Just in case some are interested here. Here are the shots I took both on the way out and at the observing site. You can see the smoke cloud is moving to the north and had no bearing on observing. Unless you waited for Ursa Major to get down near the horizon and you wanted to observe M81/82, M101 etc. Then the smoke would have interfered. Oh, forgot to mention. Mizar and Alcor were an easy visual split last light. I'm also working on a list that Brian Skill at Lowell keeps on visual naked eye observations. I posted the list on my Google Docs and you need the link to see it. It is here: Naked Eye Observing List https://docs.google.com/file/d/0Bz7NMp82LdUbVHpxSkx6R1VBRzQ/edit?usp=sharing I have seen M6, M7, M8, M11, M13, M15, M16, M17, M16, M17, M20, M24, M31, M33, M35, M36, (I haven't tried for M37 or M38), M41, M42, M44, M45, M46, M47, M48, M81 I am not sure 100% so I don't count it but others have seen it; NGC 1499 California Nebula with a UHC or H-Beta filter held to the eye. H-Beta was the better view for me; NGC 2244 Rosette Open Cluster, need the UHC or OIII Filter to see the nebula naked eye; NGC 5139 Omega Cen.; NGC 869 & 884. That's enough for now. More to do.
From the Observing Site Patch Springs Fire Photo's
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f203/ArathornJax/2013-08-11202536_zps2ab6d... http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f203/ArathornJax/2013-08-11202532_zpsdfb6d... http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f203/ArathornJax/2013-08-11202523_zps25301...
From the Pony Express Marker at Faust
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f203/ArathornJax/2013-08-11195905_zpsdfd43...