Menu

Tag: travel

Because there is nothing on my list

Making a list, checking it twice….  As most of you know, I’m a list maker.  But right now, there’s nothing on my list.  Not even for Christmas because I don’t need anything.  The gift of giving happens any time of the year.  Besides, my lists usually include where to travel next.

toadstool Rock Factory UtahToadstool at the Rock Factory, Utah

Yet traveling after six months of working was interrupted by getting sick, which was certainly not on my list.  Like the first plan to visit national parks and natural areas in southern Utah.  I may be really sorry to not get to see some of those places if the current Potus and his cronies get their way.

train depot Rhyolite NevadaRhyolite train depot

As fall slipped away I made another list with places near the northern Arizona and New Mexico border.  Why didn’t that happen?  I ran home to Yarnell to continue recovering from diverticulitis.  After a few weeks I  headed to Alabama Hills to meet up with a friend and visited Burro Creek and Kelso Dunes along the way plus Death Valley and the Rhyolite ghost town on the return to Yarnell.

Weaver Mountains sunset Yarnell ArizonaEvening view over the Weaver Mountains Yarnell, Arizona

My dearest friend Berta has been spending time in Portland supporting her daughter who was recently diagnosed with stage 1 breast cancer.  She’s going to be alright.  They are both going to be alright.  And so will Berta’s cat Sierra because I’m hanging out in Yarnell kitty sitting.  Not a bad place to be as I’ve mentioned before.

Weaver Mountains morning light Yanell ArizonaMorning light on the Weaver Mountains

It’s all cool because I have plenty to keep me busy and I’m REALLY good at wasting time online, especially Facebook.  Am I the only one?

Gaelyn & Sierra in Berta's house Yarnell ArizonaIt is very fun to have a pet but I’m not looking for a full-timer.  Sierra is a really good kitty.  We’ve bonded.  At first she stayed in her own house overnight and I let her out in the morning and afternoon.  Sometimes she visited me in the camper and some evenings I watched TV in the house with her on my lap getting brushed and petted.  I know she misses Berta, but my part time attention will have to do.  You know how cats are?  Or maybe you don’t know any more about cats than I do.  It’s been decades since a cat owned me.

Sierra in camper Yarnell ArizonaEventually Sierra came to my tiny house and decided not to leave.  So it’s easier to move her stuff—cat pan and food—than all my stuff.  The first two days after she moved in she barely left the bed and didn’t want to go outside.  Then she went out but knew where to return and even knocked on the window between the truck cab and camper to come back in.  Darn smart.

butterfly on flower Yarnell ArizonaI watered flowers and look what showed up

Berta returns home late Christmas Eve, just before Santa.

Weaver Mountains clouds sunrays Yarnell ArizonaI plan to be here, or pretty close by, through the holidays.  I don’t like to travel over holidays anyway.  There’s really nothing on my list until possibly early January and definitely 20-28 in Quartzsite.

Sonoran desert mountains low clouds sunset Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument ArizonaSonoran desert somewhere, Arizona

OK, that is not to say there is absolutely nothing on my list.  The travel list is exceedingly long and always growing, thanks to a lot of you for ideas.  I long to return to South Africa.  Anybody up for that in February or March?

boulders snow Eastern Sierras Alabama Hills BLM Lone Pine CaliforniaMarch

Eastern Sierras Alabama Hills BLM Lone Pine CaliforniaNovember

Plus always on my list is labeling photos.  I’m labeling from a March visit to Alabama Hills and recently wrote about the November visit.  I’d really like to catch up to real time but realistically, I take WAY too many photos and am currently nine months behind.  The fun of that is re-living those experiences.  Plus I share every 100th photo labeled on the Geogypsy Facebook page.

Sierra on bed truck camper Yarnell ArizonaSo whether you’re making a list or not, may you enjoy the holidays!

_________________________________

PS: I still have a few 2018 calendars available for $20 including shipping in the USA.  Just click the calendar picture on the sidebar and let me know how many you want shipped to where.  I can guarantee they won’t arrive before Christmas.

friendship, life , 10 Comments

Winter travel wrap up: a love affair with the land

If somebody would pay me to travel and explore I’d just keep on going  because no matter what natural area visited I enjoy a love affair with the land.

Since mid-January the wind blew me to numerous fascinating places in the Southwest.  The truck and camper survived the 2200 mile journey.  I worked on improving the making of photographs.  And I can add at least a couple serious new love affairs with the land from this winter’s journeys including the lush Sonoran Desert, the dramatic Eastern Sierras, and the pastoral Owens Valley.  Plus they all deserve return visits for further explorations.

Sunset from KOFA National Wildlife Refuge camp ArizonaKofa National Wildlife Refuge Arizona

Making a plan versus not making a plan

I didn’t plan to fall in love, but I love making a plan.  Research and reading about places I want to experience, making a list longer than life even though I accept not seeing them all is really part of the fun.  Yet this winter I went from one place to another as the feeling struck, or someone made a suggestion like being set up on a blind date.  This type of courtship took me a while to adjust to, yet over time, and I mean weeks, won me over.  I felt so relaxed and at ease even with the turmoil of our current political state which I kept up with to a point before high blood pressure.  Back to nature for the calm and centering needed.  Where I feel love the most.

Sunset rays Pozo Redondo Mountains Darby Well Road BLM Ajo ArizonaDarby Well Road Sonoran Desert near Ajo Arizona

I did have a plan to visit with friends and attend Blogger-Fest in Quartzsite in January and that instigated a visit to nearby the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge.  Then because a high school friend was wintering in Mesa I spent a few days way too close to the city of Phoenix but at least we got out for a hike on Silly Mountain along with many good laughs.  From there an invitation to visit a friend working in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument had me headed south towards the border.  I so fell in love with this Sonoran Desert landscape that I spent most of February there.  Then I heard some friends planning an early March visit to Valley of Fire in Nevada and I figured why not as I’d only been there once before.  The winds of chance next blew me to Death Valley National Park, a place I can never visit too often.  But with a weekend coming and map in hand I remembered reading several blog posts about the Alabama Hills, a place I’d never been.  In fact it had been 40+ years since I’d traveled US395 and the Owens Valley.  And dang if I wasn’t hooked again.  Love at first sight with the Eastern Sierras and before I knew it another two weeks had passed by.  As the end of March approached I began to feel a draw back home to Arizona yet made a couple more stops along the way.

Ajo Mountain Drive Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument ArizonaOrgan Pipe Cactus National Monument Arizona

Camper comforts and room for improvement

By far the best investment for the camper was a new 100W solar panel that solved my electric needs which is mostly just lights and the fridge ignition.  I use an inverter plugged into the truck for charging the phone and running the laptop.  I have thought about getting a small generator but they are noisy and not particularly cheap.  Sort of like buying an overpriced diamond to get engaged instead of saving the money for experiences.

Crested organ pipe cactus Darby Well Road BLM Ajo ArizonaI don’t use the fresh water system in this old beast, especially after the first winter when water froze and broke the kitchen faucet.  My bad.  But I have concerns about the rest of the plumbing and am not a plumber.  Just one of the many things that need to be looked at and repaired.  Water in jugs works just fine and a dishpan in the sink saves space in the gray water tank.  The occasional plant that gets watered is happy and so am I.  I am careful not to put food scraps down the sink or outside for critters.  I am picky about drinking water, either buying by the gallons or running through the Britta.  But with conservation I can get by on one gallon a day plus at least that much to drink.

Luckily I have a handy neighbor who rebuilt the two “wings” of rotten wood that overhang the truck bumper on each side by about two feet.  Had to be done in order to remount the protective plastic that half fell off somewhere between Fossil Falls and Barstow on the way to Mojave Trails.  Once the camper comes off the truck he’s going to reinforce a few other areas of old wood.

I’d like to replace the foam on the dinette cushions that are flattened and old.  It’s really the only place to sit inside.  And I need to finish the curtains so I can be rid of those awful metal blinds.

creek sunset crepuscular rays High Sierras Independence campground Independence CaliforniaEastern Sierras Independence California

Experimenting with photography

I definitely have a love affair with photography and am constantly reading and learning how to improve the relationship with my camera.  I honestly tried to carry the tripod around more and use it but it’s a bit heavy to use as a walking stick on longer hikes.  I’ve been using manual (M) for a long time and tried moving back and forth with aperture (A) and shutter (S) priority.  Had fun with sun bursts.  I took more time composing a shot and observing edges to avoid a silly tree branch or such.  Looked at different perspectives and even got down on the ground once in a while. Ugh, not my best position.  Really tried not to overdue the post-processing like I did when first introduced to Lightroom.  Now that I’ve opened a new photography website I actually look at my photos on the screen with a more discriminant eye.  Out of 10s of 1000s of photos only a few make the cut.  All this is sort of like looking at old love affairs and learning from mistakes.

Last light Amargosa Range Badwater Basin Death Valley National Park CaliforniaDeath Valley National Park California

Reflections

The getting there, being there, rinse wash repeat, I love it.  The driving part, I’m getting a little tired of that.  I just don’t ever feel like putting down many miles in a day.  Having said that…

I’ve been traveling alone so long it’s now difficult to relax enough to travel with anyone.  Call it independence, stubborn, unable to make compromises, or maybe all of these.  It’s also a chance to learn about myself and spend time living in the now.  I can barely describe how I feel when traveling solo, in my element, no matter the surrounding natural environment.  I love them all for what they are.  I love them NOW because I’m there.  Yet I’m friendly so have no problem meeting and chatting with people wherever I am.  I’m an ambivert, finding balance with my extrovert and introvert characteristics.

High Sierras Alabama Hills BLM Lone Pine CaliforniaEastern Sierras & Alabama Hills California

I love being able to share the moments on social media.  I’ve seen cell towers everywhere I’ve gone.  They are not obnoxious, intrusive or ugly.  They are just there like we used to have electrical and telephone lines.  I got a signal almost everywhere except the Alabama Hills.  Sure wish I could say that for the North Rim Grand Canyon.

morning light temples San Fransisco peaks North Rim Grand Canyon National Park ArizonaNorth Rim Grand Canyon National Park Arizona

What’s next

Yet another landscape I love, and sleep with, calls me to return.  Yup the North Rim Grand Canyon, the 10th summer I call this place home.  So it’s time to take the camper off the truck for some repairs and to haul the 5th-wheel back to the canyon.  I report for work May 1 but the North Rim doesn’t open to the public until May 15.  And this year begins with limited services due to a major waterline break.

Maybe next winter I’ll put the 5th-wheel in storage and live in the camper while traveling.  I’d love to take a fall journey to the Pacific Northwest where I’ve been trying to return for several years.  Yet I’m sure whatever journey I make there will be a love affair with the land.

 

Save

Save

Arizona, California, National Parks and Monuments, Places I've been, United States , , , , , , , , , 25 Comments

Watching the world go by–North Rim to Yarnell Arizona

September 18-19, 2016

A road trip along US89, a classic north and south route through Arizona, taking pics while driving because I enjoy watching the world go by.  Don’t get me wrong, I also like to stop to take in the scene along the way.  But sometimes I take an A to C trip with only stop B along the way.  And frequently the photos are blurry and out of wack.

I left the North Rim about 3:30 taking off early from work Sunday afternoon.  Figured on about a two hour leisurely drive to Lee’s Ferry hoping there’d be space to camp.  Nice to break up the otherwise seven hour drive to Yarnell.

Fall aspen SR67 North Rim Grand Canyon National Park ArizonaThe quaking aspen were putting on quite a show.  Young stands created a golden blanket edged in ever greens.  Taller and older aspen thrust out more isolated clusters of color entirely framed in green.  Some stubbornly hung on to their summer foliage while others were stripped bare.  Driving past at 60mph created a fall kaleidoscope.

Meadows SR67 Kaibab National Forest ArizonaSeptember rains make the meadows look like golden fields of grain with a green tinge as if it’s a little to early to harvest.  Yet the deer and bison graze heavily to fatten up for the coming winter.

Fall aspen 2006 Warm Fire SR67 Kaibab National Forest ArizonaThe ten year old burn displays a mixed topography of scattered tall snags standing in a field of golden young aspen.

Vermilion Cliffs SR89A E Kaibab National Forest Arizona

House Rock Valley & Vermilion Cliffs SR89A E Kaibab National Forest ArizonaAfter a quick cookie stop at Jacob Lake I headed east on SR89A.  Hadn’t been this way for quite a while and certainly not past House Rock Valley Road since going to White Pocket in March with Pam and John.  Did come back that way last January after the Grand Canyon Association and blogger gatherings in Quartzsite.  It just looked all different yet familiar, like an old friend not seen for decades.

Echo Cliffs SR89A E ArizonaOf course it was only a few weeks back while camping at Marble View I’d looked down on this scene.  I love to do that, see where I’ve been or where I’m going.  In fact when I see a road I want to drive it.

Vermlion Cliffs SR89A E ArizonaSure nice to go from fall back to summer.  It was 65°F (18°C) when I left the 8200 foot (2500 m) North Rim and 87° (30°C) on the 5000 foot (1524 m) Marble Plateau.  I could feel the work weight lift and drift away watching the multiple mineral colors of the Vermilion Cliffs slide by.

Vermilion Cliffs SR89A East ArizonaFelt like I was racing the clock a bit because I wanted to be in camp before sunset and knew that would come a little earlier than I’m used to being I’d be surrounded by the warm towering rocks.  The shadows were lengthening.

To Lee's Ferry Glen Canyon National Recreation Area Arizona

To Lee's Ferry Glen Canyon National Recreation Area ArizonaI parked in shadow paying my $9 (half price with Senior Pass) camping fee then hurried down the road no more than four miles.

Lee's Ferry campground Glen Canyon National Recreation Area ArizonaThe campground is situated on a rise with mostly level gravel sites many having sun shelters over the picnic table and a wind/privacy fence or a few trees.  It’s dry-camping with bathrooms which I didn’t use.

Colorado River from Lee's Ferry campground Glen Canyon National Recreation Area ArizonaI parked with a view looking down on the Colorado River and just caught the last glowing tip of the eastern escarpment.  Pulling out a chair I sat absorbing the warmth under the dimming light and discovered a cell signal so sent a photo into the cyberworld.

Sunset Vermilion Cliffs from Lee's Ferry campground Glen Canyon National Recreation Area ArizonaA pastel sunset backed the scene.  The night was quiet and the moon lit the earth.

First light Paria Plateau over Colorado River from Lee's Ferry campground Glen Canyon National Recreation Area Arizona

First light on Vermilion Cliffs from Lee's Ferry campground Glen Canyon National Recreation Area ArizonaEarly morning was blanket weather that promised to warm quickly.  Just as the sun broke over the cliff at 6:30 am somebody had to break the silence with a generator.  Really don’t those multi-million dollar motorhomes have a propane stove to make coffee on.

SR89 South ArizonaTwo hours later I moseyed south, straight into the sun making for lousy photos, past the big Echo Cliffs.  Ah but to soar like a vulture over this magnificent landscape under a bright sun with thermals rising.  Would I rather be a Raven, vulture, hawk, a condor perhaps.  Makes me want to be a Navajo Edward Abbey.  Through the Painted Desert across the Navajo plains.  Scattered hogans and prefab houses, nice communities and scene.  Little wooden shelters some would call shacks with open signs and wares on the battered tables.

Humphreys Peak SR89 South ArizonaFinally Humphreys Peak appears on the horizon, the highest mountain in Arizona at 12,637 feet (3,852 m) it dominates the horizon at 75 miles (120 km) away.  And that means almost to Flagstaff, a little less than half way to go.

SR89 North Cameron ArizonaThe once tiny Navajo town of Cameron has grown into divided four lane highway, miles of street lights, sidewalks, and a roundabout at the turn off to Grand Canyon’s South Rim.  I’ll bet the bright lights at night obstruct the view of the sacred mountains.  Is it irony that a huge power grid runs across the Navajo land?

Humphreys Peak SR89 South ArizonaTo the west the clouds look like white chantrell mushroom swirls, to the east almost like a seismic graph, and in the middle a squiggly exclamation point.  Mt Humphreys wears patches of yellow on the north slope.  The trees change to ponderosa, yellow clusters of flowers that could be rabbit bush and the dead brown grasses blowing in the wind.  Coming up to Sunset Crater.  Then over the 7286 foot (2221 m) pass and 15 miles (24 km) to Flagstaff at 10:35am and 77°F (25°C) as I passed the turn off to Sunset Crater National Monument.

I40 West ArizonaNext to put up with city and traffic as I descend into Flagstaff yet I miss most of it by jumping onto the Interstate 40 for an hour to Ashfork then back on SR89 South.  But I’m not so keen driving on expressways, especially around big towns/cities, lots of trucks up hills going slow.  The speed limit is 75 mph but I set the cruise control for a little over 70 which is good enough and still seems too fast.

Construction Iron Springs Road ArizonaAn hour later off the freeway onto SR89 again, back in the juniper/pinyon forest with some chaparral.  What with the bright sun, dirty windshield, and roller coaster road to Paulden followed by to many roundabouts in Chino Valley no photos were taken while watching the world go by.  Then took the by-pass around Prescott on Iron Springs road, which is once again under construction between Kirkland and Skull Valley.

Sierra Yarnell Arizona3:30pm, parked in Berta’s Yarnell yard, level, backed up to the electric box and a huge shed that is almost as big as the little house.  Berta wasn’t home but Sierra welcomed me.

Camper view Yarnell ArizonaThe regrowth three years after the Yarnell fire is amazing and frames the sculptural standing dead trees.  Home Sweet Home.  At least for a few days, then back to the North Rim to finish out the season.

Arizona , , , , 12 Comments

Lijit

© Copyright 2008-2024. Geogypsytraveler.com