pick up my sleeping pad and walk a few yards to get a eastern facing view. Perhaps the pending sunrise will be more accommodating. A few others join me, but once again, the clouds put a damper on our plan.
With the time of sunrise, 7:03 am, now having come and gone, I pack up and head down the mountain. It's a bit disappointing, but it's still great to be outside and I do love climbing Arabia Mountain any chance I get, especially at night. I didn't do a GPS track for this one, but I suspect my distance was just over a mile. Hardly worth the effort of tracking.
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