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Tag: Lake Mead

06 March 2017

Driving to Valley of Fire State Park

March 1, 2017

Snow Bradshaw Mountains Iron Springs Road ArizonaThis, is why I wanted back to the desert so it was totally worth the five hour (long to me) drive to Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada.  Why there?  Well, Nina, a fellow Ranger who I hadn’t met yet would be there and it’s a gorgeous place.  Plus Sandee was only an hour away in Las Vegas after a marathon and had never been to Valley of Fire so I convinced her to join us.  That didn’t take much.  And she was the first one there to claim our campsites.  Seems this has been a winter full of meeting up with old and new friends.

When I left Kirkland around 9:30am the Bradshaw Mountains were dusted with white on the way to Prescott for supplies.  A thirty minute drive and two and half hours shopping.  Why does it always take me so long?  I only went to three stores.

From Prescott, State Route 89 north of Chino Valley tosses the truck up and down like a roller coaster which means slowing down way below the 65mph speed limit so the camper doesn’t break.  Next, I couldn’t wait to get off I40 west from Ashfork.  I don’t particularly like to travel interstates on the best of days, but this stretch of freeway is in terrible condition with huge chuck holes that would swallow a VW.  Seems a lot of our highways are going to pot(holes).

Hoover Dam bridge SR93 ArizonaAt Kingman I was relieved to turn north on US93 even with its cracked and flaky surface.  Thought I was going to drive over the Hoover Dam with its beautiful Art Deco architecture but instead was whisked over what I believe is the newer high bridge.  Been a while since I passed this way.  Did see a sign to the dam but figured I didn’t have time.

Lake Mead SR93 East Boulder City NevadaDrove a few miles past my turn off to Boulder City and fueled up as it’s pretty remote at Valley of Fire.  As I drove back to Lakeshore Drive/UT167 I saw my first real view of the puddle called Lake Mead.  The light color on the far shore should be under water.

DSCN0841 Lake Mead Lakeshore Drive Lake Mead National Recreation Area Nevada

Dry docked Lakeshore Drive Lake Mead National Recreation Area NevadaThe “Lake” is rarely visible from the road being so far from shore.   One hundred forty feet below full pool.  Another idea gone astray.  If these deserts were meant to have lakes they’d have been there naturally.  Other than a distant view, most of the side roads to signed “beaches” aren’t.  Instead they are high and dry along with the numerous boat docks and businesses.  Business has literally dried up.

Lakeshore Drive Lake Mead National Recreation Area Nevada

Folded rock Lakeshore Drive Lake Mead National Recreation Area Nevada

Badlands Lakeshore Drive Lake Mead National Recreation Area NevadaYet the landscape is so geologically diverse.  At first rolling hills dotted with low desert scrub. Then towering cliffs of tilted, folded, and rippled sunset colored sandstone topped by shades of gray weathering limestone.  Suddenly, cresting the top of a steep hill a valley stretches below.

Sunset Valley of Fire State Park NevadaDo you see the face/head profile of an ogre, or is it just me?

Just before I turned west onto Valley of Fire Highway, and straight into the setting sun, I took advantage of a weak signal and sent a text to Berta letting her know I’d almost arrived.  I discovered during last year’s visit there is very limited phone signal with nothing in the campgrounds.

Although I was arriving a little later than expected I knew from Sandee’s morning text she had saved three campsites.  Didn’t quite turn out that way.

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Arizona, Nevada Lake Mead, mountains, road trip, sandstone, Valley of Fire State Park 12 Comments
19 March 2016

High and dry at Callville Campground, sort of along Lake Mead

February 22, 2015

Welcome SR 164 E Nevada

After a couple days exploring Mojave National Preserve we headed east towards home but decided to break up the drive by stopping for the night at Callville Campground, sort of along Lake Mead.

Joshua Trees SR 164 E Nevada

The drive took us through more Joshua Tree forests.

Lake Mead map NPS brochure

The lake is shrinking, a lot.  The Lake Mead National Recreation Area infrastructure was designed to operate optimally at lake levels between 1,180 feet (359.6 m) and 1,220 feet (371.8 m), levels typically seen in the past 30 years.  As of Wednesday, March 16, 2016 the water level was 146.4 feet (44.6 m) below full pool of 1,229.00 (374.5 m).  The National Park Service and concessionaires have spent millions of dollars extending launch ramps and moving marinas to chase the declining water.  Some facilities have been forced to close.

Lake Mead Nevada

These big yet shrinking reservoirs just don’t make sense.  Trying to hold mass amounts of water with a huge surface area that evaporates off what little gets there now anyway.

Truck camper Callville campground Lake Mead National Recreation Area Nevada

Invasive oleanders Callville campground Lake Mead National Recreation Area Nevada
Invasive Oleander

 

Only a few people in the one open campground loop, dry camp for $20/night, half price with Senior Pass.  The site was level though not very large with picnic table and fire ring.  Bathrooms with running water, stand pipes occasionally, dump station.    Our nearest neighbor three sites over only ran the generator for a couple hours.  Ugh.  Good time to go for a walk.

 

 

 

Last light on hill Callville campground Lake Mead National Recreation Area Nevada

Sunset Callville campground Lake Mead National Recreation Area Nevada

The sun was low causing the surrounding hills to glow and providing a soft backdrop to the out of place looking and invasive palm trees?

Lake Mead Callville campground Lake Mead National Recreation Area Nevada

We walked down the closed road towards another campground loop and a tiny view of Lake Mead in the distance.  I’ll bet when the lake was full this place was hopping.

Lake Mead Callville campground Lake Mead National Recreation Area Nevada

Can you see that old water line?  Wonder how low the lake has to be to see what’s left of the original 1864 settlement of Callville, submerged after the completion of Hoover Dam in 1936.

Site 86 Callville campground Lake Mead National Recreation Area Nevada

We picked out a couple favorite camp sites that one time overlooked the lake.  I wondered at the absurdity of camping here in the desert with your ski boat beached nearby.  Now, the place has a rather dead feel and not because of the sparse vegetation.

 

Vultures in palm Callville campground Lake Mead National Recreation Area Nevada

 

Walking back I saw Vultures roosting in one particular palm.  Might not want to camp under this tree.

 

 

 

 

 

Full moon rise Callville campground Lake Mead National Recreation Area Nevada

 

Watched the full moon rise and went to bed early in preparation for the long drive home the next day.

 

 

 

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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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