Boondocking and birds at Mittry Lake

Left the Sonoran Desert on my birthday, March 26, spent one night at Owl, and then Yuma before heading to Mittry Lake.  I am excited to be boondocking by water!

Lupine along SR85

After two weeks boondocking on the Sonoran Desert, and five months without a water fix, I decided it was time for a change, like Mittry Lake.  As I was packing to roll, the door to the camper wouldn’t open.  There’s been problems with this 27-year old rig and the sagging door is only one.  Finally managed to pry the door open and then took a piece off the bottom of the frame, and viola, now it opens and closes.  Sometimes I amaze myself.  I even took a short video.

Driving through Ajo I saw a sign for home-made tamales for sale and hit the brakes.  Oh yum.  Bought six pork with red sauce for $20.  If you think that’s expensive, you’ve never made tamales.  Years ago I helped make traditional Christmas tamales and now I understand.

I popped right into the camper and enjoyed a delicious tamale birthday brunch.

Then drove north about an hour to Gila Bend to dump and fill tanks for free before hitting Interstate 8 west for a familiar one night stop below the Mohawk Mountains.

Spent the afternoon replying to birthday wishes online.  Thank you all.  Oh so nice sitting below a tower and having great signal with a beautiful view.

And enjoying the evening light before my favorite pizza dinner and strawberry shortcake for desert.

Leaving camp in the morning I decided to drive the Historic 80 west—at least as far as I could—towards Yuma.  And I finally got to see Owl, Arizona, or at least what’s left of it.

This wrecking yard is loaded with old RVs, trucks, buses, and cars.  I only parked on the shoulder to take photos but will keep it in mind for parts.  Sadly I didn’t see any slide-in campers like mine.

Tacna AZ

I continued west at a comfortable 55mph, barely any traffic, and better pavement than the within sight interstate.  I need to backroad more often as I really dislike the pressure of driving interstates.  Colfred, Tacna, Noah, Asher—mostly a few abandoned buildings with lots of farmland—and Wellton where I stopped at a small RV Park for the best price seen for propane.  Another few miles to Ligurta and no choice but return to interstate for the last mountain pass west into Imperial Valley and the Yuma sprawl.

The slow road put me behind getting to Yuma where I shopped at Wally’s and finally got to Joann’s by 1pm.  She had lunch made, chicken, green beans, and salad.  But the best part, she made me fudge for my birthday, lots of fudge, months worth of fudge.  Took a shower and while doing laundry we watched an interesting documentary about owls.

Was getting too late in the afternoon to look for a campsite at the unfamiliar Mittry Lake so I spent the night at the VFW-BLM and it’s a little less crowded in March but still noisy.

After a few more chores in town I took a slow drive north on Laguna Dam Road in search of a camp near water at Mittry Lake.  Twenty-six years ago I learned about boondocking here while caravanning with another nomad.  Earlier this winter, Joann and I drove out to the lake.

I stopped at the historic sluiceway gate used to hold back silt and built by the Bureau of Reclamation after the 1909 completion of the Laguna Dam. Water diverted from the Colorado River is used for agricultural irrigation in Yuma.  If you eat greens in the USA, they likely came from Yuma.

After nine miles the pavement ends and the gravel road is doable even for a small car.  I followed the shoreline of Mittry Lake and saw a few choice camps right on the water, all full and also right along the road.  There are day use areas, a boat launch, a few gravel two tracks going uphill away from Mittry Lake, and a parking lot camp.  None of those appealed to me.  So I kept on driving and took video along the way.

After three miles of gravel I found another boat launch including a dock for small fishing boats and kayaks, and a handful of boondockers respectfully spaced apart.  Perfect.

Almost immediately I saw an Egret in flight.

Later when out for an evening walk I saw a plague/group of Great-tailed Grackles roosting and soaring.

How special to watch a reflection at sunset on Mittry Lake.

You know while boondocking near the Cargo Muchacho Mountains this winter I was missing birds and fortunately I saw some birds later in the Sonoran Desert.  Mallards and Coots swimming, hummingbirds hanging out with flowering creosote, and all the time Osprey soaring over Mittry Lake in the hopes of spotting and catching a fish.  Only saw one drop and splash once but I wasn’t fast enough to get photos.

Took a walk to the only Saguaro within sight through desert of Palo Verde, Mesquite and giant creosote.

Such a crazy contrast seeing desert plants next to so much water.  Mittry Lake is actually a 600 acre section of the Colorado River entrapped between the Imperial and Laguna dams.

It’s also adjacent to the Yuma Proving Grounds so silence is sometimes broken by military planes, jets, and helicopters.

Every night a fabulous sunset show.

A windy day made 67° feel chilly so I stayed inside working on a video about the drive from Organ Pipe Cactus to my Sonoran Desert camp.  Towers in three distant directions kept the signal strong.  I also watched out the window while two male Grackles postured and the females ignored them and ate ants.

And didn’t even get outside for sunset.

                                           Osprey                                                                                Maybe Yellow-rumped Warbler         

The next day was calm and at 74° I moved a chair around my truck between sun and shade watching birds between book chapters.

Even stayed calm for a magnificent reflected sunset on Mittry Lake.

Weekend had one neighbor leaving, and so I took their space just a little closer to Mittry Lake.  Also more traffic with people launching small fishing boats and lots of kayaks.  I don’t fish but was told by neighbor Eric from Canada who had a small boat at the dock people caught mostly Bluegill and Bass, though he hadn’t any luck catching anything.  Several tent campers arrived and the couple, Mark and Alice, nearest me had rather loud voices.  I was entertained with their obvious newbie antics.  This is one of the most social places I’ve camped all winter and I learned just about everybody’s name.

Joann came by Saturday afternoon and we sat outside chatting away, which means I didn’t take photos until sunset.

Monday morning I woke in time for a calm sunrise and got down to the water in time to catch the murmur of Swallows.

Later the wind kicked in and blew dust that obscured the not so distant mountain views.

Didn’t stop the Osprey, or the Swallow giving chase.

Then cleared in time for sunset.

Followed by another day of high wind, with no dust, that rocked the camper and kept me inside again.  I was undecided about my next move.  Temperatures in the Yuma area would soon reach the high 90s headed to 100°.  I contemplated going north to Kofa for the full moon and then home to Skull Valley.  But honestly, I’m not ready to go “home” yet.

Did make it outside after the moon had broke horizon.

Plus caught another reflective sunset.

Wednesday morning I woke up cold to 43°.  Crazy weather.  Here I am worried about moving out of high heat.  I look out the window and see a Cottontail only a few days early for Easter.

In the afternoon I took a walk along the nearby Laguna Dam Road that runs parallel to the Gila Main canal and Mittry Lake.  The water runs swift and cold.

That night I caught the moon best I could.

Just around sunset.

Life really is a balancing act.  And so I move on from Mittry Lake.