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Category: Arizona

18 December 2024

Making a jump in June chasing comfortable temperatures: Ash Fork to Williams AZ

01 DSC_2141lewfbr wild iris camp Kaibab NF FR48 Williams AZWild Iris Kaibab National Forest Arizona

Yes, I’m a bit behind sharing stories of my summer travels.

02 20240617_103545lewfbr Gaelyn sheep camp Kaibab NF FR48 Williams AZ-2I have managed to create a few videos but am also behind there.  You can watch Boondocking with sheep under the Pines  https://youtu.be/FPT0uQkEsao  for more about my Williams camp.

03 DSC_1977lewfbr sheep FR35 Kaibab NF Ash Fork AZI continued to enjoy the Junipers and meadows, complete with sheep, on the Kaibab National Forest south of Ash Fork Arizona into early June before making a jump to another area of forest south of Williams.

04 DSC_2061alewfbr White Horse Lake Kaibab NF AZ fbWhite Horse Lake Kaibab National Forest Arizona

Ron visited from Congress so we took his Jeep on a couple of backroad rides.  I love connecting the dots on my map and exploring areas I wouldn’t drive the RV.

05 093519lecwfbr elk crossing Perkinsville Rd S Kaibab NF AZ-2Without shopping in Ash Fork it was time to look for other options and Williams, only 22 miles east on I40, seemed just right and especially with another bump up in elevation to avoid heat.  After free dump and fill plus a grocery stop I parked the RV south of town and we took the Jeep out on forest roads in search of another ideal camp.

06 DSC_2116lewfbr glow on grass camp FR48 Kaibab NF Williams AZ fbOnly 12 miles from Williams on the Kaibab National Forest we found a large camp with nobody nearby.

07 20240605_100727leytr Jeep with hood up FR48 Kaibab NF Williams AZ-2Sadly, the Jeep’s transmission linkage broke so I walked a ways back to a camper and asked for a ride about four miles back to my RV.  After doing some online research, Ron figured out what part was needed and ordered it from a store in Williams.  Ron slid under the Jeep and replaced a bushing to make the Jeep move again.

08 20240605_165823lecwfbr sheep RV camp FR48 Kaibab NF Williams AZ gfb-3While he worked four-legged sheep visitors moved through camp, more than once, and didn’t give us a second look.  After repairs it was time for Ron to return to his pets and high heat at lower elevation in Congress, 100+° while I enjoyed the 80s.

09 20240607_152947leecccwfbr Red Garter Williams AZ fb-5The Red Garter Williams Arizona

I enjoyed visiting with friends from Grand Canyon before making a jump further east then north of Bellemont and up once again in elevation.

10 123712-2 RV leaving Williams campPeople who don’t live at high elevation often don’t understand the lack of oxygen and struggle breathing.  Congress 3045’, Ash Fork 5181’, Williams 6916’, Bellemont 7132’, Flagstaff 6821’.  And then there’s Reverse Elevation sickness.

 

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Arizona, Kaibab National Forest, Places I've been, RV life, United States boondocking, Nomad, soloRVer 16 Comments
14 July 2024

Moving on to May in Congress Arizona

last light valley from Date Crk Mts Congress AZOK, so I only seem to blog monthly these days, maybe that’s because I’m exceedingly busy, and also working on videos.  I did a bit of moving around in May, starting with Congress and ending near Ash Fork, but still haven’t left Arizona.

Gaelyn & Ron in side-by-side Congress AZMeet Ron

I left you at the end of April with a surprise.

RV Congress camp AZ

light & shadow Date Crk Mts Cemetery Rd BLM Congress AZ

desert Date Crk Mts sunset Cemetery Rd BLM Congress AZArrived in Congress Arizona May 1st to a not overly crowded BLM site off Ghost Town and Cemetery Roads.

desert light Date Crk Mts Cemetery Rd BLM Congress AZ

Date Crk Mts sunset Cemetery Rd BLM Congress AZThis is a familiar area for my Spring and Fall migration.

dead rattlesnake Cemetery Rd Congress AZThree days later Jerry stopped by to tell me he’d accidently run over a rattle snake nearby.  It was dead and I wanted the rattles.  So I grabbed a pair of scissors that could have been sharper and as I approached the obviously dead snake a man rode up in a side-by-side OHV.  I handed him my phone with video running and said point it at me please.

side-by-side ride Date Crk Mts valleyThen he invited me for a ride.  I grabbed my water bottle and jumped in still wearing my slippers.

side-by-side ride Weaver Mts

side-by-side ride Weaver MtsRon is a friend of Jerry’s, and a local to Congress for many years.  We went places I would never otherwise see.  Some where distinct two-tracks, others not so much.

Gaelyn at mine adit Weaver Mts AZ

Weaver Mts mine shaftThis has been mining country since the 1500s when the Spanish arrived from Mexico into what is now Arizona bringing along donkeys to carry the loads.  These sturdy creatures easily survived the harsh conditions found in the desert SW.

opening donkey corral Date Creek Mts Congress AZ

stone donkey corral Congress AZ

arrastra grinding stone Weaver MtsThe dry stack walls of this donkey corral is evidence of their use during mining when they would pull the grinding stone called an arrastres over the ore laden rock.  Fascinating!

Gaelyn side-by-side Congress AZ

Date Crk Mts Congress mine AZNow I’ve cursed those noisy, dusty, rude-driven, OHVs forever.

town view Congress mine AZBut after several fun and amazing trips into the surrounding country on roads that might not be roads, I’m kind of hooked.  Well, not enough to buy one, however…

side-by-side ride Date Crk Mts Congress AZ

side-by-side Date Crk Mts Congress AZOver the next several days that became weeks I saw so much of the land I’d never drive to in my RV, or any previously owned vehicle.

side-by-side ride W RR easement to Wickenburg AZ

RR tressel Congress AZWe took RR easements and backroads with the side-by-side to Wickenburg then accessed more backroads to ride in a box canyon.

side-by-side ride Hassayampa R Wickenburg AZ

side-by-side ride Hassayampa R Wickenburg AZThe Hassayampa River originates as a small spring just south of Prescott Arizona and flows 100 miles to the Gila River near Hassayampa.  Sometimes it flows underground and thus the Native name meaning “river that flows upside down.”

side-by-side ride Hassayampa R Wickenburg AZ

Hassayampa R box canyon AZAn anonymous poet wrote: Those who drink its waters bright — Red man, white man, boor or knight, Girls or women, boys or men — Never tell the truth again.

side-by-side ride Hassayampa R Wickenburg AZ

Gaelyn RZR Hassayampa R ride Wickenburg AZI didn’t drink any of the water but did drive through some and even waded just a little.

Monte Cristo mine Constellation Rd WIckenburg AZMonte Cristo mine

O'Brien mine bldg Constellation Rd Wickenburg AZO’Brien mine

Gold Bar mine Consellation Rd Wickenburg AZGold Bar mine

Another backroad took us past several old mines, some inactive but still held by a claim.  Ron knows a lot of these old miners and got permission to explore on their property.

Bloo Nelley mine Constellation Rd WIckenburg AZI got a private tour of the Bloo Nelley mine and the owners are working on several projects open to the public.  I took video of the tour and it will be posted eventually.

storm clouds Date Crk Mts Congress AZ

storm clouds Date Crk Mts Congress AZThere was also plenty of time for sky watching from my desert camp.

Joshua trees rest area US93 AZ

flowering Saguaro SR97 to Bagdad AZ

flowering Saguaro SR97 to Bagdad AZ

flowering Palo Verde tree desert rd off Bagdad Hwy AZ

Bagdad mine AZBagdad mine

A long-day loop-drive went through a Joshua Tree forest, past a few flowering Saguaro and lunch in Bagdad Arizona before returning to Congress.

bumper rock collection Congress AZAfter three weeks playing in Congress and temperatures rising toward triple digits It was time for me to move on.

clouds Yarnell Hill SR89 N AZ

Iron Springs Rd Skull Valley AZI headed north up the familiar Yarnell Hill, through Skull Valley and stopped to visit a friend in Dewey.

full moon rise Dewey AZfull moon rise Dewey AZ

Kept an eye on the full moon from a rural yet urban location.

light on grasses trees clouds FR35 Kaibab NF Ash Fork AZ

Orange Mallow flowers grasses Juniper tree FR35 Kaibab NF Ash Fork AZBy the end of May I was ready for some quiet time out in the middle of nowhere so I headed north on SR89 to find a camp on the Kaibab National Forest south of Ash Fork.

Orange Mallow flowers grasses Juniper trees FR35 Kaibab NF Ash Fork AZ

orange Mallow flowers bee FR35 Kaibab NF Ash Fork AZ

tree sunset FR35 Kaibab NF Ash Fork AZ

trees sunset clouds FR35 Kaibab NF Ash Fork AZTurned out to be a real beautiful landscape of flower-filled grassy meadows and low Juniper trees topped by breathtaking sunsets.

flock sheep FR35 Kaibab NF Ash Fork AZ

flock sheep RV FR35 Kaibab NF Ash Fork AZ

RV flock sheep FR35 Kaibab NF Ash Fork AZ

flock sheep FR35 Kaibab NF Ash Fork AZAnd four-legged visitors, who set up a little dust but just moved on past, several times during the rest of the month and into June, which will be part of the next post along with a two-legged visitor.

sheep FR35 Kaibab NF Ash Fork AZ

sheep FR35 Kaibab NF Ash Fork AZOf course I have since moved on to a couple more forest camps in June and July and will share them eventually.  I do recommend checking out my YouTube channel and subscribing to see more of my adventures, even though admittedly I’m not current there either.  Guess I’ve just been busy enjoying life.

last light grasses & flowers trees FR35 Kaibab NF Ash Fork AZBTW, I’m starting to think about a 2025 calendar.  How about you?  Please let me know if you see some photo worthy of including and if you’re interested in purchasing a calendar.

 

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Arizona, Bagdad, Congress, Kaibab National Forest, Places I've been, United States, Wickenburg OHV, RV life 20 Comments
09 June 2024

April in southern Arizona

last light Organ pipe cactus ORPI NM AZ

The last blog post was April 24th as I prepared to leave Old Fogey Hot Spring in southern Arizona then continued further south to Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument.  How can that be as I roll through early June while writing this post?   I am reminded by Sue that blogging has fallen by the wayside for many.  And to be fair I am sharing my stories on YouTube now at  https://www.youtube.com/@geogypsytraveler/.  Yea, I know, not everybody does YouTube, however there will be many links to videos I’ve posted since the last blog post.  Just sayin’.  If you like what you see please subscribe to the channel.  You can check out ideas about summer travel plans and monetization here.

RV cg ORPI NM AZI continued into southern Arizona most specifically to attend a Ranger wedding where they met years ago while working at Organ Pipe Cactus.  It was a three day affair that included the solar eclipse, and I camped in the park’s campground.

desert late light Darby Well Rd BLM Ajo AZ

desert sunset Darby Well Rd BLM Ajo AZBut before that I spent a few days boondocking south of Ajo near a favorite BLM site along the Darby Well Road.

Plaza Ajo AZThen before heading to Organ Pipe went into Ajo for groceries, laundry, and a visit to the Plaza where I bought myself a few pieces of jewelry.

ring earrings pendant Ajo AZOld Sterling Silver & Turquoise ring & necklace, plus hand-carved Pipestone turtle earrings

I’m really not collecting again after the fire, but if I see a piece I love that fits, well it becomes mine.

Space X Sonoran Desert ORPI MN AZSpace X seen from campground

Most of the wedding party were, or still are, Park Rangers from all over North America, so of course we got along fabulously.

Saguaro cristate Ajo Mt Dr ORPI NM AZCrested Saguaro

dbl arch Ajo Mt Dr ORPI NM AZDouble Arch

One day we carpooled on the Ajo Mt loop drive making stops along the way.

hawk Saguaro Ajo Mt Dr ORPI NM AZcactus flowers Ajo Mt Dr ORPI NM AZ

Took four hours for the 21 mile drive.  That’s naturalists for you.

Ramsey & Chelsea hands ORPI NM AZThe next day, before the wedding ceremony, we shared food at the group camp area while safely watching 75% of the solar eclipse.

desert eclipse site ORPI NM AZsolar eclipse

I set up camera on tripod and shot about every 5-10 minutes then eventually put together a composite.

RV sunset Darby Well BLM Ajo AZ

desert moon Jupiter Darby Well BLM Ajo AZ

Gaelyn tophat eclipseBrittlebush Ocotillo Darby Well BLM Ajo AZ

After the wedding activities I returned to Darby Well Road for about a week of camping and learning how to make the eclipse composite while enjoying the southern Arizona Sonoran desert outside my door.

Plaza Ajo AZ

RV camp BLM Alley Rd Ajo AZThen back to town for groceries and postcards where a different boondock was recommended along Alley Road.

Organ Pipe cactus spine glow yellow Brittlebush Alley Rd BLM Ajo AZOrgan Pipe cactus spine glow Alley Rd BLM Ajo AZ

I love that new camp location even better, if that’s possible, because of less traffic and people, and more dense Sonoran desert vegetation.

desert mt Alley Rd BLM Ajo AZNear enough to a tower to successfully work online and load videos.

desert sunset Alley Rd BLM Ajo AZ

desert Ajo Pk sunset Alley Rd BLM Ajo AZ

RV reflection sunset clouds Alley Rd BLM Ajo AZdesert sunset Alley Rd BLM Ajo AZ

Spectacular sunsets.

desert mt moon Alley Rd BLM Ajo AZmt moon rise bird Alley Rd BLM Ajo AZ

moon rise Alley Rd BLM Ajo AZSaguaro desert mt moon rise Alley Rd BLM Ajo AZ

Watched the full moon rise.

Coyote Alley Rd BLM Ajo AZAnd had a coyote visitor.

yellow Brittlebush flowers Ajo Mt sunset clouds Alley Rd BLM Ajo AZ

desert last light Alley Rd BLM Ajo AZ

yellow Brittlebush flowers clouds Alley Rd BLM Ajo AZI spent another week before starting slowly northwards.

RV in carport Yuma AZJoann’s neighbor let me park across the street

Next stop, a visit with Joann in Yuma for a couple days.

red Ocotillo flowers Kofa Mts BLM La Paz Valley AZ

desert Chocolate Mts sunset BLM La Paz Valley AZThen a five day stop, still in southern Arizona, on BLM adjacent to Kofa National Wildlife Refuge.

flowering Saguaro SR97 to Bagdad AZMay 1st I arrived in Congress where something special happened.

 

Yes, there are a lot of photos here.  But there’s even more good ones laced into the linked videos.  I believe some of these will be contenders for the Geogypsy 2025 calendar.  Have any favorites?

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Ajo, Arizona, Kofa NWR, Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, Places I've been, United States, Yuma BLM, boondocking, Sonoran Desert 21 Comments
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Hi, I’m Gaelyn, the Geogypsy

I retired after 29 summer seasons as a Park Ranger, traveling solo for 40+ years. My passions include travel, connecting to nature, photography, and sharing stories.

I started exploring US National Parks in 1977 and 20 years later became a seasonal Park Ranger.  I’ve lived full-time in a RV for 30 years working summers and playing winters.  I’m still trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow old, other than grow up.

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