November 14-16, 2021
Cipriano Pass
Riverfront RV Park Yuma, Arizona Day 20, 21, and 22
When we returned from the rodeo on Saturday, we realized that our coach was not receiving shore power. It was late and we did as much as we could to problem solve and finally went to bed with no power. The next morning, we talked to our neighbors about the need to run our generator for electric. Dale was kind enough to come over to help us figure out what might be wrong. Soon, we were joined by Ron, a manager here at the park. The pedestal was apparently working, meaning that the RV was the issue. We made a call and because it was Sunday, we had to leave a message. Fortunately, the men were able to find a way to plug the fridge in directly so that at least the food was cold. We spent Sunday running the generator and sitting with our phones hoping for a return call. On Monday morning we got a call…Vic wasn’t able to come out until Tuesday. We made several other calls and found Richard from Best RV Tech. He was able to come out at around lunchtime on Monday. He was amazing! He knew exactly how to check everything and he was able to locate the problem breakers and replace and repair them. YAY!!! Just a temporary inconvenience.
Our initial intention was to go tent camping in the desert. With the power restored, we packed our gear and left! We went to the Barry Goldwater Range. We had obtained the necessary permit and as we entered the range, we completed the online check-in.
We got a late start but the gravel road through the Wellton Hills was well maintained and we made good time. We took Cipriano Pass and we found a great site near the Gila Mountains. We set up and for the first time in a couple of days, we relaxed!
Enjoy Tim’s video!
We enjoyed our dinner by the fire.
The moon was about ¾ full and it was bright and beautiful.
Tuesday morning, the sun rose in the cloud-streaked sky.
We meandered through the desert, stopping to have our breakfast.
These exploded ordinances are a reminder that we are in a military range. No maneuvers or jets flying overhead today.
We took the A9 spur all the way to the end and we stopped to explore and to admire the view.
As we drove back to the main road, I caught sight of a man running in the road ahead. As we got closer, we saw 4 men sprinting into the vegetation. All were wearing black from head to toe and each carried a huge black identical backpack. These men were not there to hike. Tim said: “They aren’t good guys!” They ran from us and quickly, wanting nothing to do with us and knowing that we could report them to the authorities.
We did call the Marine Corps Air Station in Yuma and informed them of our encounter. We also saw a group of Jeeps and a several OTV’s traveling in that direction and we stopped and spoke with them as well. There are warnings about smuggling and we know there are lots of issues surrounding the border, but today, we witnessed the reality of the problem…this is a real thing.
The remainder of the day was spent cleaning gear and resting. A shower always feels especially wonderful when we get back!
Enjoy Tim’s video!