Day 3 Oxbow BLM Campground Ehrenberg, Arizona

We decided to stay one more day. This site along the river is just so lovely! We hate to leave. I was up to see the sun come up through the clouds.

This morning we took Cibola Road out into the mountains.

It is warm and sunny and the wildflowers are really beginning to pop!

Lunch spot.

We took the road to its end and then back along the Colorado River through the Cibola Wildlife Refuge.

The refuge is home to badgers, coyotes, bobcats, feral burros, and all kinds of birds. We saw lots of roadrunners, several hummingbirds, a few jackrabbits, and lots of lizards. We saw lots of evidence of feral burros but no burros. These burros are relatives of burros left behind or lost during the California Gold Rush.

The top off and loving the sunshine!

When we were in Alaska we heard that moose poop was good fire-starter. We tried it for ourselves and it really worked well…so all this burro poop…is burro poop a good fire-starter??? Only one way to find out…

We spent more time talking with our neighbors Bonnie and Davis….so many places to see…so much to share!!

Day 2 Oxbow BLM Campground Ehrenberg, Arizona

As we went to bed last night there was an owl singing us our evening lullaby.  We were awake at 3am.  The moon had risen over the river and it was gorgeous.  Not long afterward, I had drifted off to sleep and Tim heard coyote howling.  This morning I was awake early and watched the sun come up.  There is a whole lot happening in this quiet little place.

Bob and Ryan were packing up and getting ready to put in and float down the Colorado…safe journey gentlemen.

We headed toward Blythe to see the geoglyphs or ingtalios. 

In 1932 a pilot was flying over the desert and he saw pictures in the desert.  This art is etched into the desert floor and in places the etchings are as deep as six inches.  No one knows when these giant drawings were made, or who made them, or even what their significance really might be.  Scientists believe that they may be thousands of years old.  There are people who believe that because of their size and detail, aliens came from space to assist in the renderings.  Neither Tim nor I really buy into the whole alien theory.  Tim thinks that if someone outlined it for him, he and Butch could have completed a drawing in a couple of days.  The drawings were almost destroyed by people carelessly driving over them. 

Now there are chain link fences that surround them.  The largest of the figures is 171 feet long and about 90 feet wide.  I was awestruck by these ancient messages from the past.

We took the Worthington Trail through the foothills and into the Maria Mountains. 

All at once, we found ourselves in a wash with no trace of the trail.  We both got out of the Jeep and walked around looking for tire tracks or a path free of giant boulders…no luck!  We think that recent rains may have washed the trail away!  We turned around and went back the way we came…no matter…it was a beautiful ride!

Lunch spot.

We took the shortcut on the power line trail to the next trail to the north.  It was VERY BUMPY!!!  Tim wished he had not chosen to go that route.  We don’t mind riding on a rough road but “that thing was obnoxious.”  It also seemed to go on forever…but at last we were on a regular rough road!  This road also led us along a ridge and up into the mountains.  We are so lucky to be doing this.  I believe that we were the only two people who got to see what we saw today.  We didn’t see anyone else up on the ridges. 

We got back to the RV and our dinner was still frozen so we had eggs and toast.  We met a couple from Wisconsin.  Davis was also a bricklayer and so he and Tim had lots to talk about.  I shared a bunch of literature about this area with his wife.  It is interesting to talk to people from everywhere and find that you have things in common.  Age, children, grandchildren, occupation, life goals, search for sunshine and warm weather…

Mileage:  58,214  Oxbow BLM Campground Ehrenberg, Arizona

Tanks full and empty and ready to move!  We went west on Route 8 and then north onto 34 and 78 toward Blythe, California.

It was a picture-perfect day with brilliant blue sky and wispy windblown clouds.

We really were not sure where we were going.  Tim mentioned that he might like to find a place to camp in the desert.  As we approached the town of Palo Verde it became evident that we might have missed our opportunity.  Suddenly we were surrounded by canals and farm fields.  I tried to look at our Allstays app but I was too late…I had no service.  When I did have service, it looked like we had passed our best camping option 10 miles ago…some days are like that!  Not everyone was happy…we really hate to backtrack…but we did.  Not every story has a happy ending, however, we ended up with a waterfront campsite on the Colorado River for $7.50.  So, it worked out in the end! 

The river is much bigger here and flowing faster than it does in Yuma.  I know that the further south on the Colorado that you travel, the more the water is allocated for farms, residences, and businesses.  Also, there has been a lot of rain and snow here.  I’m sure that snow melt from the mountains contributes to the water current.

We were riding around the campground and a couple in a car stopped to ask us if we knew where the Hippie Hole was?  We didn’t…but we saw a sign as they drove off.  Hippie Hole?!?  How did that place get its name?  We drove off after them to let them know how to find it.

We took the Jeep out for a short ride on the Bradshaw Trail.  This was an old stagecoach road in the 1860’s.  It was a rough gravel road that ran parallel to Highway 10 and the mountains.  The desert was really scruffy with scraggly creosote bushes and occasional mesquite trees, not many wildflowers and no cacti. 

The Chocolate Mountains ran along the trail to the north and west.

We took the backroads back to the RV.  The road ran along the river. 

We had leftovers for an easy dinner.  It was warm enough to sit outside.

Tim saw two tent campers across the circle from us.  They had no vehicle.  Bob and Ryan, father and son, are from Oregon.  They started to canoe the Colorado River from Blythe and will take out near Yuma.  They are real adventurers!

The setting sun turned the sky all shades of pink and lavender.

The fire felt nice.  As soon as the sun goes down, the desert gets cool.  The stars are amazing.  The Milky Way bright in the night sky.  I wish I could take a picture for you…but since I cannot…come and see!

Day 5 Arizona West RV Park Yuma, Arizona

Today was about getting some chores done….cleaning, laundry shopping.

Today was also about the NASCAR race!

While Tim watched the race, I did errands. When I got back it was actually nice enough to sit outside and read! When the race was over, Tim was ready to get out. We went to a sports bar/grill for dinner.

Today was my mother’s commissioning as a Stephen Minister. She has been working for several months to get all the training she needs to offer comfort, friendship, and healing to people in her community who are experiencing stress or grief or loneliness or difficulties with life transitions. She will do well with this role because I know she is a good listener… kind and supportive. We are all very proud of her!

I have almost lost track of time. It will soon be March! Kyle and Allison will be here in less than a week and we are very excited and now counting the days! We get up each morning, explore and make it the very best day that we can and then we do it again! Tomorrow we are going off in search of more adventure. The weather is a little better and we will see what we can find!

Day 4 Arizona West RV Park Yuma, Arizona

We woke up and it was sunny with NO wind!!  It was even supposed to get past 60 degrees today!  We packed lunch and headed to the West Wetland Park to go bicycling.  

With all the recent rain, the Lower Colorado River was up much higher than it was a couple of weeks ago.

We rode through the park and out to the gravel canal roads where we road among the farm fields. These were organic fields…they smelled organic too!

Lunch spot.

On the bike path we met a couple riding a tandem bike. Ben and Sue were here visiting from Michigan. They were in Tucson but when it began to snow there, they decided to move further south to Yuma…seeking sun and warm weather. We were all so grateful to be out in warm sunshine! Ben and Sue had a story uncannily similar to ours. Ben owned an asphalt construction company. His wife helped with the business even though she really didn’t enjoy it because she was a nurse! They recently retired and bought an RV. This is their second trip. The four of us chatted for a long time. We talked about our children and grandchildren…we had so much in common!

We decided to ride through the Riverfront RV Park. They had some interesting stuff there!

Even though we had ridden our bikes here a couple of times before, we found a whole new section of park along the river to enjoy.

This is what wetlands reclamation looks like. The area has been planted with native trees in an effort to restore the habitat.

This has been successful in other areas of the park. This is a work in progress as they work hard to return the environment to its previous state of health.

This evening we went to downtown Yuma for the BBQ & Brew Festival. We ended up at Prison Hill for dinner.

After dinner we were wandering among the tents and vendors. All at once I could not find Tim…then I saw the ice cream cone…

We wandered around until the live music began at 8. The band played older country music and they were pretty good!

Wow! Out late 2 nights in a row!

Day 3 Arizona West RV Park Yuma, Arizona

Today was a boring day. It was windy and chilly outside. I had made the only hair appointment I could find at noon. I hadn’t had my hair done since the beginning of December and I was determined to get it done before I left Yuma. There wasn’t much we could do in the morning…just waiting for my appointment. Three hours later I was done and happy! Thanks Alicia!

We were watching the evening news while I was cooking dinner and there was a segment on the local dirt track race for this evening. We ate and headed out to Cocopah Speedway!

It was pretty chilly…down to 40 degrees by the time we got back to the RV…but it was fun to do something different! It was a nice brand new facility. We got to watch the juniors race first…little kids in go-carts….uh no! Then the dwarf cars and stock cars. The competition between drivers was good and it made it entertaining to watch!

Rest in peace Sandy. You were one of our very loyal blog readers! Our hearts and thoughts and prayers are with all of you.

Day 2 Arizona West RV Park Yuma, Arizona

Today we had planned to get on our bikes and ride but it was raining. We thought about driving to Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. We had heard that it is beautiful there…but it is almost 3 hours away. We decided to get in the car and just go for a drive.

Tim found Muggins Wilderness Area. We took the dirt road for a short time until the trail became too rough.

We decided to get out and take a walk.

Wildflowers here sure don’t need much to sprout up and grow.

Our hike led us through a gravelly wash to a squeeze in the rocks. We saw lots of nests and holes where creatures are living and lots of other evidence of creatures…but no creatures.

We ate lunch in the car at a park in Wellton. It was too damp and chilly outside for a picnic. We passed through farm fields on our way back to Yuma.

We were on a dirt road when we saw a sign that said open…what is that place? We pulled in to find out. The Naked Date is a small store that sells dates and other goodies. We chose 2 date cookies for our afternoon snack. What a neat find in the middle of nowhere! I love it when we accidentally stumble upon something fun!

As we drove back toward Yuma, the sun began to shine.

The sunshine was short-lived and it rained on and off all afternoon. What crazy weather winter! It is supposed to be in the 60’s tomorrow and then maybe even climb into the 70’s in the next couple of days…we are not complaining…just reporting! We heard that 4 hours from here in northern Arizona they got a foot of snow today!

Mileage: 58,102 Arizona West RV Park Yuma, Arizona

We left the desert to drive back to Yuma. We estimate that we traveled more than 300 miles off-road and we had pretty much exhausted the nearby trails. We also were hoping to be warmer and Yuma is usually the warmest area in the southwestern US. We took Route 98 along the border with Mexico. We drove through desert and through some small towns. We drove past miles of solar farm.

We spent the day doing laundry, getting supplies and groceries, finishing up our taxes and getting other small chores done.

Day 2 Mountain Palm Springs Undeveloped Campground Ocotillo, California

I woke up at 4am and happened to look out my little window.  The moon was bright and almost full.  It was casting shadows across the wash.  I got out of bed, walked outside in my pajamas and took this picture.

The picture may not look like anything much but the sky was filled with stars, the air was cool and crisp, and it was lovely!

Today was interesting and diverse.  I wasn’t so sure that when I saw that today’s trails were going to take us to a mine and to railroad tracks that it would be very exciting…I was wrong. 

Our first stop was at the Dolomite Mine.  This mine operated in the 1930’s.  They pulled dolomite marble and magnesium and calcium from the mountain.  The view from above the mine was outstanding.   

Our next trail was Mortero Wash. 

This led to the “impossible railroad.”  This section of track connected San Diego to the eastern United States.  It was completed in 1919.  It was difficult to engineer because of the volcanic rock and the gorges and canyons that had to be spanned.

This portion of the off-road trail was impassable for us.  If only he had bigger wheels and tires…I hear this at least once each day.  I suspect that when we get home the Jeep will get a few upgrades!

There is very little litter in the desert.  The one thing that we have seen a lot is mylar balloons and the colorful curling ribbon that gets tied to each one.  I have seen more than a dozen balloons tucked in among the cacti.

Another impassable section…I know…bigger tires!

These holes were in the wall of the wash.  The were lined with cactus burrs.  I wonder what lives here?

We found this memorial in the wash.  This young man lost his life here on the trail.

Lunch spot.

We took a hike at Piedras Grandes Cultural Preserve.  The Kumeyaay people lived here as long as 12,000 years ago.  These native Indians worked very hard to live well and thrive in the “hardscrabble” land.  There is evidence that these people enjoyed a good life.  This is a huge boulder field in the foothills of the Jacumba Mountains.    The boulders sheltered the families from the weather.  There are ancient pictographs and burn scars.  This place is sacred to the contemporary tribe members.  It felt sacred as we walked the path…the same path walked by people for thousands of years.  It was hard to grasp how difficult living here might have been.  This is a pretty harsh environment.  We are so spoiled and we have nothing to complain about! 

On the way back to the highway we passed through the windfarm.  There were about 100 wind turbines slowly turning. 

As I was making our dinner, Tim yelled to me to come and look.  The moon was rising.  It was orange and glowing and beautiful.  It loomed very large on the horizon.  No picture could capture it…we both tried!

Back to civilization tomorrow (for a little while).

Mileage:  57,991 Mountain Palm Springs Undeveloped Campground Ocotillo, California

The wind was whipping all night long and it rained off and on.  There was even more snow on the mountains this morning than there was yesterday!

The forecast for today was sunny and 45 degrees.  We will take the sunshine!  We moved a short distance down the road to a undeveloped free camping area.  It is a beautiful spot!

We got settled and packed our lunch and went Jeeping!  We took the Canyon Sin Nombre Trail or the Canyon Without A Name.  This trail began at the Badlands Overlook and quickly descended to the floor of the Badlands. 

We hiked into this narrow canyon.

We were passed by a passé of other Jeeps out joyriding as well.  As we rounded the bend, we could see that the Jeeps were parked and all the people were out looking at the trail ahead.  That was not a good sign! 

Oh…a water feature!  A portion of the canyon wall had cleaved off and had fallen creating a dam in the wash in the bottom of the canyon.  With all the recent rain, the dam was retaining more than 2 feet of water. 

All the guys were speculating about the possibility of a crossing but no one wanted to take the risk.  The only option was to turn around and backtrack.  The leader of the group said that we were welcome to tag along with them.  They were on their way to the mud caves.  It sounded interesting and so we got in line.  It quickly became apparent that they were traveling much faster than we were willing to go!  Every one of you who knows Tim…you know that he is NOT a follower!  In fact, he is quite proud of that.  He raised our boys not to be followers, to be men who think for themselves.  To Tim following is a weakness…you have to be strong to lead. Needless to say, we didn’t stay with the group very long. 

As we made our way, we passed a man walking with a young boy.  It looked odd to me.  As I was thinking this, Tim said he thought we should turn around and check on the pair.  I had noticed that they didn’t have backpacks or water in the middle of the desert and miles from nowhere.  We approached them and they were very happy to accept a ride.  They had hiked the whole mud caves trail and they were on the way back to the car.  I initially understood that the wife and a three-year-old child were waiting for them to return from their hike.  We put the father and son in the back of the Jeep and started to look for their vehicle…it was miles away.  The boy was 12 and out of school today for Presidents Day.  The father was a pastor and he remarked that this adventure was going to make a good sermon.  I was hopeful that we were not taking them even further from their car but they were sure we were on the right track.  After about three miles we spotted their minivan along with three others.  There was no one there.  Then the son explained that the entire group had taken the hike and because there were lots of younger children who couldn’t walk so far, the father and son were sent to get one of the vehicles.  They were so grateful that we stopped to help!

We met the other Jeepers at the minivans and they helped us to find the mud caves.  This was very cool.  You could walk through apparently for a long way but we just walked in for a short distance.

We stopped at a couple of other trails to hike through.  I had much more energy today and am feeling almost better.  I scrambled up through the rocks to get to the top.  At one point Tim was wondering where I was!

In these mud hills, the canyon walls are very crumbly.  You could rub the surface off with your hands.  There were lots of places where great chunks of wall had fallen to the floor.  There was also a collapsed mud cave.   After climbing in several caves and up through several narrow passages we came to this warning sign.  The hills and caves are actually quite ancient and fragile and dangerous!

Lunch spot.

The trail became pretty rough and we actually scraped bottom on a big rock.  We had trouble following the map and trails today.  The trails were not clearly marked and were very easy to miss.  We took a couple of Jeep trails to the ends and then turned around to head back.  That is when we saw dark and threatening clouds ahead…with rain cells…

When you are driving in a wash at the bottom of a canyon in the mud hills and you can see rainstorms approaching, that adds a whole other element to the sense of adventure…maybe even a little apprehension.  Also, knowing we were miles from the highway…

We were racing but slowly…we had to avoid all the rocks and ruts and other obstacles in our path!

I thought that the clouds looked less dense and that they were dissipating…Tim really didn’t want to hear my platitudes.  He was the driver and he felt the pressure to get out safely, and we did!  We had 5 drops of rain and then the clouds really did begin to lift and separate a little.   I believe that the ring of mountains kept the rain from passing over, diverting the clouds from our direction.

Some wildflowers

It did eventually rain a little…but we were safe at home in the RV.  I can’t wait to see what happens tomorrow!  Helping the pastor, water features, bottoming out, and getting just a little lost…all make it even more fun!

Rest in peace Tante Hanna.