_JFR_:
5766 We arrive in Prairie City and find a warning at the start of the dirt road to Dixie Butte - road closed in five miles!
_JFR_:
5769 The sign said 4WD vehicles were required but really it was just another dirt road with a couple of tricky spots
_JFR_:
5784 Our Toyota Corolla had no problems driving up NF2610 to Dixie Butte - but we drove slowly and carefully
_JFR_:
5791 We made it to the road closure on NF2610 just below Dixie Butte and there were already people camped there
_JFR_:
5793 Our high-clearance four-wheel-drive Toyota Corolla on Dixie Butte - ha ha - but it made it up the road
_JFR_:
5794 The barricade about a mile below the Dixie Butte summit - we hiked beyond it with our big packs
_JFR_:
5807 It's hot in the sun as we climb up the road to Dixie Butte, looking for a camping spot
_JFR_:
5815 We left the road and headed up onto the long south ridge - we figured to find a flat spot with a view
_JFR_:
5828 We set down our packs at a semi-decent spot but then hiked around looking for a better one
_JFR_:
5846 We found a fairly flat spot just big enough for the tent next to a pine tree on the eastern side of Dixie Butte
_JFR_:
5847 Vicki stayed behind while I took an empty backpack down to the car to carry up three more gallons of water
_JFR_:
5863 I finally read the rules for eclipse viewing in the Malheur National Forest - there were camping restrictions
_JFR_:
5866 As the sun began to go down the smoke clouds from distant fires made for some awesome sunset colors
_JFR_:
5907 Smoky sunset panorama looking south over Prairie City and John Day with Strawberry Mountain left of center
_JFR_:
5936 Crescent moon at sunrise with only two days left until the eclipse, from our campsite on Dixie Butte
_JFR_:
5948 Our car just beyond the barricade at Dixie Butte - we would drive to the bottom then hike back up
_JFR_:
5951 It looks light but the headlights are still on as we drive down NF2610 from Dixie Butte to Highway 26
_JFR_:
5957 Dawn on Dixie Butte - our tent is up there next to one of those small trees near the top
_JFR_:
5963 We parked the car down near Highway 26 and hiked back up to our tent to avoid traffic after the eclipse
_JFR_:
5971 Climbing a mountain on a well-plowed forest road (NF2610) in the early morning makes for an easy hike
