I returned home to Skull Valley last week after a quick visit with a friend in Mesa. Seemed like the right place to be, at least for a little while. I have much catching up to do from April’s travels, and I will get there, eventually.
Left Indian Bread Rocks Recreation area after 14 days of delightful boondocking courtesy of Bureau of Land Management (BLM). It was going to get HOT. I wasn’t ready to go home. But if I went north into the mountains and forest it would be cold, possibly snow. No thanks.
Headed north to Bowie and it appears that the only thing open in Bowie is the post office. Yet another small town that died after opening an interstate.
I just had to stop for the defunct Teepee Cafe. Obviously, not many call this place home.
Needed to dump and fill so stayed one night at Sunrise RV Park in Safford less than an hour north. Level site with a great view for $25 but they don’t take reservations and office is only open in the morning. Looked like many permanent people call this place home. Also able to shop for groceries and bought a hook-n-eye latch for the screen door to keep Sierra from head-bumping it open.
Then I heard from Sandee in Mesa, who is recovering from extensive surgery, and knew I had to go there. OMG, Mesa, that’s big, actually seems like Phoenix to me. Yikes! But friends are important, so off I went.
The next day I tried for backroads heading towards the megapolis of Phoenix. US70 and US60 go through some fabulous country that deserves more time. But I was on a mission. I took video of the drive with a new dashcam but the quality is too poor to share and the camera has been returned. Spending time with Sandee reassured me she’s on the mend.
So where next? After looking seriously at weather predictions for the next couple weeks the decision was simple. Go home. Skull Valley sits at about 4600 feet and looked like the best temperatures at 80/50° even with some rain. I braved some freeway interstates to get out of Mesa and headed north.
SR74 west took me past Lake Pleasant where I had to stop briefly for photos of the neon Palo Verde bloom and even saw a few flowers on the Saguaros.
Yarnell Hill SR89
Stopped in Wickenburg for fuel along US60 then took SR89 through the familiar Congress, Yarnell, and Peeples Valley.
I felt a certain trepidation and nervous excitement going home.
Backed in front of the 5th-wheel with no intention of moving back into the big house. There was the less than usual accumulation of mouse poop to be cleaned up. But I was in no hurry for that job. Besides, I forgot to buy the 6-month replacement water and sewer hoses.
Gypsy came to visit the next day and we chatted and took a walk around the ranch. Place looked different. More sand in the wash that is my driveway. Water backed up behind the rebuilt dam across the big wash and the swimming hole is full. I forgot phone and camera so these shots are from Gypsy.
Dark clouds hung out as a prelude to more days of stormy skies.
Although I’m perfectly comfortable staying in the truckcamper I did clean the 5th-wheel. Starting with the desk where because of a booster on the roof I get better internet signal. I had videos to load, 360° view of my Mohawk Mountains camp and Bates Well desert camp. I continued cleaning the living, dinning, and kitchen room but saved the bath and bed room for later. Feels like a mansion after living in the 60 square foot camper for six months.
Stormy skies skirt mostly around me, reminiscent of last summer’s monsoon. But it’s only May, much too early for typical monsoon storms in the Southwest. Oh yea, what’s typical about weather? Does make planning for future travels more difficult. I really am going north from home, at some point anyway. Maybe I’ll finally get that journey to the Pacific Northwest. Are you along my route?
In the meantime, I’m trying to catch up. Finally posted the video from Easter in the desert and I will get to more blog posts about the places I visited before coming home.