2023 Annular Eclipse Party
Welcome to the 2023 annular eclipse party info page. Here, you can RSVP, lern more about the location, and see packing suggestions.
Update: CLOUDS AND RAIN PREDICTED FOR OCTOBER 14.
Our event is cancelled. Sorry for the inconvenience. All bookings received will be refunded, anyone with a valid booking may still view the eclipse (unsupported) from our private property at the coordinates below.
Intro
The 2023 East Creek Annular Eclipse party will take place on October 13-15, 2023 in Christmas Valley, OR, which is around 5 hours from Portland. The annular eclipse will occur around 9:20am on Saturday, October 14.
This event is a pay-what-you-want, camping only event with very limited support resources. Please read the info below carefully. At a high level, you're coming out to the middle of desert to camp and watch the eclipse. Pack accordingly.
Children are allowed, but they may bear witness to adult behavior and language.
Arrival
We invite you to arrive on Friday afternoon and evening, to make camp and be ready for the morning eclipse on Saturday morning. Then, enjoy the day in the desert and camp overnight again, if you like. We'll provide a lunch of Cowboy Chili (GF but has meat) for everyone for free. Leave when you wish on Sunday, there's no check-out time.
Conditions
The property is on a dirt road in a dusty sage desert. We encourage 4wd vehicles if possible. You'll see 2 types of RSVP, a 4wd vehicle and a walk-in. The walk in assumes that you'll park on the public access road and be shuttled in on our rustic private road by ATV, about 1/4 mile to the property. The 4wd ticket assumes that you will bring your vehicle to the property to camp in or use for support. The road is flat and sandy/dusty, with some cinder rock added for stability. Jeeps, Subarus, Trucks, SUVs and overlanders should have no problems navigating the road. Sedans, sportsters, 2WD trucks, and 2WD vans may have issues.
IN THE CASE OF 1/2" OR MORE RAIN, THIS EVENT WILL BE OUTRIGHT CANCELLED due the the risk of stuck vehicles, a la Burning Man. Partial refunds may be given, but in no circumstances will any sunk costs (non-refundable rentals, for example) be refunded. If we are already in Christmas Valley and it rains, we will observe the eclipse from a public area with paved road access.
What to Expect
You will receive two emails leading up to the event- one reminder and one confirmation with any applicable weather info.
Each RSVP is per vehicle. Chili will be provided to the first 2 people per vehicle. (we're cooking chili assuming an average of 2 people/vehicle. We think this will average out nicely but we're not sure. If you bring more than 2 people in 1 vehicle, just bring some extra food.)
Property Location
Eclipse Path
Packing List and Driving Directions
The property is located at coordinates: 43.287275, -120.476086
From Christmas Valley town (where the Chevron is), travel east 7.5 miles on Christmas Valley Highway
Turn Left on Fossil Lake Road, continue 2.6 miles
Turn Right on the power line transmission road which is .1 mile to the north of Sams Road. There is a house on the corner (there's no house on Sam's Road) and large wooden powerline poles stretch into the distance, to the East.
Follow the power line transmission road 2.0 miles, turn left at the East Creek signs.
Follow the dirt track/cinder road to its end to find the party!
(non-4wd vehicles may want to stop at the pawer line transmission road and walk or mule shuttle the last .2 miles to the party.
Packing List
Remember, Christmas Valley is a dusty environment!
Required
-Sturdy tent or sleep in vehicle. It's windy in the desert.
-Sleeping bag or system good to 32F
-Water, 2 gal/person/day for drinking, washing, cooking
-All food except Saturday Chili lunch
-All beverages. Alcohol is OK but BYO and don't furnish to minors.
-Flashlight and backup flashlight (don't forget batteries!)
-Sun protection
-Eclipse Glasses or other eclipse viewing protection (you NEED this)
-Shoes and sandals. Be prepared for a big temperature swing.
-Lawn Chair or blanket to sit on
-Poop bucket
Yes! You might have to poop in a bucket! It's not that bad, and you can buy a toilet seat for this cheaply at Bi-Mart or the like. Get some sturdy plastic bags, a bag of kitty litter, and a 5 gal bucket. You'll put some kitty litter in the bucket for each use, and (legally) throw the sealed, double bag away in the garbage can. If we get $1,000 or more of revenue for this party, we'll rent a tow-in port-a-potty.
optional:
-dust mask
-dust glasses or ski goggles
-party items
-kites
-toys and games
-burning man sculptures and costumes
-art supplies