After rockin’ in the wind a few nights in Congress it felt like time to move further south to Saddle Mountain, where there’s good rockin’ with boondock options and views.
Was really nice to have the battery and solar controller issues taken care of and I even mounted the controller on the wall. Nice easy to read LED screen and when the sun goes down the controller turns off so no blinking lights overnight wasting energy. With everything charged I was back to keeping the phone and laptop batteries topped up.
Rode to Prescott with Joann one day so she could pick up some ordered plugs for her charging system. Seemed to be a week of dealing with energy. We came back over the Bradshaw Mountains on the gravel Copper Basin Road where there are trees, tiny patches of snow—as much as I want to see—and even a little ice on the puddles.
Stopped at the Skull Valley post office for my mail, thanks for the Christmas cards including a “Secret Santa”. Also made a quick dash into my 5th-wheel for mom’s pie-maker. A blast from the past when Joann brought out her pie-maker, a wonderful way to make desert while camping. My mom would put canned pie filling between two slices of buttered bread, then with a kitchen mitt or glove on, hold the maker over the campfire. Joann and I did it on the stove instead. I’ve also made cheese sandwiches and even leftovers though it’s only a little blob of filling.
Another day we took a drive further along the nearby gravel road to the mining town of Stanton and Octave. There’s a few renovated buildings and lots of RV parking with and without hookups for modern miners. Plus there’s private land around with mining equipment of various sorts I know little about. It’s a different kind of rockin’ than I ever got into.
More gorgeous rockin’ hillsides of Saguaro cactus.
At Octave, we had to make a decision. Or so read the sign.
For several days and nights the wind blew hard enough to rock the camper. I spent much time indoors writing, reading, and labeling photos from November 2020. Yes I am that far behind, and just keep taking more.
Yet with the wind coming from the northeast it seemed a good time to roll to the south with a tail-wind most of the way. Left Congress about 10:30am headed to Wickenburg with a stop at North Ranch on the way to dump and fill tanks. After a grocery stop continued south on Vulture Mine Road across some pretty and desolate desert highway. Did see some side roads that might hold promise for future camps.
As we approached the dispersed camping north of Saddle Mt, parked Joann’s rig on the shoulder and explored in my truck to check out the road conditions. It’s gravel and at first smooth but as the road rises slowly towards the feet of the mountains becomes rockier, yet still doable.
Found a nice camp far enough from neighbors, big enough for two and settled in with a marvelous view.
The wind that pushed us there calmed enough to do a little rockin’ and we were treated to a colorful sunset.
Saddle Mountain rises up to 3037 feet in elevation, about 1500 feet above the desert floor. The rugged shapes formed about 24-36 million years ago during massive volcanic activity with basalt lava flows and cinders capped with ash flow and fall. Erosion created cliffs, spires, and buttes tinted by andesite (grayish), rhyolite (pinks), and basalt of dark gray to black. I’ll bet that caused some “rockin’” time around here.
The next day dawned clear with clouds increasing throughout the day.
Short walks from camp produced lots of rocks in our pockets.
Along with this period of volcanism, hot water saturated with silica and iron oxide repeatedly filled cracks and bubbles in the surrounding rock. Once lithified (turned into rock) the resulting quartz specimens produced crystals and chalcedony (sometimes called desert roses) that occasionally show an iridescent rainbow of colors called fire agates. The adularescence, or Schiller effect, is caused by alternating silica and iron oxide layers diffracting light.
We sat oohing and aahing over the rocks with a hand lens. I actually got one tiny pinky-fingernail sized piece that shows fire.
I vaguely remember my first visit to Saddle Mt during the winter of 1996 and think the area hadn’t been picked over so much then and the rockin’ was better as I filled five-gallon buckets.
Ocotillo Chuparosa Christmas Cholla cactus
The following day held clear blue skies, light southern wind, and 72° that beckoned outdoors. A walk up the road closer to the mountains revealed several campsites with only a few occupied. I told myself no rockin’ until the walk back to camp. Of course impossible. Yet I was also distracted by the landscape, plants, and view. The most prevalent plant is the creosote bush sending out roots to clone itself into a big family and lending good locations for the burrows of small mammals. The three converging washes in the area, known as the Palo Verde foothills, create lush stands of mesquite, ironwood, and Palo Verde trees.
The Saguaro cactus can grow at least 30 feet over time and are seen in various states of life and death.
They provide a nice roost for local birds of prey like copper and sharp-shinned hawks, prairie falcons, and golden eagles. Not sure what we saw as the images are out of focus.
Yet all desert life isn’t tall or obvious. The lime-green (no bigger around than an egg), ashy-gray, and orange lichen forms a symbiotic relationship with the dark rock varnish formed by manganese oxidation.
Joann returned to camp before me and I continued sauntering to a four-way then turned around and about half way back saw her driving toward me. We returned to the four-way and explored the right turn that quickly ended in a place for day-use folks to park while out rockin’.
Another right turn stopped us quick as the “road not taken” so we turned around. I am glad Joann likes to explore the backroads.
We took a round about drive to the town of Tonopah (population 59) where google indicated no services except the post office. We looped the parking lot at El Dorado Hot Springs that didn’t look any more appealing than the lousy TripAdvisor reviews. There are three fuel station options at the Tonopah freeway exit, one with a Subway where we had a late lunch. Drove past the chicken farm that draws the abundance of flies when there’s no wind.
And saw a different perspective of Saddle Mt with a most obvious “saddle”.
Wind slowed enough for a campfire that night. Later we used our pie-makers, with cherry filling, on my stove top, cleaner than sticking them in the flames. And we talked about another outing for the next day to look for petroglyphs, kind of another form of rockin’.
Good to hear from you. I’m hoping to make it to Saddle Mountain before heading home. Beautiful photos. Last time the flies ran me off. Hope not this time.
Thanks. Had one day of bad flies. Guess it depends on which way the wind blows, or if it blows.
Great photos and a nice story to go with them. I am rocking in the wind over south of Quartzsite, and its really a rockin here. Sun has not come up yet, so I dont know if my chair and table are still around. I prepared other things for this windstorm, and should have done more. I too will be inside reading and photo processing today.
Take care.
Thanks. There’s barely any wind here this morning but I have had to search for a blown chair before. Seems it ALWAYS blows around Quartzsite during winter.
Almost always learn something when I read your posts. Thanks.
Comfortably situated in Sun City West until tomorrow, then…. ?
Glad to hear that. When I quit learning, I’m dead. Come on south and go exploring.
Yet another great selection of photos. Love the views, the skies and the rocks but it was the ‘pie makers’ that caught my eye. I have two of them from Rhodesian days. We simply called them sandwich makers and I have Only ever used them as such. I must look into using them for a dessert. A new idea for me. Don’t think you can buy pie fillings here but I can make my own.
Keep safe and keep warm. Hugs Diane and Nigel.
Thanks. I’ve put all kinds of leftovers in my pie-maker. A talented cook like you should have no problem making pie filling, or use preserves.
We had a couple of those things you are calling pie makers but ours were sandwich size and square. I have no idea what happened to them. Those cactus growing in all those rocks are amazing. I love those pictures. I’ll bet it would be some ankle twisting/breaking to try to climb up there. Your new spot at Saddle Mountain with its views and sunsets looks wonderful. I always felt guilty taking rocks from their home. I envy you having your friend to share it all with.
I’ve seen the square makers also. Climbing those boulders, the size of dog houses or larger, would require more endurance than I have. I love looking at Saddle Mt, even though the wind is rocking today. I don’t take all the rocks I gather. However, on BLM we are allowed 25 pounds, plus one rock of 25 pounds.
Nice collecting — rocks and scenery (thanks for sharing). Love the cacti-covered hills. And the pie-maker which I’ve never heard of or seen but love and envy. (I don’t really need one more thing to store, but that doesn’t mean anything when you fall in love with a new gadget ;>)
Thanks. I am surprised you didn’t camp with a pie-maker long ago. The new ones are a cheap cast aluminum where as my mom’s is cast iron.
Wonderful pictures as always. I am so glad you and Joann are hanging out together. She needs that. Very, very windy here in Havasu Landing. 40 plus miles an hour. It blew all night and supposed to blow all day. Not fun. I am in the campground where I can stay warm with my electric heater and be near my friends. I’d rather be up in the high desert but thought being down here would be better. Too many people though. I’m not far from the laundry so can walk over there….and to the showers.
Thanks. We are having fun. Blowing hard today and rocking the camper. Enjoy your visits.
I love the piemaker. Agree that doing it over stove would work better than over a fire.
I also love your explorations. I love getting out and seeing stuff. The back roads beckon me. Back on my pipeline construction days I was always checking out the remote byways.
I find amazing all the gadgetry that goes into keeping you powered up. Looks like you got your issues solved.
It looks like you are having a good time. Keep on geotrucking!!
Makes great pies. Life is about experiences, as you know. I do try to keep the glamping life simple yet comfortable. It’s a fine balance.
Such lovely rocks and cactus views. Clouds make for wonderful variety to enjoy! The Saquaro skeletons are always so interesting to me. Haven’t seen Desert Roses since our explorations in the Turtle Mountains west of Parker, AZ. They were favorites of my mom’s. Hope you’re staying warm in this cold snap!
Saddle Mt is nice. Not really cold but the wind could almost blow me over.
Awesome rock collection you gathered while rock’n the desert. wind gusts were over 50 mph in the high desert here. That’s a lot of wind! Glad your rigs survived!
Thanks. Wind has been brutal all day rock’n the camper.
Wow what an exciting journey Gaelyn !! fantastic pics especially of the rocks which is one of my passions. The rocks you explain around saddle mountain especially, I love basalt especially when some pottery has been made from it. I am also very interested in petroglyphs and would love to be able to translate some of them which have been found. Glad you are enjoying your retirement or should i say Semi-retirement. Take care and have a great weekend.
Thanks. I’ve never seen pottery made from basalt but can imagine the crushed rock being used for color/glaze. Will share the local petroglyphs next week. Many have tried to translate and sometimes even the decedents can’t figure it out.
Campfires and pie makers sound wonderful! The winds not so much, although I think I would choose wind in the desert over freezing fog, which I will choose next year. One January here in Grants Pass is enough! Loved seeing your rock collection, and the saguaros on the rocky hillsides were amazing. I think most everyone out there is talking about wind, although it seems that Sue Bidniak had some nice weather all the way south by Yuma. Or at least I thought so until she posted videos of wind. Sheesh! I would love some wind around here to blow out the daily air quality notifications that seem to be a permanent fixture. Although they don’t hide the blue skies and I am not sure exactly where the pollution is located unless I look far into the distance toward the hills. Take care.
Calm this morning and predicted high 63°. Next year, the desert.