The eclipse had a convenient start time, so there was no need for an early rising. We had one more breakfast in the dugout, before pulling one of the air mattresses out to watch the eclipse. There was a smoke layer in the west but far enough not to be a factor.
It started like any full or partial eclipse with an ever increasing crescent moon blocking the sun. Some had telescopes, and people were kind enough to share them. So we saw sunspots on the sun really well, both around the equator, and in the higher latitudes. Dappled shadows started to show crescent effects; you could also make a pinhole with your hand, and see the same thing. Eventually it started to get cooler, but before 80-90% coverage, it would have been hard to tell that anything unusual was happening. We saw the diamond ring effect, and were able to remove our glasses.
I cannot come up with any clever words to describe the next 2 minutes. It was not really nighttime dark, but rather crepuscular. But the sun (or rather the moon) became a deep black, and the sun's corona became visible extending several diameters away from the sun. I saw some bright objects, most likely some planets, but with only 2 minutes, there is not much time to pay attention to everything. Then the diamond ring effect appeared again, and it was over. Even though it's a quick event, the sight is remarkable, and well worth the effort to travel to see one. It took a while to get warmer. People started packing (actually some had already packed before it started).
In the afternoon, we hiked around Strawberry Lake, a hike not far from Prairie City, but parking at the trail head was tight. A great hike too, although everything was pretty dusty.
Most eating places were closed when we got back, but we found a hotel where we were able to get a sandwich and a cider. Back at the campground, only a few remained for the night.