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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.

 

Arizona, Bagdad, Congress, Kaibab National Forest, Places I've been, United States, Wickenburg , 20 Comments

Celebrating my birthday with friends blown in by the wind

desert Kofa Mts Palm Canyon Rd BLM Kofa National Wildlife Refuge ArizonaI know the wind seems to be a reoccurring theme lately, because it’s spring, in the desert Southwest, and its windy.  Like in many places as weather patterns change from winter to summer,  but that didn’t stop me from celebrating my birthday with friends blown in by the wind.

Gaelyn photographing from window King Valley Rd Kofa National Wildlife Refuge Arizona by JoannAfter a couple days filled with laughter camping with me near Kofa National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), Joann continued to Yuma with a promise to stop again on her return home to Prescott.  I settled outside in a sundress soaking up a few rays and reading for several hours before the wind increased enough to send me back inside.

buds Beavertail cactus Stone Cabin SR95 ArizonaBuds on Beavertail cactus, the only bloom

As days get warmer it feels almost like summer arrived on the desert, yet I know me in shorts at 10am and 73° with no wind isn’t really southern Arizona summer that can easily break triple digits daily.  Then after noon the wind kicked back in sending sheets of dust across the land.  I go back inside the rocking camper.  Sure glad it’s heavy and I’m four wheels down.  So I work on the previous long post because I was two weeks behind.  Usually the wind drops after sunset.  Note I said usually, but not that night.  Sadly, the wind just blows dust and no rain making the land more parched and dry with nothing blooming.  Last year’s rather green desert was because of winter rains.  All life in the desert will suffer from this lack.

Redtail hawk Palm Canyon Rd BLM Kofa National Wildlife Refuge ArizonaSaguaro cactus Redtail hawk Palm Canyon Rd BLM Kofa National Wildlife Refuge Arizona

Joann was blown in by the wind Sunday afternoon and parked her minivan on the leeward side of my camper.  We watched a Redtail Hawk roost with a quick snack then soar off looking for more.  Lots of lizards and rodents in this desert but hawks don’t get lucky every time.  Nor do I taking photos of bird is a struggle zoomed in and trying to hold still.  We sat outside for a little bit but the wind got too much for me so we ended up chatting and laughing in the camper.  Sierra even woke up briefly to join us.

historic Stone Cabin ruin SR95 Arizona

fireplace historic Stone Cabin ruin SR95 ArizonaWindy again the next day would have kept us indoors so Joann took us for a ride.  Much easier for her to pack up and take a passenger than me.  We headed south a few miles to the “Stone Cabin” built in the late 1800s as a stage stop for travelers.  What remains measures about 20×25 feet including a corner fireplace.  Over time other buildings were added as a gas station, store, RV park, and Randy’s Hamburger Stand where I ate in 2016.  Now all the structures look like ruins with a row of electric boxes but no power.  Land might be for sale or lease.  We didn’t stay outside long in the hair-blinding wind.

desert Dome Mts King Valley Rd National Wildlife Refuge ArizonaAcross the highway we drove east into King Valley and more of the Kofa NWR.  I camped off this road a few years ago but didn’t like the lights from a nearby Border Patrol check station or the sight of the often flying blimp.  The Kofa Mountains are named for the rich King of Arizona gold mine, discovered in King Valley in 1896. The mine used to stamp its property “K of A”, and is commonly known as the Kofa Mine. The old mine and its surroundings are private property.

desert Kofa Mts King Valley Rd National Wildlife Refuge ArizonaCurving around the southern foot of the Kofa Mountains a subtle change in elevation brought more cholla into the Sonoran desert mix.  Note a familiar peak on the left seen from a different perspective.  In the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge campsites are strictly limited to specific areas within 100 feet of the road and, the further we went, no signal at all.  We turned around at a junction to McPherson Pass 8m and Castle Dome Mine Road 15m.  May be a good thing because I discovered during research later this lead to an old military site with possible undetonated ammunition.

map Kofa National Wildlife Refuge ArizonaHave now been on all the west side roads into Kofa from SR95

Joann left in the afternoon for a quiet alone-time camp near Congress.

desert Kofa Mts low clouds Palm Canyon Rd BLM Kofa National Wildlife Refuge ArizonaStarted the next day slowly as was up feeling sick to my stomach during the night.  Don’t know what I ate different but something did not agree.  OK, TMI.

desert Saguaro dark clouds Palm Canyon Rd BLM Kofa National Wildlife Refuge ArizonaThe sky was magnificent with stormy clouds but my lack of ambition kept me shooting mostly out the window.

desert Kofa Mts dark clouds Palm Canyon Rd BLM Kofa National Wildlife Refuge ArizonaEventually, about 12 drops of rain hit the window leaving behind dusty spots.

A photographer friend—who upgrades regularly—called to find out how long I’d be in the area and I ended up buying an almost new lens from him.  My “go-to” 18-200mm lens bit the dust a while back and I should be happy with this Sigma 18-300mm replacement.  Happy birthday to me.

Sandee & Gaelyn in truckcamper Palm Canyon Rd BLM ArizonaAnother friend from Mesa, Sandee was blown in by the wind around noon in a borrowed minivan for her overnight stay.  We’ve celebrated my birthday together before at Grand Canyon and with Joann near Lake Pleasant.  She brought Ruben sandwiches, fruit and vegie snacks, and chocolate cake.  The wind kept us inside chatting away the afternoon and most of the next day before she had to leave.  She hopes to visit Bryce Canyon this year.

And I should be there as my start date at Bryce is April 11th, about a week earlier than I expected.  And because I am such a procrastinator I finally decided I should get the camper repaired.  I contacted Jay who quoted a camper repair in November then had to wait and see if he could schedule me before I had to leave the area for Utah.

desert Kofa Mts early light clouds sunrays Palm Canyon Rd BLM Kofa National Wildlife Refuge ArizonaThe next morning greeted with some color and sun rays.  And it was time to go, shopping in Blythe then dump and fill at Shady Lane RV Court.  My last morning this winter waking to the Kofa Mountains.  I saw goodbye pee on two of the tires.

RVs sunset Shady Lane Quartzsite ArizonaWindow view sunset

Even with an early start the brutal wind knocked me around on the drive.  Parked by noon, I asked the owners about having work done with the camper off the truck and got the OK if all messes where cleaned up.  But of course.

RVs clouds Shady Lane RV Crt Quartzsite ArizonaWouldn’t be first choice to spend my birthday in a RV park but even with great clouds the predicted wind and fast signal kept me in another day.  Thank you for all the birthday wishes.  Plus I wasn’t sure where to go while waiting for an answer about the repairs.  I walked a couple blocks for lunch at Taco Mio and was extremely disappointed.

RVs sunset clouds sunrays Shady Lane RV Crt Quartzsite ArizonaFinally, late afternoon an answer that repairs couldn’t be scheduled until after the first of April.  That’s too late so I started to make a plan or two or three.

18-300mm lens & lightning triggerSaturday morning I drove two hours blown in by the wind to Wickenburg to pick up mail I hadn’t seen in months.  That would include a couple of birthday presents, a lightning trigger from Pat and the camera lens.

grass tree Vulture Pk Vulture Mine Rd Wickenburg ArizonaThen I went a few miles from town to camp off Vulture Peak Road.

desert hillside moon Vulture Mine Rd Wickenburg Arizona

desert hillside moon Vulture Mine Rd Wickenburg ArizonaPlace was crowded but I managed to get past most of that to a semi isolated area with an open view east for full moon rise.

desert hillside bird moon Vulture Mine Rd Wickenburg ArizonaEven got one shot of the moon with a turkey vulture in front of it. Talk about coincidence.  I am happy with the new lens, just have to get accustomed to the zoom turning the opposite direction from previous lenses.

Flicker bird in tree Vulture Mine Rd Wickenburg ArizonaFlicker

female Vermilion Flycatcher bird Vulture Pk BLM Wickenburg Arizonamale Vermilion Flycatcher bird Vulture Pk BLM Wickenburg Arizona

female & male Vermilion Flycatchers

So nice to be back in bird country:  Cactus Wren song, Flicker pecking at the camper, Curved-bill Thrasher, doves getting friendly, hopping Sparrows, wobble-topped Gabel Quail, my first ever Vermilion Flycatcher male and female, and I even saw a cottontail.

light cactus grass Vulture Mine Rd Wickenburg ArizonaThe signal is great here as I look up at a huge tower.  It’s still windy but warm enough to sit outside on the leeward side.

full moon Vulture Pk Rd BLM Wickenburg ArizonaTried that night for the true full worm moon rise but I can’t seem to see a good focus when it’s so dark.  Something to work on.

So now time for another plan.  Depending on weather, Congress, Kirkland or Prescott before plan A to Flagstaff and north; Or, plan B towards Nevada, St George, Fredonia, and north.  Just trying to stay warm as long as possible because it will be cold at 8000 feet in Bryce Canyon National Park, and will probably snow before summer when I hope visiting friends will not be blown in by the wind.

 

For some reason, I couldn’t get this song out of my head.  Seems appropriate in so many ways.

Blowin’ in The Wind      -songwriter Bob Dylan

How any roads must a man walk down
Before you call him a man?
How many seas must a white dove sail
Before she sleeps in the sand?
Yes, and how many times must cannonballs fly
Before they’re forever banned?

The answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind
the answer is blowin’ in the wind

Yes, and how many years must a mountain exist
Before it is washed to the sea?
And how many years can some people exist
Before they’re allowed to be free?
Yes, and how many times can a man turn his head
And pretend that he just doesn’t see?

The answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind
the answer is blowin’ in the wind

Yes, and how many times must a man look up
Before he can see the sky?
And how many ears must one man have
Before he can hear people cry?
Yes, and how many deaths will it take ‘til he knows
That too many people have died?

The answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind
the answer is blowin’ in the wind

Arizona, Kofa NWR, Places I've been, Quartzsite, RV life, United States, Wickenburg , , , , , 30 Comments

Yet another circle around Quartzsite Arizona

truck camper desert mts sunset clouds Plomosa Rd BLM Quartzsite ArizonaIf you drew a circle around Quartzsite about 200 miles in diameter that’s where I’d be, somewhere.  I went from boondocking near Congress and Wickenburg again, back to the town of Quartzsite, and then returned to Plomosa Road BLM where a friend is camped.

Date Creek Mts sunrise clouds Ghost Town Rd BLM Congress Arizona

desert mts sunrise clouds Ghost Town Rd BLM Congress ArizonaSunrise Date Creek Mts Congress

I really like the desert landscape inside the circle around Quartzsite with Congress high on the list for decent weather, remote, an occasional sunrise, not too many close neighbors, bird watching, brilliant sunsets, nearby friends, and close enough to services, but the signal sucks.  That’s a deal breaker for me.  I even dug out my old Wilson booster but it didn’t help.  It could be really out of date.

desert Vulture Mts sunset clouds Ghost Town Rd BLM Congress AZ

desert mts sunset clouds Ghost Town Rd BLM Congress AZSunsets

Choices for the day: 1) fuck the whole signal problem and just write and process photos for the next two posts which will have to go out from somewhere else. 2) Pack it up and go to Wickenburg, not appealing but could be planned for the next day.  I lazily chose #1.  Then remind myself to just relax and go outside into the 64° Arizona apricity, set my chair out of the wind and read awhile, or just stare off into the desert horizon.  I am treated to the most glorious sunsets.

desert Jackrabbit Ghost Town Rd BLM Congress AZDesert Jackrabbit neighbor

Chris helped me ID the mystery dark bird in my nearby Saguaro bird condo.  A Starling who seems to only spend the night in the nesting hole. The neighbors look in occasionally during the day.  Also a thrasher appears to have moved into the penthouse.

desert Date Crk Mts sunset clouds Ghost Town Rd BLM Congress AZSunset

The decision to move becomes more pressing as it approaches time to dump and fill once again.  Has it already been two weeks?  Well, close enough to get prepared to boondock for another two weeks.

desert rd mts sunset clouds Vulture Mine Rd BLM Wickenburg AZBut first a trip to Wickenburg where I bought some more books at Goodwill and a few groceries.  I actually made it to camp along Vulture Mine Road before cooking pizza for late lunch.  I have been known to prepare this meal in the parking lot as the frozen pizza large enough for leftovers is too big for the freezer.  I didn’t drive far off pavement on the terrible rutted and rocky road as I only planned one night.  A Cactus wren taunted Sierra hopping around within sight out the door and just below the steps.  Sadly, even out in the middle of nowhere, nearest neighbor 100s of feet away, and I still listened to and felt the drone of somebody’s music.  Too much weird.  That night as I stepped out to photograph the sunset I slipped off the step and did a slow motion fall on my left side.  The worse side, with a shoulder in need of replacing but it’s a bad time to be in a hospital.  Did manage to save the camera.  And after taking inventory made it back onto my feet with only a small cut on my palm, scuffed elbow, and desert dirty clothes.  Could have been worse.  Just scary, and a reminder to be even more careful.  I don’t want to be afraid of being out by myself.

sunset moon Vulture Mine Rd BLM Wickenburg AZBig bonus for Vulture Mine Road is the awesome signal staring up at a huge tower.  I planned to finish and schedule the next days blog post but for some reason Open Live Writer wouldn’t talk to my website.  I hoped that wouldn’t be a new norm and thank goodness the problem has since gone away.  But that night I had to cut and paste which took even longer than my already slow normal.

Breezie & Finius camper door Shady Lane RV Crt Quartzsite AZWent into Wickenburg in the morning to pickup mail, topped off diesel and add just a few more groceries.  Then off for the 1 1/2 hour drive to Quartzsite’s Shady Lane RV Court—at January’s increased price of $37 and still a good deal—and parked in my usual space.  I’ve gotten to know my neighbor who is permanent for the winter season.  After hooking up electric and sewer and throwing away garbage I enjoyed a long hot shower.  I realize these are the same activities we all do in a S&B (stick and brick = house/apartment) but when boondocking there’s no current bush (other than the sun), garbage service, or in my case almost endless hot running water.  Sometimes, it’s just the little things that make me smile.

When checking in, I mentioned to Breezie that I liked their first RVer video on FB and volunteered to be interviewed.  So we recorded in the park’s rec-room that night.  Finius and Breezie are awesome and fun folks.  Get to know us all better by watching the video.

Paul's dog Tippy Plomosa Rd BLM Quartzsite AZTippy welcomed me to camp

In the morning I didn’t hang out because there are lots more people in the smaller circle around Quartzsite as the “Big RV Show” with huge tent had started.  Instead I drove north of town and back to Plomosa Road BLM to meetup with Paul, a canyon friend and fellow part-time RVer.  It’s been a year since the Grand Canyon alumni crowd met up south of Quartzsite but this year the gathering was diminished by folks not traveling for obvious reasons.

Saguaro desert mts sunset clouds Plomosa Rd BLM Quartzsite AZThis camp is not too far east of where I was the beginning of January but on the north side of the road instead of the south and still offers great views of the Plomosa Mountains. Pulled in around noon and Paul and I sat outside in the sunshine visiting all afternoon. He made a delicious Broccoli soup for dinner.

plane towing Geico sign above boondock Plomosa Rd BLM Quartzsite AZPaul has the knowledge, skills, and ability to fix stuff and he solved the sticky door problem, rewired the 12v plug, and redid the sagging screw for my curtain wire. Then we spent another afternoon outside chatting the day away.  No, I still haven’t done anything with the sagging camper corners.  That’s a big fix.  Sigh…

desert mts sunset crescent moon Plomosa Rd BLM Quartzsite AZA Facebook memory from ten years ago gave me pause, my previous 5th-wheel sold and going out the driveway after six years living in it and my “new” to me 36-footer with three slide-outs. I like the space but don’t want to tow that monster all over the place. I’m having a hard enough time moving myself anywhere in the truck camper and am grateful most everything works good enough to live in. Yet I wonder what has happened to my wanderlust. I currently am pretty happy just hanging out in the desert under big skies in my chosen circle around Quartzsite. Driving much distance is getting more difficult with my bad shoulder.

 

 

desert mts sunset clouds Plomosa Rd BLM Quartzsite AZ

desert mts sunset clouds Plomosa Rd BLM Quartzsite AZAnd so I spend more time inside on the computer and I’m starting to figure out the pattern for power use off the camper battery charged by solar.  Unless it’s just absolutely gray and possibly raining, I have charge all day for phone and laptop plus a few hours into the evening.

mts sunset clouds Plomosa Rd BLM Quartzsite AZOf course gorgeous sunsets prompt me out to take far too many photos.  I find the camera weight also causes pain in my shoulder.

desert mts sunset clouds Plomosa Rd BLM Quartzsite AZLast week’s post went out about socializing in the desert but I couldn’t open it.  Comments came to my email so others could see the post, at least for a while.  Seems my entire website went down for no apparent reason.  After kind of freaking out, talking to my blog mentor, and others, with power slipping away, I gave up, shut down, and when I went back hours later all was well.  I should learn to let go of those things sooner.

desert morning light Dome Rock Mts Plomosa Rd BLM Quartzsite AZMorning light shinning down on Quartzsite

The next day, a couple of Paul’s friends from Colorado rolled into the southern circle around Quartzsite with their RV.  We made arrangements to meet in town the next morning and explore the “Big Tent” RV Show.  But due to gentle rain overnight continued into morning I wasn’t sure we’d go and look at RVs for sale.

Arizona, Congress, Places I've been, Quartzsite, RV life, United States, Wickenburg , , 29 Comments

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