Dusty 65th birthday camping along Cow Creek Road with flowers

In late February Joann and I took a day drive to explore around the west side of Lake Pleasant finding the perfect views along Cow Creek Road and marked the map thinking to return and camp.  What a difference a month makes.

Because 65 years ago I was born in an Illinois snow storm but now live in Arizona, I like to run away where it’s unlikely to snow and experience the warm temperatures and flowers of spring in the desert.  Mornings were barely cool and days reached the mid 80s.  Delightful to thaw out after the winter in Yarnell.

Sunday morning we finished the last minute packing in our individual rigs and rendezvoused in front of Joann’s place in town.  Sierra and I hadn’t been out since January’s trip to Kofa for the lunar eclipse.  This was a shakedown cruise for Joann’s RV after recently having some work done.

I followed her down Yarnell Hill to Wickenburg for a quick grocery stop then continued to the second left turn for Castle Hot Springs Road.  After five miles of pavement to the second possible park entrance on the right, we turned left and continued off pavement to Cow Creek Road on the right.  Although some rigs were leaving there was still a lot of traffic with rows of OHVs kicking up dust too thick to easily see through.  Drivers and passengers wore goggles, helmets, and cloth over their faces, gloved hands gripped the wheel and no skin showed through.  With windows up and AC on we crept along.  Eventually Joann waved me in front to find a camp.

OMG!, I thought.  It’s Spring break.  What kind of dusty Hell was I leading us into?  For six miles we slowly crawled up and down and curved around on the well graded gravel past OHV camping, out of the “park”, and on to BLM with no options for boondock.  I kept looking for that view we’d experienced on our previous visit and finally found it with a raised and dusty wide place not far enough off the road esthetically but would have to work.  I stopped and motioned Joann to park watching the right front tire lift completely off the ground going up but nothing in the rear scraped.  After she chose her almost level place I pulled in along the far edge and leveled up with boards.

Chairs out in the limited afternoon shade and we had camp.  Along with much dusty entertainment, great views, and a signal too.  I texted a map to Sandee who would be joining us Tuesday.

A hillside climb created by OHVs provided 360° views.

And there were patches of flowers scattered around.  Lots of blue lupines, interspersed with deep magenta owls eye clover with its tiny dots of bright yellow, some blue/purple scorpion weed, a few orange poppies, and one white desert chicory.

Joann set up her easel and caught the basic view with her watercolors in the late afternoon light.

We could see flowers over an edge on the west but it was way too steep for a late walk and intensely bright as there were no clouds so there was also not a colorful sunset.  After dinner we sat outside wrapped in blankets and watched the sky, Big Dipper, Orion, and Cassiopeia.

Shooting all afternoon with the big Nikon I looked at the photos on my laptop that night and was terribly disappointed with the lack of crispness.  Don’t know if it’s me or the camera but I have been shooting with this for seven years, and that’s a lot of clicks.

The next day I changed to my small mirrorless Nikon, which I’m not really happy with but was hoping the pics might be sharper.  Ha.  Also used my cell phone camera.

In the morning we ventured down the bank via the most gradual place we could find, tip toeing between the glowing jumping cholla and all the little balls of trouble on the ground.  Joann got one stuck to her pants and was reaching for it with her fingers when I yelled stop then grabbed it off between two small rocks.

Such a delightful cactus garden with patches of blooming colors.  Predominantly lupine and clover plus yellow daisy-like Brittlebush, and a blue flower on a tall stem I guessed is wild onion.

I hadn’t let Sierra out the day before, so after our walk I got brave and just left the camper door open.  She was so good.  Did a little exploring never out of sight and mostly just hung out in the shade watching the world.  Plus she visited inside Joann’s RV.

The rest of the day was primarily moving our chairs around the rigs to sit in the shade and just enjoy, share stories, and laugh.  Still a few dust devil OHVs but not like the race of the day before.  I took a short warm walk in the late afternoon adding splashes of orange Globe Mallow to compliment the blue lupines.

After a soft pastel sunset we both called it an early evening.

And because of that I woke up in time for a colorful sunrise.  First peaked out the window then drug myself out of bed.  A delightful way to start my new year.

Another day mostly just hanging out in camp searching for elusive shade.  Wandering on whim.

Occasionally heard a donkey serenade, “HeeHaw, heehawheehaw, heehawwww.”  Searching hillsides with the binoculars Joann finally found the lone guy.  Look closely in the middle.

Sandee arrived just after noon and much white knuckling on the gravel hilly drive in.  We shared strawberry shortcake for my birthday.  Then Joann left about 2:30pm.

We sat around catching up since our last adventure in Valley of Fire.  Sandee has met up with me before to celebrate my birthday.  Truly, the biggest excitement of the day was Sandee’s sighting of a Gartersnake.

By the next day my sunburned face ached and I felt hot, dusty, tired, and ready to head home.  So I lead the way out at noon and Sandee did much better on this drive.

1 1/2 hours later, camper backed into the driveway to unpack.  Enjoyed a spectacular sunset like hoped for out on the desert.  Yet all in all, I had a marvelous time.  Another birthday put to bed with great friends in a beautiful place.