New sights on the Kofa NWR and people too

After returning to Kofa NWR (National Wildlife Refuge) from the Colorado River I just didn’t want to leave this peaceful desert, so settled in to a nice site with a marvelous view from yard or windows.  A little close to the road but firm pack rock and no washes to cross.  Enjoyed enough rain the desert and I were both smiling happy.

I find it hard to get away from this place, I leave and return to park in a slightly different location and view.  People find me because I’m still here, or back again, which is very cool.

Turns out that a Yarnell friend was camped up a bumpy side-road further than I wanted to drive.  Good thing, as she reminded me to look at the setting crescent moon after sunset that I took a rather ‘painterly’ shot of being too lazy to get out the tripod.  We visited a few days later as she was leaving the Kofa.

As I wander around to explore my newest section of desert yard I saw flowers, mostly tiny and spread apart.  Not carpets of color but pops of purple Phacelia, aka scorpion weed that can cause irritation like poison ivy.  White daisy-like Chicory, and a yellow that was shaking in the wind so hard I couldn’t even take a decent picture to identify later.  They are growing from under other desert plants where moisture holds a little longer.

The strangest planes fly over the desert, at least strange to me.  Military jets whiz over fast and loud startling me every time.  I’m not fast enough to take a photo.  That became rather funny considering how low and slow a 4-prop whale-of-a-plane flew lazy circles, a couple times, over this portion of desert.  Some days I’ve seen a blimp high above the land to the south towards the Mexican border.  I was buzzed by a drone one afternoon, only heard it, didn’t see it.  Felt invasive.

I have exceedingly sensitive hearing and one afternoon heard a rig pull up slowly and stop along the road less than 100 feet away.  I looked out to see an old 60s Chevy van and a man walking towards me.  Turned out to be blogger Bob’s eyes.  He invited me for a ride up Kofa Queen Canyon the next afternoon.

I think that ole 4×4 Chevy could go almost anywhere, especially with Bob behind the wheel.  Here’s his version of the day.

At first the road would have been doable even for my rig, slowly enough.  But then, it got seriously jeep like.  We saw more than a few OHVs, even pulled over for some.  Probably a good thing my rig can’t get into that canyon or you’d never see me again.  The vegetation gets more dense the further up we went.

Well over 100 feet tall and could see light under the center

Then we passed all those rigs parked at Balancing Rock and continued to a side canyon, that after some serious looking at Google Maps I believe was Ten Ewe Canyon.

Presumably there’s a trail to 4877 foot Signal Peak, which was not our goal.  This was a slow walk with some boulders to negotiate looking for flowers or anything else that caught the eye.  I was happy to see moist ground, patches of grass, and many shades of green.

A few Poppies lower right

On the walk back I had to stop when becoming suddenly nauseous.  I believe I was overheated, lacked salts, and hadn’t eaten enough though I was drinking water.  A reminder to get out more and be prepared.

On the return drive, Bob stopped at Skull Rock where there was now only one OHV with a lady looking up into the hills.  I was going to be content enough to take photos from sitting inside the van.

But on the other side of the road, over 100 yards away, were several Bighorn sheep cavorting on a large boulder.  So I got out for that and zoomed in best I could.

Left green Palm Canyon, right green Signal Peak, and canyon at top right is Queen Canyon

Thanks for the delightful afternoon Bob.  BTW, I felt just fine by the next day.

The next day in camp I took photos looking back to the Kofa Mountains and Queen Canyon we’d just been in, trying to put in perspective where we were.  I love to connect the dots that way.  (In the first pic just to the left of the big Saguaro and that rocky knob is Queen Canyon to the right.  Zooming in, just left of center it’s now a double knob below a ridgeline on the next two shots and the road is barely visible to the left.)

Small Desert Star (smaller than a dime)

Also cool, is connecting with people.  One afternoon I saw a lady walking towards my camper from the road.  Turns out Jodie from Alberta reads my blog.  We stood around chatting for quite a while before the sun, and temperature, began to sink.  No photos of course, her comfortably in shorts and me layered with a jacket.

Signal Peak at the end of Palm Canyon

I love the way social media brings people together and provides information.  Because I follow the Kofa NWR FB page I saw the announcement for a Saturday morning guided walk up Palm Canyon.

Although I hadn’t been there this winter, I have hiked this 1-mile round trip trail a couple times before where I wrote about the geology and ecology.  I was happy to join 30+ other folks mostly my age and degree of aptitude lead by a recently graduated biology student working her summer internship with USFWS (US Fish & Wildlife Service).  Also along to answer questions was the volunteer host/helper for the last six winters along Palm Canyon Road.  Bound to learn something new and I wasn’t disappointed.  Did you know, Mountain Sheep can survive 3-7 days without water but fortunately the recovered herds at Kofa have developed springs to satisfy their thirst.  I’m sure those water sources are also used by other wildlife like Pronghorn, coyote, fox, mountain lion, mule deer, and more.

The trail climbs a little over some rocky terrain so I hung back to take my sweet time, and a few photos of course.  A sign points to the side canyon where the only known native Arizona Palms survive, even after a fire in 1953.  A short window, at the right time sends the afternoon sun onto the palms.  While waiting, I chatted with a Canadian couple who’d been on the walk.  Most folks had turned around.  A few continued up canyon, and a couple started to climb up the canyon with the palms.

I was happily tired upon returning to the camper and made lunch in the parking lot.

On the down-hill drive I noted several suitable campsites spaced more than comfortably apart along this rougher version of the Palm Canyon Road.  Various RV rigs including vans, motorhomes, tow-trailers, 5th-wheels, and campers like mine made their way those extra miles.  I even saw a couple tents near the very end of the road.

But I needed to take care of RV chores.  So I drove back to Quartzsite and paid $22.50 for a night at Shady Lane RV Park because otherwise it would cost $8 for a shower, $15 dump tanks, and $2 to take on water, so why not.  Even got the laundry done before leaving.  And I get electricity to charge camera batteries, phone, and laptop.  Only a weird view for one night.

I’d been watching the weather forecast and saw Monday might bring rain with over night around 46°F.  That’s not really cold.  I considered a trip to Wickenburg for mail, a trip to my hairdresser in Yarnell, and camp along Vulture Mine Road.  Instead, possible snow in Yarnell Monday sent me back to, where else this winter, Kofa NWR to another camp further up the road.  In fact I’m within sight of the end of the road and trailhead parking lot, maybe 1 1/2 miles away.  My nearest neighbors included 4-5 other campers well spread out.  The signal was iffy at best.

In the afternoon lots of cholla light up joined by Ocotillos all decorated in green and some nearby Saguaro cactus.  A few creosote bushes already heavy with buds begin to flower in yellow.

I’m guessing burro

USFWS designates dispersed campsites with consideration for the land.  Kind of like it should be anyway, and too bad there has to be rules.  All sites are close to the road but there is little traffic most of the time and only wildlife after dark.

Maybe the morning’s incoming clouds chased off the three campers further up the road, or maybe it was just time to move on.

I love to watch clouds, and these did not disappoint.  Changing faster than I could photograph throughout the day.  Way too chill and windy to just hang outside so I got my exercise getting in and out of the camper like a Stairmaster.  With only a 40% chance of rain those clouds could have taken their moisture with them.

Instead, around 2pm a few splatters fell.

Then the clouds dropped, hiding some layers of the Kofa Mountains.  The wind increased bringing a steady but not heavy rain for about an hour.

The system moved quickly from northeast to southwest.  And was suddenly gone.

Later, enough clouds hung out for a pretty yet not overly colorful sunset.

Lots of photos this week in a long post.  That’s what happens when I’m in a place for a while.  So many new sights on the Kofa NWR and I’ve barely scratched the surface of the 665,400 acres.

And now I’m feeling the pull further south by a rumor of wildflowers.  I’ll be off to Why, Arizona.  Almost as good as Nothing but has a tiny store, restaurant, and Indian Casino plus BLM boondocking in dense Sonoran Desert adjacent to Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument (where I don’t want to see the destruction by building a needless wall).

The shutter on the big Nikon is dying.  Sometimes just a long lag, sometimes nothing at all.  I turn the camera off and back on which sometimes works.  I’ve taken the battery out and back in and sometimes that works.  And sometimes, it works for a while.  Costs more to replace the shutter than the camera body is worth.  I am sad for this “Big Girl” Nikon D5100 who has served me well since 2012.  Here’s hoping she hangs in there longer as I can’t afford to replace her right now.